Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 42, NWS Wichita, KS
NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 1990, 7:49 PM CDT for Chase County, Marion County, Kansas. It was in force for 56 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 15, 1990, 7:49 PM CDT (00:49 UTC)
- Expired
- May 15, 1990, 8:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 56 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wichita, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Chase County, KS, Marion County, KS
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 8:30 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Chase, KS | |
| May 15, 8:30 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Chase, KS | |
| May 15, 8:30 PM CDT | Tornado F0 | Chase, KS |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 0.8 hours before the alert went out and 128 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1934 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -14 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 926 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 59 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 103 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 90 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 2.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KICT 160049
SVRICT
KSC155-079-173-115-017-160145-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
749 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES
IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
EASTERN RENO...HARVEY...NORTHERN SEDGWICK...
IN THE CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
EASTERN MARION...
IN THE EAST CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
CHASE...
AT 740 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THAT
EXTENDED FROM 20 MILES WEST OF EMPORIA OR JUST SOUTH OF COTTONWOOD
FALLS TO 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HUTCHINSON.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN THE
TOWN OF NEWTON...FLORENCE AND COTTONWOOD FALLS.
REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. BE ON THE
LOOKOUT.
ROSNKERWhat forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 15, 4:42 PM CDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-152245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 438 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBERS 238 AND 239 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF KANSAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 325 PM CDT...THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS HAVE MOVED EAST INTO MISSOURI. SINCE 330 PM CDTF A NEW AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED IN NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. STAY ALERT FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RANDALL
Special weather statement, May 15, 4:44 PM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-152245- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 438 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBERS 238 AND 239 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF KANSAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 425 PM CDT...THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WERE IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS HAVE MOVED EAST INTO MISSOURI. SINCE 330 PM CDTI A NEW AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED IN NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. STAY ALERT FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RANDALL
Special weather statement, May 15, 5:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-152345- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 540 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBERS 238 AND 239 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF KANSAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 525 PM CDT...A 50 MILE WIDE AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED NORTH-SOUTH THROUGH CENTRAL KANSAS INTO OKLAHOMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF TOPEKA TO WICHITA ON SOUTHWARD TO OKLAHOMA CITY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHCENTRAL OKLAHOMA. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. STAY ALERT FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RANDALL
Special weather statement, May 15, 5:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
KSZ012-017-152330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 555 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBERS 238 AND 239 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF KANSAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 550 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MILES AN HOUR WERE MOVING INTO THE WICHITA AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCED MARBLE SIZE HAIL AS THEY MOVED BY THE WICHITA MID-CONTINENT AIRPORT. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF WICHITA AND PERSONS IN SEDGWICK COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AN9D BE PREPARED TO TAKE COVER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT. ROSNER
Special weather statement, May 15, 6:19 PM CDT, 1 hour 30 minutes before
KSZ012-017-152330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 617 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR NORTHERN SEDGWICK COUNTY... ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBERS 238 AND 239 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF KANSAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 610 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MILES AN HOUR CONTINUED TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR AND WERE LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE CITY OF WICHITA. THE STORMS HAD PRODUCED GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE CITY AT 605 PMm. OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY SOUTH OF THE CITY OF WICHITA. PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF WICHITA AND NORTHERN SEDGWICK SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE COVER. ROSNER
Special weather statement, May 15, 6:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-150045- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 640 PM CDT TUE MAY 15 1990 ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBERS 238 AND 239 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF KANSAS... ...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... AT 625 PM CDT...A 40 MILE WIDE AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED NORTH-SOUTH THROUGH NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL KANSAS SOUTHWARD INTO OKLAHOMA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM TOPEKA TO NEAR EMPORIA TO WICHITA ON SOUTHWARD TO OKLAHOMA CITY. THE STRONGEST STORM WAS JUST EAST OF PEABODY OR 40 MILES EAST OF HUTCHINSON. HEAVY RAIN...LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. STAY ALERT FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. RANDALL
The office that day
Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 7:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harvey | 42 min |
| May 15, 7:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Sedgwick | 32 min |
| May 15, 7:18 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Chase | 27 min |
| May 15, 7:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harvey, Reno, Sedgwick | 56 min |
| May 15, 7:57 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Harvey | 33 min |
| May 15, 8:29 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Butler | 16 min |
| May 16, 2:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Cherokee, Labette | 65 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.