Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Wichita, KS

March 13, 1990Reno County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 4:20 PM CST for Reno County, Kansas. It was in force for 55 min. 1 report 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
Mar 13, 1990, 4:20 PM CST (22:20 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1990, 5:15 PM CST
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Reno 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 13, 4:34 PM CSTTornado F5Reno, 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

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 161 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 1990-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1480 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 1990-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 262 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1480 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
829 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
262 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
238 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.8
Supercell composite
9.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KICT 132220
SVRICT
KSC155-132315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
420 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      RENO

AT 318 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS IN THE RENO COUNTY AREA.
THIS THUNDERSTORM IS PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AND IS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. IT IS LOCATED NEAR PRETTY PRAIRIE OR JUST NORTH
OF THE KINGMAN COUNTY LINE.

 REMEMBER...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND DO OCCASIONALLY DO
PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING. BE ON THE
LOOKOUT.	

LEIVERS

What 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, Mar 13, 11:43 AM CST, 4 hours 37 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-131845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1141 AM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR WESTERN HARVEY
COUNTY UNTIL 1215 AM...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH
OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 400 PM...

AT 1125 AM THE WICHITA RADAR SHOWED STORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS POSSIBLE
HAIL AND STRONG WINDS NEAR THE COMMUNITY OF HESTON WHICH IS IN 28 MILES
NORTHEAST OF HUTCHINSON. THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LARGER AREA OF
PRECIPITATION WHICH WAS WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES WEST OF TOPEKA TO
35 MILES WEST OF EMPORIA TO 40 MILES WEST OF ARKANSAS CITY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR
AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

RANDALL
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 12:33 PM CST, 3 hours 47 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-131845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1232 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED FOR WESTERN HARVEY COUNTY
HAD EXPIRED AT 1215 PM...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH
OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 400 PM...

AT 1225 PM THE WICHITA RADAR INDICATED THAT THE SEVERE WEATHER HAD
MOVED OUT OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...LEAVING ONLY A FEW AREAS OF
LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. THIS LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING
NORTH NORTHEAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR INTO NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

THE AREA WAS GENERALLY 25 MILES ON EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FROM
HUTCHINSON TO THE NEBRASKA BORDER NORTHEAST OF CONCORDIA.

LEIVERS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 1:39 PM CST, 2 hours 41 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-132045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
138 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS
UNTIL 400 PM...

AT 125 PM A FEW LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS WERE IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.
THESE SHOWERS WERE IN A 25 MILE WIDE AREA AND GENERALLY WEST OF
A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF MARYSVILLE ON THE THE KANSAS
NEBRASKA BORDER SOUTHWARD TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.

RANDALL
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 2:42 PM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-132045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
241 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS
UNTIL 400 PM...

AT 225 PM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAD REDEVELOPED IN AN AREA OF
INSTABILITY IN WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. AT THIS TIME THE AREA HAD NOT
BEEN PRODUCING MORE THAN A FEW AREAS OF PRECIPITATION...ONE IN
NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA AND ANOTHER OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS. THEY WERE
MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

OTHERWISE...AN AREA OF SCATTERED PRECIPITATION CONTINUED OVER PARTS
OF NORTHEAST KANSAS AS REMNANTS OF THIS MORNING'S SYSTEM. THAT BAND
WAS ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

LEIVERS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 3:43 PM CST, 37 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-132245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
345 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...THE TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS HAS BEEN
EXTENDED TO 10 PM TONIGHT...

AT 330 PM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BRIEF
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED IN WEST CENTRAL KINGMAN COUNTY.
THE CELL WAS MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 45 MPH AND IS EXPECTED TO PASS
THROUGH EASTERN RENO COUNTY BY 445 PM.

OTHERWISE...A LINE OF SCATTERED PRECIPITATION 30 MILES WIDE COVERED
LARGE PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS ALONG A LINE CENTERED FROM THE
KANSAS-NEBRASKA BORDER NORTH OF TOPEKA TO 20 MILES EAST OF EMPORIA
TO THE KANSAS-OKLAHOMA BORDER 25 MILES EAST OF ARKANSAS CITY KANSAS.
THIS LINE WAS ALSO MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 40 MPH.

LEIVERS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 4:09 PM CST, 11 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-132300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
409 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...THE TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS HAS BEEN
EXTENDED TO 10 PM TONIGHT...

AT 355 PM THE KINGMAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT REPORTED VERY
HEAVY RAINS AND PEA SIZE HAIL...ALONG WITH 40 MPH WINDS...IN CENTRAL
KINGMAN COUNTY NEAR US HWY 54 WEST OF KINGMAN. THIS REPORT IS
ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE CELL THAT INCLUDES IMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS.
THIS SYSTEM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 40 MPH AND IS EXPECTED TO PASS
THROUGH CENTRAL RENO COUNTY BY 500 PM.

OTHERWISE...A BAND OF SCATTERED PRECIPITATION CONTINUED IN EAST
CENTRAL KANSAS FROM NORTH OF TOPEKA TO 15 MILES EAST OF EMPORIA TO
THE KANSAS-OKLAHOMA BORDER 25 MILES EAST OF ARKANSAS CITY KANSAS.
THIS LINE WAS ALSO MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 40 MPH.
LEIVERS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 7:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTCowley32 min
Mar 12, 8:19 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTGreenwood26 min
Mar 12, 9:12 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTGreenwood48 min
Mar 13, 10:17 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTKingman, Reno58 min
Mar 13, 11:13 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey62 min
Mar 13, 4:37 PM CSTTornado WarningICTReno38 min
Mar 13, 4:52 PM CSTTornado WarningICTHarvey38 min
Mar 13, 5:27 PM CSTTornado WarningICTHarvey18 min
Mar 13, 5:43 PM CSTTornado WarningICTMarion62 min
Mar 13, 5:44 PM CSTTornado WarningICTSumner46 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.