Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 24, NWS Wichita, KS

May 24, 1990Marion County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at May 24, 1990, 7:44 PM CDT for Marion County, Kansas. It was in force for 46 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
May 24, 1990, 7:44 PM CDT (00:44 UTC)
Expired
May 24, 1990, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

County 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 24, 8:38 PM CDTHail 1Marion, 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, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 145 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1990-05-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1990-05-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 362 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
739 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
362 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
487 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KICT 250044
TORICT
KSC115-250130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
744 PM CDT THU MAY 24 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 830 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      NORTHERN MARION

AT 740 PM CDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN WICHITA
CONTINUED TO INDICATE A TORNADO ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL MARION
COUNTY AREA...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

VERY LARGE HAIL...1 INCH TO 1 1/2 INCHES HAD BEEN REPORTED WITH
THESE STORMS AS WELL.

TAMPA...RAMONA...AND LOST SPRINGS ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS.

 THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. TAhKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. DON/T HESITATE.
 A FEW SECONDS MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE.

 TAKE COVER AT ONCE. DON/T WAIT UNTIL THE STORM IS UPON YOU...IT
MIGHT BE TOO LATE.

WILSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 24, 5:46 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-242345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
545 PM CDT THU MAY 24 1990

...TORNADO WATCH #311 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 525 PM CDT AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS IN CENTRAL KANSAS.

THIS AREA WAS 40 MILES WIDE AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM 15 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF SALINA TO 10 MILES WEST OF GREAT BEND. THIS AREA WAS MOVING TO THE
EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

ALSO...A 10 MILE WIDE AREA OF SHOWERS WAS CENTERED 15 MILES SOUTH OF CHANUTE.
THESE SHOWERS IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS CONTINUE TO DIMINISH IN INTENSITY
AND COVERAGE. THESE SHOWERS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH.

RANDALL
Special weather statement, May 24, 6:05 PM CDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-250045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
604 PM CDT THU MAY 24 1990

...TORNADO WATCH #311 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 555 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN CENTRAL KANSAS.

THIS AREA WAS 40 MILES WIDE AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 20 MILES SOUTH
OF CONCORDIA TO 20 MILES SOUTH OF SALINA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH*.

AT 555 PM CDT THERE WAS NO SEVERE WEATHER IN SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS.

RANDALL
Special weather statement, May 24, 6:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-250145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
635 PM CDT THU MAY 24 1990

...TORNADO WATCH #311 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 627 PM CDT STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN CENTRAL KANSAS.

THIS AREA WAS 40 MILES WIDE AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES SOUTH
OF CONCORDIA TO 20 MILES EAST OF SALINA TO NEAR CANTON WHICH IS 30 MILES
NORTHEAST OF HUTCHINSON. TH%E STRONGEST CELL WAS NEAR MARQUETTE WHICH
IS 20 MILES SOUTH OF SALINA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO
THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

AT 627 PM CDT THERE WAS NO SEVERE WEATHER IN SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS.

RANDALL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 24, 7:20 PM CDTTornado WarningICTMarion25 min
May 24, 7:55 PM CDTTornado WarningICTMarion50 min
May 24, 8:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTMarion24 min
May 24, 8:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase58 min
May 24, 8:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase28 min
May 25, 6:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTAllen58 min
May 25, 6:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTAllen67 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1990Every tornado warning in 1990Tornadoes 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.