Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 28, NWS Topeka, KS

March 13, 1990McPherson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 13, 1990, 9:09 PM CST for McPherson County, Kansas. It was in force for 51 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 13, 1990, 9:09 PM CST (03:09 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1990, 10:00 PM CST
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County McPherson County, KS

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 187 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 1990-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1053 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1990-03-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 246 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
1053 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-14 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
623 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
246 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
268 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.5
Supercell composite
6.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 140309
SVRCNK
KSC113-140400-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1000 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      MCPHERSON

AT 906 PM CST RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 25 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF SALINA OR 10 MILES WEST SOUTHWEST OF LINSBORG.
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL BE NEAR
LINSBORG BY 935 PM.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA SO REMEMBER
THESE STORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH LITTLE
OR NO ADVANCE WARNING...SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT.

PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD GET INTO A REINFORCED SHELTER AND
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL GREATER THAN 3/4 INCZH IN DIAMETER...DESTRUCTIVE WINDS OF OVER
60 MPH AND HEAVY RAINS WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS.

PHILLIPS

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, 3:58 PM CST, 5 hours 11 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-132330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
357 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
UNTIL 10 PM CST TONIGHT.

AT 355 PM THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING PEA SIZE HAIL HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING WERE LOCATED 50 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF CONCORDIA NEAR ALTON
IN OSBORNE COUNTY.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM SHOULD BE NEAR SMITH CENTER BY 5 PM.  IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES TAKE COVER.

KLEYLA
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 5:31 PM CST, 3 hours 38 minutes before
KSZ013-016-140030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
530 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS TIL 10 PM...

AT 525PM CST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE STATE MOVING
NORTHEAST INTO MISSOURI AROUND 40 MPH.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CONTAINING A TORNADO WAS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL
KANSAS JUST EAST OF HUTCHINSON NEAR HESSTON. THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 45 MPH.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED OVER NORTHEAST NOR EASTCENTRAL KANSAS.

KAYS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 5:42 PM CST, 3 hours 27 minutes before
KSZ013-016-140045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
540 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS TIL 10 PM...

A LARGE DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO HAS BEEN ON THE GROUND IN CENTRAL KANSAS SINCE
450PM CST. THE PROJECTED PATH OF THIS STORM WOULD PLACE MORRIS
COUNTY UNDER DIRECT THREAT OF THIS STORM BY 630PM CST.

WITH SUNSET AROUND 630PM, SPOTTERS SHOULD BE TAKING THEIR PLACE IN
SOUTHWEST MORRIS COUNTY AT THIS TIME. THE STORM WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT
TO FOLLOW AFTER DARK AND SPOTTERS SHOULD BE IN PLACE BY THEN.

KAYS
Special weather statement, Mar 13, 8:57 PM CST, 12 minutes before
KSZ013>016-140400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
857 PM CST TUE MAR 14 1990

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR EASTERN POTTAWATOMIE AND ALL OF
JACKSON COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THE THUNDERSTORM THAT CAUSED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY AND
WAS MOVING THROUGH EXTREME NORTHERN JACKSON COUNTY AT 855PM... OR ABOUT
40 MILES NORTH OF TOPEKA.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR MUCH OF EASTERN KANSAS EAST OF A LINE8 FROM
CONCORDIA TO MEDICINE LODGE AND WEST OF A LINE FROM MARYSVILLE TO
EMPORIA TO SEDAN.

THE TORNADO WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT WEST OF THE CONCORDIA TO
MEDICINE LODGE LINE.

MAY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 13, 6:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMitchell44 min
Mar 13, 6:11 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPMorris64 min
Mar 13, 6:17 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJewell43 min
Mar 13, 6:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMcPherson25 min
Mar 13, 6:25 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMitchell50 min
Mar 13, 6:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson48 min
Mar 13, 6:46 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPJewell14 min
Mar 13, 6:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRepublic54 min
Mar 13, 6:54 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPCloud, Republic51 min
Mar 13, 6:57 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPGeary63 min
Mar 13, 7:03 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPJewell42 min
Mar 13, 7:05 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPMcPherson40 min
Mar 13, 7:13 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMitchell47 min
Mar 13, 7:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPEllsworth46 min
Mar 13, 7:17 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPMorris15 min
Mar 13, 7:18 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPSaline42 min
Mar 13, 7:22 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLincoln53 min
Mar 13, 7:51 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOttawa54 min
Mar 13, 7:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Pottawatomie, Shawnee36 min
Mar 13, 7:56 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud49 min
Mar 13, 8:01 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPRepublic44 min
Mar 13, 8:03 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPCloud42 min
Mar 13, 8:30 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRice45 min
Mar 13, 8:35 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Pottawatomie22 min
Mar 13, 9:01 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPSaline44 min
Mar 13, 10:06 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPGeary, Riley39 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.