Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 33, NWS Topeka, KS

April 24, 1990Smith County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 24, 1990, 9:16 PM CDT for Smith County, Kansas. It was in force for 27 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
Apr 24, 1990, 9:16 PM CDT (02:16 UTC)
Expired
Apr 24, 1990, 9:43 PM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Smith 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
Apr 24, 9:33 PM CDTHail 0.75Smith, 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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 214 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1990-04-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 371 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1990-04-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
371 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2541 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
150 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 250216
SVRCNK
KSC183-250300-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
916 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

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

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      NORTHWEST SMITH

AT 915 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 22 MILES EAST
OF PHILLIPSBURG OR ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF SMITH CENTER
MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

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 PRODUCnE LARGE
HAIL GREATER THAN 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER...DESTRUCTIVE WINDS OF OVER
60 MPH AND HEAVY RAINS WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS.

ADAMS

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, Apr 24, 4:43 PM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-242300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
443 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

A TORNADO WATCH COVERS A SMALL PORTION OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 11 PM.
THE WATCH COVERS RUSSELL AND BARTON COUNTIES.

AT 442 PM RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...
BRIEF HEAVY RAINS AND PERHAPS SOME HAIL LINED UP FROM 10 MILES
NORTHEAST OF HAYS TO 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEND.  MOVEMENT
WAS NORTH NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

THE NORTH END OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY REACH A POINT ABOUT
30 MILES NORTHWEST OF RUSSELL BY 515 PM WITH THE SOUTH END SOME 30
MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEND.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER
THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
ADAMS
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 5:31 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-242345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
530 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

AT 530 PM RADAR INDICATED SEVERAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SOME HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINS FROM 25 MILES
NORTHEAST OF HAYS...OR 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OSBORNE TO ABOUT
25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEND.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.

BY 630 PM THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REACH A LINE FROM NEAR OSBORNE
TO NEAR GREAT BEND.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP OVER THE AREA
AS WELL.
PERSONS IN THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
SHOULD TAKE NOTE OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS AND BE WATCHFUL FOR THE NEXT
SEVERAL HOURS.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR RUSSELL AND BARTON COUNTIES OF CENTRAL
KANSAS AND FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 11 PM.

ADAMS
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 7:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-250130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
730 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

THE TORNADO WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR NORTHWEST SMITH COUNTY.  THE
STORM HAS WEAKENED.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 154 NOW COVERS MOST OF NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS INCLUDING LINCOLN COUNTY OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 1 AM WEDNESDAY.
A TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 153 CONTINUES UNTIL 11 PM FOR RUSSELL AND BARTON
COUNTIES OF CENTRAL KANSAS EXTENDING INTO PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHWEST KANSAS.

AT 730 PM RADAR SHOWED THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 10 MILES
NORTH NORTHEAST OF HAYS.  IT WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE
OF GIVING HEAVY RAINS...HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WERE LOCATED 10 MILES EAST
AND 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG.  THE GENERAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE
IN A 50 MILE WIDE AREA FROM JUST SOUTH OF HASTINGS NEBRASKA TO JUST
EAST OF HAYS.  ALL THUND ERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

PERSONS ACROSS THE AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL STRONG TO PERHAPS
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

ADAMS
Special weather statement, Apr 24, 8:05 PM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-250200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
804 PM CDT TUE APR 24 1990

TORNADO WATCH 153 CONTINUES UNTIL 11 PM FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH/
CENTRAL KANSAS INCLUDING RUSSELL AND BARTON COUNTIES OF CENTRAL KANSAS.
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 154 COVERS MOST OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
INCLUDING LINCOLN COUNTY OF CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 1 AM WEDNESDAY.

AT 804 PM RADAR SHOWED STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF SOME HAIL...
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAINS ABOUT 25 TO 30 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST
OF HAYS OR SOME 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OSBORNE.  GENERAL THUNDERSTORMS
WERE BOUNDED FROM NEAR KEARNEY AND CLAY CENTER NEBRASKA ON THE NORTH
TO 15 MILES NORTH OF RUSSELL KANSAS ON THE SOUTH.  MOVEMENT WAS NORTH
NORTH NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

PERSONS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO
REMAIN ALERT FOR ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
ADAMS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 24, 7:01 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPSmith29 min
Apr 24, 8:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPSmith28 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.