Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 64, NWS Topeka, KS

June 2, 1990Smith County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 2, 1990, 12:12 AM CDT for Smith County, Kansas. It was in force for 48 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
Jun 2, 1990, 12:12 AM CDT (05:12 UTC)
Expired
Jun 2, 1990, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
48 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
Jun 2, 12:45 AM CDTHail 1Smith, 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, 5.2 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 1990-06-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1876 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 1990-06-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 56 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
1876 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-83 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1838 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
56 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
106 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 020512
SVRCNK
KSC183-020600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1212 AM CDT SAT JUN 2 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 100 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY

   IN THE NORTH CENTRAL PART OF KANSAS
      WESTERN SMITH

AT 1212 AM CDT RADAR SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 15 EAST
OF SMITH CENTER NEAR KENSINGTON.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTH
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

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 INCH IN DIAMETER...DESTRUCTIVE WINDS OF OVER
60 MPH AND HEAVY RAINS WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS.

URBAN

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, Jun 1, 11:20 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-020515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1120 PM CDT FRI JUN 1 1990

AT 1120 PM RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN 15 MILES SOUTH/
WEST OF PHILLIPSBURG NEAR LOGAN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS STORM COULD REACH THE CLAUDELL AND KENSINGTON AREA IN WESTERN
SMITH COUNTY BY MIDNIGHT.

MP
Special weather statement, Jun 2, 12:07 AM CDT, 5 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-020600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1206 AM CDT SAT JUN 2 1990

A TORNADO WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND MUCH OF CENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 6 AM CDT.  THE WATCH IS EAST OF A LINE FROM PHILLIPSBURG TO
HAYS AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM HAYS TO SALINA TO ALMA AND WEST OF A LINE
FROM ALMA TO SENECA.

AT MIDNIGHT RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG NEAR KIRWIN.  THE THUNDER/
STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL MOVE THROUGH
THE KENSINGTON AREA BY 1230 AM CDT.  BRIEF BUT VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL
IS LIKELY.
MP

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.