Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 40, NWS Topeka, KS

June 7, 1990Shawnee County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Jun 7, 1990, 8:13 PM CDT for Shawnee County, Kansas. It was in force for 47 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 7, 1990, 8:13 PM CDT (01:13 UTC)
Expired
Jun 7, 1990, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Shawnee 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 7, 8:35 PM CDTHail 3Shawnee, 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, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 11 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 1990-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3393 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 1990-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 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
3393 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1162 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-13 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.2
Supercell composite
-1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 080115
TORTOP
KSC177-080200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
813 PM CDT THU JUN 7 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
          ...SOUTHERN SHAWNEE
 
AT 811 PM RADAR INDICATED A VERY DANGEROUS THUNDERSTORM ALONG THE
SHAWNEE COUNTY BORDER...5 MILES SOUTH OF FORBES FIELD. THIS WARNING
INCLUDES TOPEKA.
 
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WITH THE STORMS
SOUTH OF FORBES FIELD WITH ONE REPORT ON THE SHAWNEE COUNTY LINE AT
U.S. 75 HIGHWAY.  TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
THUNDERSTORMS SO PLEASE TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
 
 
THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AVAILABLE.
OTHERWISE... GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A
STURDIER BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.
 
FORTUNE

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, Jun 7, 5:21 PM CDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before
KSZ013>016-072315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
521 AM CDT THU JUN 7 1990

A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER OVERBROOK AT 518PM.

OVERBROOK IS ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF TOPEKA. THE STORM WAS
CAUSING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME SMALL HAIL AND STRONG GUSTY
WINDS. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MPH.

BOATERS AND CAMPERS ON CLINTON LAKE SHOULD BE READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A
STRONG SHELTER. THE STORM WILL MOVE INTO THE CLINTON LAKE AREA BETWEEN
530 AND 6PM.

MAY
Special weather statement, Jun 7, 5:45 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
KSZ013>016-072315-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
545 PM CDT THU JUN 7 1990

... A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF EAST-CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST
KANSAS UNTIL MIDNIGHT...

AT 540PM RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST SOUTHWEST
OF LAWRENCE NEAR CLINTON LAKE TO ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOPEKA OVER
AUBURN. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER RICHLAND... OR ABOUT ABOUT
10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOPEKA.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST 20 TO 25 MPH. PEOPLE IN
SOUTHERN SHAWNEE COUNTY CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN, SMALL HAIL, AND
STRONG GUSTY WINDS FROM 545PM TO 630PM.

ALSO... A REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. A TORNADO
WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES.

MAY
Special weather statement, Jun 7, 6:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-080030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
620 PM CDT THU JUN 7 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 410 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 AM CDT FOR CLAY COUNTY
OF NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS AND DICKENSON COUNTY OF CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 620 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR
WICHITA TO JUST SOUTH OF TOPEKA MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

NO SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS REPORTED IN NORTH FCENTRAL OR
CENTRAL KANSAS.  HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPID
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

URBAN
Special weather statement, Jun 7, 7:29 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-080130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
729 PM CDT THU JUN 7 1990

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 410 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 AM CDT FOR CLAY COUNTY
OF NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS AND DICKENSON COUNTY OF CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 729 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM JUST
EAST OF HUTCHINSON TO EAST OF TOPEKA.  MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 15 MPH.

NO SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS REPORTED IN NORTH CENTRAL OR
CENTRAL KANSAS.  HOWEVER CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPID
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.

URBAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 7, 7:12 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPLyon48 min
Jun 7, 7:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Shawnee34 min
Jun 7, 7:31 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPOsage29 min
Jun 7, 7:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee69 min
Jun 7, 8:01 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPLyon, Osage59 min
Jun 7, 8:30 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPShawnee45 min
Jun 7, 8:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Jefferson39 min
Jun 7, 8:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Osage65 min
Jun 7, 9:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAtchison57 min
Jun 7, 9:20 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPLyon, Osage5 hr
Jun 7, 9:20 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPDouglas, Shawnee5 hr
Jun 7, 9:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey44 min
Jun 8, 1:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAtchison, Brown, Jackson61 min
Jun 8, 1:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPNemaha61 min
Jun 8, 2:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBrown33 min
Jun 8, 4:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBrown40 min
Jun 8, 5:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBrown37 min
Jun 8, 6:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey, Lyon, Osage55 min
Jun 8, 6:51 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPLyon39 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.