Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Topeka, KS

March 12, 1990Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Mar 12, 1990, 11:49 PM CST for Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas. It was in force for 26 min. 2 reports 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
Mar 12, 1990, 11:49 PM CST (05:49 UTC)
Expired
Mar 13, 1990, 12:15 AM CST
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Douglas County, KS, Jefferson 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
Mar 12, 11:58 PM CSTTornado F1Douglas, KS
Mar 13, 12:10 AM CSTTornado F1Jefferson, 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, 5.8 hours before the alert went out and 27 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 1990-03-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1430 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 1990-03-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 205 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
1430 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1353 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
205 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
285 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
7.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 130550
TORTOP
KSC045-087-130615-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1149 PM CST MON MAR 12 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1215 AM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
          ...NORTHWESTERN DOUGLAS
IN NORTHEAST KANSAS
          ...SOUTHERN JEFFERSON
 
SEVERAL FUNNEL CLOUDS AND A POSSIBLE TORNADO HAVE BEEN REPORTED
IN WESTERN DOUGLASS COUNTY NEAR BIG SPRINGS AND NEAR 37TH AND
STANLEY ROAD IN EASTERN SHAWNEE COUNTY. THE TORNADO OR FUNNEL
CLOUDS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH.
 
THIS WARNING INCLUDES THE CITIES OF PERRY, LECOMPTON AND BIG
SPRINGS.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A STAIRWELL OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 12, 8:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLincoln, Mitchell62 min
Mar 12, 9:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Osage30 min
Mar 12, 9:42 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee33 min
Mar 12, 9:49 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson41 min
Mar 12, 9:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAtchison48 min
Mar 12, 10:09 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee36 min
Mar 12, 10:21 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Jefferson29 min
Mar 12, 10:44 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsage, Shawnee31 min
Mar 12, 11:00 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee45 min
Mar 12, 11:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson59 min
Mar 13, 12:02 AM CSTTornado WarningTOPJefferson28 min
Mar 13, 10:25 AM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRice50 min
Mar 13, 4:33 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPSmith42 min
Mar 13, 4:41 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPRice22 min
Mar 13, 4:41 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPMcPherson49 min
Mar 13, 4:52 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPJewell, Smith38 min
Mar 13, 5:28 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPMcPherson47 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.