Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Dodge City, KS

April 12, 1991Edwards County, Stafford County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 12, 1991, 5:13 PM CDT for Edwards County, Stafford County, Kansas. It was in force for 47 min. 3 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
Apr 12, 1991, 5:13 PM CDT (22:13 UTC)
Expired
Apr 12, 1991, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Edwards County, KS, Stafford County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 12, 5:25 PM CDTHail 1.75Stafford, KS
Apr 12, 5:25 PM CDTHail 1.75Stafford, KS
Apr 12, 5:50 PM CDTHail 1.75Stafford, 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

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 10.2 hours before the alert went out and 81 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 1991-04-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1583 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 1991-04-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 133 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
1583 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-47 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
695 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
133 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.7
Supercell composite
4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KDDC 122213 RRA
SVRDDC
KSC047-185-122300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
513 PM CDT FRI APR 12 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     EFFECTIVE UNTIL  600 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...EASTERN EDWARDS COUNTY...WESTERN STAFFORD COUNTY
 
AT 510 PM CST A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF TROUSDALE
OVER EXTREME EASTERN EDWARDS COUNTY OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF
PRATT AND MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR. A TORNADO WAS ON
THE GROUND AROUND 6 MILES WEST OF PRATT MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 40
MILES AN HOUR AT 5o05 PM.
 
 
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.

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 12, 1:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-122100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
120 PM CDT THU APR 11 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

THE WATCH IS VALID UNTIL 8 PM CDT...AND INCLUDES PAWNEE...EDWARDS...
KIOWA...COMANCHE...BARBER...PRATT...AND STAFFORD COUNTIES IN SOUTH
WEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

THE COLD FRONT WHICH PUSHED THROUGH MUCH OF THE WESTERN PART OF THE
STATE DURING THE MORNING NOW LIES FROM JUST WEST OF MEDICINE LODGE
NORTHWARD TO WEST OF GREAT BEND. THIS FRONT WON/T MOVE MUCH DURING
THE AFTERNOON...AND IS EXPECTED TO BE THE FOCUS FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

IN THE AREA FROM DODGE CITY WEST...COOLER AND QUIETER WEATHER IS
EXPECTED. HIGHS SHOULD STAY IN THE 60S TO LOW 70S IN MOST OF THAT
AREA WITH WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH.
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 3:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-122300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
320 PM CDT THU APR 11 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

THE WATCH IS VALID UNTIL 8 PM CDT...AND INCLUDES PAWNEE...EDWARDS...
KIOWA...COMANCHE...BARBER...PRATT...AND STAFFORD COUNTIES IN SOUTH
WEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

AS OF MID AFTERNOON...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN SOUTH
CENTRAL OR SOUTHWEST KANSAS. CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
WEATHER THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS THOUGH...AND
EVERYONE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD LISTEN TO LOCAL RADIO...TV...OR
NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

THE COMBINATION OF A WEAK FRONT STRETCHING FROM WEST OF GREAT BEND
SOUTHWARD INTO OKLAHOMA AND A DISTURBANCE IN THE UPPER AIR MOVING OUT
OF NEW MEXICO IS EXPECTED TO TRIGGER THE SEVERE WEATHER BEGINNING LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE EVENING.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES IN THE WATCH AREA.
WHEN SEVERE STORMS DEVELOP...WARNINGS FOR SPECIFIC AREAS WILL BE
ISSUED.

LETRO
Special weather statement, Apr 12, 4:36 PM CDT, 37 minutes before
KSZ006-009-130100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
435 PM CDT THU APR 11 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 435 PM...A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS ABOUT 25 MILES
SOUTH OF PRATT...BETWEEN SUN CITY AND MEDICINE LODGE. IT WAS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND WILL PASS NEAR OR WEST OF MEDICINE LODGE BY
500 PM. IT WILL CONTAIN HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLY
SOME SMALL HAIL.

AS OF 430 PM...NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS REPORTED IN SOUTH CENTRAL OR
SOUTHWEST KANSAS. CONDITIONS ARE BECOMING MORE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...ALONG WITH POSSIBLE TORNADOES.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR BARBER...
COMANCHE...KIOWA...PRATT...EDWARDS...STAFFORD...AND PAWNEE COUNTIES.
A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
AND TORNADOES IN THE WATCH AREA.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL TV...RADIO...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS THIS EVENING.

LETRO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 12, 4:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCPratt50 min
Apr 12, 5:03 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCPratt27 min
Apr 12, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCPratt50 min
Apr 12, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCStafford65 min
Apr 12, 6:25 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningDDCKiowa, Pratt65 min
Apr 12, 6:25 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCKiowa, Pratt65 min
Apr 12, 6:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCPratt58 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

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.