Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Dodge City, KS

April 2, 1991Pratt County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 2, 1991, 6:30 PM CST for Pratt County, Kansas. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 2, 1991, 6:30 PM CST (00:30 UTC)
Expired
Apr 2, 1991, 8:45 PM CST
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Pratt County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 103 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 00:00Z on 1991-04-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1991-04-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 3 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1826 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
75 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 KDDC 030036 COR
TORDDC
KSC007-033-151-030245-

BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED........CORRECTION FOR TIMES....
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
630 PM CST TUE APR 2 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...

IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS

   ...WESTERN BARBER COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN COMANCHE COUNTY
   ...SOUTHWESTERN PRATT COUNTY

AT 630 PM CST RADAR INDICATED TWO THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORNADOES. THE
FIRST WAS IN NORTHEAST COMANCHE COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF SUN CITY
OR 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PRATT AND MOVING NORTH NORTHEAST AT 15 MILES
AN HOUR.
THE SECOND STORM WAS MOVING OUT OF OKLAHOMA INTO SOUTHWEST BARBER
COUNTY AND THE TOWN OF AETNA...ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
PRATT.

THESE STORMS INDICATED RECURRING ROTATION AND ALTHOUGH THE TORNADO MAY
NOT BE ALWAYS ON THE GROUND...IT IS LIKELY TO REFORM.

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 CO=VER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

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, Apr 2, 2:01 PM CST, 4 hours 29 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-022200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
200 PM CST TUE APR 02 1991

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST
FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING LARGE HAIL...
DAMAGING WIND...AND HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE AREA.

AT 200 PM...SHOWERS AND A COUPLE OF THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHWEST
KANSAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER...TO THE WEST OF GARDEN
CITY. THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT AROUND 30 MPH...AND WILL SPREAD
INTO THE GARDEN CITY AREA DURING MID AFTERNOON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA
COVERED BY THE WATCH...YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR
LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION...IN CASE WARNINGS ARE NEEDED.

LETRO
Special weather statement, Apr 2, 3:07 PM CST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-022300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
300 PM CST TUE APR 02 1991

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST...

SHOWERS...AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...WERE SCATTERED ACROSS SOUTHWEST
KANSAS AT MID AFTERNOON...MOSTLY WEST OF DODGE CITY.

THE STORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN WERE JUST WEST OF DODGE CITY AND
SOUTH OF GARDEN CITY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MPH.

WHILE NO SEVERE WEATHER HAD BEEN REPORTED UP TIL 300 PM...THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING AND WILL BRING THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...
AND HEAVY RAINS.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSsTORM WATCH MEANS THAT DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS
MAY DEVELOP. IF SEVERE WEATHER ACTUALLY OCCURS...WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED.
.
PERSONS IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS SHOULD STAY IN TOUCH WITH LATER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

LETRO
Special weather statement, Apr 2, 4:04 PM CST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-030000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
400 PM CST TUE APR 02 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE INTENSIFYING IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST FOR
MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS.

AT 400 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN A LINE FROM NEAR SCOTT
CITY TO DODGE CITY...SOUTHEAST INTO OKLAHOMA. THE STORM WITH THE HEAVIEST
RAIN WAS ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH OF GARDEN CITY.  THE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH...AND PRODUCED PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AT CIMARRON...
15 MILES WEST OF DODGE CITY...AT AROUND 340 PM CST.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS
...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...AND HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...MAY DEVELOP IN THE AREA. IF SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPS...
WARNINGS WILL BE ISSUED.
.
PERSONS IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS SHOULD STAY IN TOUCH WITH LATER STATEMENTS
OR WARNIN6GS DURING THE EVENING HOURS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATION.

LETRO
Special weather statement, Apr 2, 5:04 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-030100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
500 PM CST TUE APR 02 1991

...HEAVY RAINS...AND SOME SMALL HAIL ARE PELTING PARTS OF SOUTHWEST
   KANSAS...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST FOR
MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS.

AT 400 PM...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM SCOTT CITY...TO JUST
EAST OF DODGE CITY...SOUTHEAST TO THE OKLAHOMA BORDER. MORE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER AREA BETWEEN DODGE CITY AND GARDEN CITY.
PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN THE LAST HOUR FROM THE FORD AND
WINDHORST AREA...ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHEAST AND EAST OF DODGE CITY...AND
THE VICINITY OF COLDWATER...WHICH IS 40 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PRATT.

THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH...AND WILL BE MOVING
THROUGH CIMARRON AND ENSIGN...ABOUT 15 MILES WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF
DODGE CITY...THE COLDWATER AREA...AND NEAR KINSLEY...WHICH IS 35 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF DODGE CITY...BEFORE 600 PM.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE
HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS.

PERSONS IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS SHOULD STAY IN TOUCH WITH LATER STATEMENTS
OR WARNINGS DURING THE EVENING HOURS ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER
SITUATION.

LETRO
Special weather statement, Apr 2, 6:08 PM CST, 22 minutes before
KSZ003-006-009-030100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
600 PM CST TUE APR 02 1991

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEAST COMANCHE COUNTY WAS EXPIRED....

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST FOR
MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST KANSAS.

AT 600 PM...A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM SCOTT CITY...TO DODGE
CITY...TO PRATT AND THEN DUE SOUTH INTO OKLAHOMA NEAR FREEDOM.  STRONGEST
STORMS WERE 30 MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF PRATT...20 MILES NORTHWEST OF
PRATT AND 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF GARDEN CITY.  STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

AREAS NORTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER AND EAST OF A GREENSBURG...COLDWATER
LINE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...A FEW POSSIBLY
SEVERE UNTIL AFTER DARK TONIGHT.
.
REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE
FOR DAMAGING THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...A WARNING WILL BE ISSUED ONLY
WHEN SUCH STORMS HAVE ALREADY FORMED.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR T.V. STATION
FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE STORMS.

JOHNSON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 2, 6:30 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCBarber, Comanche2 hr

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.