Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 23, 1991Kearny County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at May 23, 1991, 6:33 PM CDT for Kearny County, Kansas. It was in force for 42 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 1991, 6:33 PM CDT (23:33 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1991, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Kearny County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 127 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 1991-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 817 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 1991-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 109 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
817 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-134 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1045 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
109 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
178 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 232335
TORDDC
KSC093-240015-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
633 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS
 
   ...WESTERN KEARNY COUNTY
 
AT 531 PM MDT (634 PM CDT) WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO IN THE
SEVERE STORM IN EASTERN HAMILTON COUNTY ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTH OF
KENDALL...OR ABOUT 45 MILES WEST OF GARDEN CITY. THIS STORM CONTINUED TO
MOVE TO THE EAST AT AROUND 15 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN KEARNY
COUNTY AND SHOULD MOVE THORUGH THE LAKIN AREA BY 550 PM MDT (650 PM
CDT).
 
TAKE COVER NOW !!!
 
 
 
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.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDkS.
 
 
MVT
 
N

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, May 23, 1:29 PM CDT, 5 hours 4 minutes before
KSZ006-009-231930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
127 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991

...THE HEAVY RAINS HAVE SHIFTED SOUTHWARD IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

AT 125 PM CDT...HEAVY RAINFALL HAD DIMINISHED IN THE PRATT AND GREENSBURAREA...BUT HAD INCREASED IN THE AREA SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION...
ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY.

A REPORT FROM NEAR SITKA IN SOUTHEAST CLARK COUNTY INDICATED 1.76 INCHES
OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND STILL RAINING HARD.
RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES
HAS PROBABLY OCCURRED IN SOME AREAS SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION.

THE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING THE RAIN WERE REMAINING ESSENTIALLY
STATIONARY...AND WITH FURTHER RAINFALL SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS
AND ROADWAYS IS LIKELY.

MOTORISTS ON ROUTES 180 AND 183 IN SOUTHERN CLARK COUNTY AND SOUTHWEST
COMANCHE COUNTY SHOULD USE CAUTION THIS AFTERNOON AS ROADWAYS MAY BE
FLOODED IN SPOTS.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE ON THE INCREASE ELSEWHERE IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...AND
WILL  BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES.

LETRO
Special weather statement, May 23, 2:44 PM CDT, 3 hours 49 minutes before
KSZ006-009-232045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
237 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991

....THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY IN SOUTHEASTERN CLARK
COUNTY....

AT 235 PM...AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO LINGER IN SOUTHEAST
CLARK AND COMANCHE COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THIS AREA WERE
LOCATED 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY AND SHOWED LITTLE OR NO
MOVEMENT.   ANOTHER STRONG STORM HAS DEVELOPED JUST NORTHEAST OF ASHLAND
OR 30 MILES SOUTH OF DODGE CITY...AND ALSO HAS SHOWN LITTLE OR NO
MOVEMENT.

THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO DUMP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN SOUTHEAST CLARK
COUNTY.  RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN
HAS FALLEN IN THE PAST FEW HOURS SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION.

THE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING ALL THE RAIN ARE REMAINING ESSENTIALLY
STATIONARY AND WITH FURTHER RAINFALL...SOME ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS
MAY BE FLOODED IN SPOTS.

PERSONS OUTDOORS...OR MOTORISTS TRAVELING IN CLARK AND COMANCHE COUNTIES
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNE TO THEIR LOCAL
TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIONS...OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.

MVT
Special weather statement, May 23, 2:48 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
KSZ006-009-232045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT....CORRECTION TO 4TH LINE....
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
248 PM CDT THU MAY 23 1991

....THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY IN SOUTHEASTERN CLARK
COUNTY....

AT 235 PM...AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO LINGER IN SOUTHEAST
CLARK AND WESTERN COMANCHE COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS IN THIS AREA
WERE LOCATED 45 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGE CITY AND SHOWED LITTLE OR NO
MOVEMENT.   ANOTHER STRONG STORM HAS DEVELOPED JUST NORTHWEST OF ASHLAND
OR 30 MILES SOUTH OF DODGE CITY...AND ALSO HAS SHOWN LITTLE OR NO
MOVEMENT.

THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO DUMP LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN IN SOUTHEAST CLARK
COUNTY.  RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN
HAS FALLEN IN THE PAST FEW HOURS SOUTH OF ASHLAND AND PROTECTION.

THE THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING ALL THE RAIN ARE REMAINING ESSENTIALLY
STATIONARY AND WITH FURTHER RAINFALL...SOME ROADWAYS AND LOW LYING AREAS
MAY BE FLOODED IN SPOTS.

PERSONS OUTDOORS...OR MOTORISTS TRAVELING IN CLARK AND COMANCHE COUNTIES
SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNE TO THEIR LOCAL
TELEVISION OR RADIO STATIONS...OR LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
FURTHER STATEMENTS AND UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION.

MVT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 5:17 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCMorton43 min
May 23, 5:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCHamilton61 min
May 23, 6:06 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCHamilton54 min
May 23, 6:20 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCMorton40 min

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.