Alert archive / Missouri / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Kansas City, MO

May 4, 1991Pettis County, Missouri

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this tornado warning at May 4, 1991, 7:13 PM CDT for Pettis County, Missouri. 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
May 4, 1991, 7:13 PM CDT (00:13 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 1991, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
47 min
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Whole counties

County Pettis County, MO

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 4, 7:30 PM CDTHail 0.75Pettis, MO

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, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 206 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 1991-05-05Temperature 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1991-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 290 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
91 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
290 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
400 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCOU 050013
TORCOU
MOC159-050100-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA MO
713 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN COLUMBIA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN CENTRAL MISSOURI
 
   ...NORTHERN PETTIS COUNTY
 
AT 710 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE TORNADO ABOUT 10 MILES
NORTH-NORTHWEST OF SEDALIA...AND AN UNCONFIRMED FUNNEL WAS REPORTED BY
THE PU8LIC AROUND 700 PM CDT JUST WEST OF SEDALIA MOVING TO THE
NORTHEAST AROUND 25 MILES AN HOUR.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A TABLE OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...TAKE SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  REMEMBER TO STAY AWAY FROM
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, May 4, 1:44 PM CDT, 5 hours 29 minutes before
MOZ001-004-041930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
140 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHEAST KANSAS
AND NORTHWEST MISSOURI UNTIL 500 PM CDT...

AT 125 PM... THUNDERSTORMS... SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN... WERE OVER
PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS. ONE OF THE STRONGEST STORMS WAS LOCATED
JUST NORTH OF HIAWATHA KANSAS... OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF ST
JOSEPH. THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR... AND
WILL MOVE INTO HOLT COUNTY MISSOURI BEFORE 200 PM.

OTHER STRONG STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM ABOUT 15 MILES WEST OF TOPEKA
NORTH TO THE NEBRASKA BORDER. THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL...
AS WELL AS BRIEF HEAVY RAINS.

PEOPLE IN FAR NORTHWEST MISSOURI NORTH OF ST JOSEPH SHLOLD BE ALERT
TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS... AND SEEK SHELTER IF
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

MSL
Special weather statement, May 4, 4:46 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
MOZ002-005-008-009-013-042135-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
430 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...
LARGE PART OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSOURI UNTIL 10 PM CDT.

AT 435 PM... THUNDERSTORMS... SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN... WERE OVER
PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI.  THE STRONGEST STORM
WAS LOCATED JUST NORTH OF CARROLLTON MISSOURI IN CARROLL COUNTY.
OTHER STORMS WERE LOCATED FROM THE IOWA/MISSOURI FROM NEAR LAMOINI
IOWA SOUTH TO CHILLICOTHE MISSOURI. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 35 MPH.

AT THIS NO THUNDERSTORMS ARE THREATHING THE KANSAS CITY METROPOLITIAN
AREA...HOWERVER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING AROUND THE WICHITA
AREA AND WERE MOVING NORTHEAST.
Local storm report, May 4, 5:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
500 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991

...SEVERE WEATHER FOR THE AFTERNOON OF 5/4/91...

TIME           EVENT                       LOCATION

150 PM CDT     GOLFBALL HAIL             MOUND CITY IN HOLT COUNTY MO

224 PM CDT     3/4 HAIL                  SOUTH OF TROY IN DONIPHAN
                                         COUNTY KS
240 PM CDT     3/4 HAIL AND VERY         ST JOSEPH IN BUCHANAN COUNTY
               HEAVY RAIN                MO
300 PM CDT     MARBLE TO 3/4 HAIL        HELENA  IN SOUTHEAST
                                         ANDREW COUNTY MO
310 PM CDT     GOLFBALL HAIL             PLATTSBURG IN CLINTON COUNTY
                                         MO
348 PM CDT     MARBLE TO 3/4 HAIL        EAST OF BETHANY IN EASTERN
                                         HARRISON COUNTY MO
.
350 PM CDT     3/4 HAIL                  AT POLO IN CALDWELL COUNTY
                                         MO
END
Special weather statement, May 4, 5:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
MOZ002-005-008-009-013-042340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MO
540 PM CDT SAT MAY 4 1991

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR EAST CENTRAL KANSAS AND
MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MISSOURI UNTIL 10 PM CDT.

AT 530 PM... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS... SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...
WERE OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN MISSOURI. THIS ACTIVITY WAS LOCATED FROM
75 MILES EAST OF KANSAS CITY NEAR MARSHALL NORTH TO 25 MILES NORTHWEST
OF KIRKSVILLE.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS...
BETWEEN WICHITA AND CHANUTE.

ISOLATED SHOWERS WERE LOCATED JUST NORTH OF CHANUTE IN SOUTHEAST
KANSAS... AND BETWEEN KANSAS CITY AND SEDALIA IN WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI.

MOVEMENT OF ALL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES
AN HOUR.

NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS THREATENING THE GREATER KANSAS CITY
AREA AT 530 PM. HOWEVER... SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDER STORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER EASTERN KANSAS AND MOVE INTO OUR AREA LATER
THIS EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO... COMMERCIAL RADIO OR TELEVISION
FOR LATER STATEMENTS ON THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

MSL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Kansas City, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 7:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXAndrew, Buchanan26 min
May 4, 8:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXBuchanan, Clinton25 min
May 4, 8:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXJohnson48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Missouri, 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.