Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 1, NWS Topeka, KS

March 1, 1991Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Mar 1, 1991, 4:24 PM CST for Douglas County, Jefferson County, Kansas. It was in force for 40 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
Mar 1, 1991, 4:24 PM CST (22:24 UTC)
Expired
Mar 1, 1991, 5:04 PM CST
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Douglas County, KS, Jefferson County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 1, 4:45 PM CSTTornado F0Douglas, 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 12:00Z, 10.4 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 12:00Z on 1991-03-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 1991-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 158 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
2 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
639 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
158 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
163 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 KTOP 012225
TORTOP
KSC045-087-012315-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
424 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...DOUGLAS COUNTY
 
IN NORTHEAST KANSAS
 
   ...SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY
 
NUMEROUS REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED JUST SOUTHEAST OF
TOPEKA. FUNNELS APPEAR TO BE DIPPING BRIEFLY TO THE GROUND THEN
LIFTING. HOWEVER ITS BETTER TO TAKE COVER SHOULD THE STORM STRIKE.
THE FUNNELS APPEAR TO BE MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH.
LAWRENCE AND PERRY RESERVOIR ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE FUNNELS.
 
 
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 FLOO6R.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER 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, Mar 1, 11:04 AM CST, 5 hours 20 minutes before
KSZ009-012>017-012200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1104 AM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...WIND ADVISORIES ARE POSTED FOR EAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS LAKES
   THIS AFTERNOON...

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WILL MAKE FOR DANGEROUS
BOATING ON THE OPEN WATERS OF RECREATIONAL LAKES IN EASTERN AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON.

THE WINDS SHOULD ABATE THIS EVENING AS WINDS GRADUALLY SHIFT TO THE
NOR/THWEST.

KAYS
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 12:54 PM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
KSZ009-012>017-012200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1253 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...WIND ADVISORIES ARE POSTED FOR SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS LAKES
   THIS AFTERNOON...
...WIND ADVISORIES ARE CANCELLED FOR NORTHEAST KANSAS...

GUSTY SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WILL MAKE FOR DANGEROUS
BOATING ON THE OPEN WATERS OF RECREATIONAL LAKES IN SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON.

WINDS HAVE DECREASED WITH OCCASIONAL RAIN OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS AND ARE
NOT EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO ADVISORY CRITERIA.

KAYS
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 1:20 PM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
KSZ009-012-017-012200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
120 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...WIND ADVISORIES ARE CANCELLED FOR SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS...

SOUTH TO SOUTHWE#ST WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. SPEEDS WILL REMAIN LESS THAN 30 MPH HOWEVER.
THUS, THE WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

KAYS
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 2:33 PM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-012130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
233 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 225 PM CST A THUNDERSTORM WAS 10 MILES NORTH OF EMPORIA MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. THE NORTHEAST MOVEMENT WILL PUT THE
THUNDERSTORM NEAR OSAGE CITY BY 3 PM.

MEANWHILE...A LARGE AREA OF RAIN COVERED NORT?HEAST KANSAS...GENERALLY
NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM KANSAS CITY TO MANHATTAN. THE RAIN AREA
WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. RAIN WILL BE ENDING IN THE
TOPEKA...LAWRENCE AND MANHATTAN AREAS BY 3PM.

FORTUNE
Special weather statement, Mar 1, 3:12 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-012215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
314 PM CST FRI MAR 1 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS AND RAIN CONTINUE OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 3 PM CST A THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER NORTHERN LYON COUNTY...30 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF TOPEKA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILMOVE INTO SOUTHWESTERN SHAWNEE COUNTY BY 330 PM AND SHOULD BE IN THE
TOPEKA VICINITY BETWEEN 330 AND 4PM CST.  SOME BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND
GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

A LARGE AREA OF RAIN WAS OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS...NORTH AND EAST OF A
LINE FROM KANSAS CITY TO MANHATTAN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST.

RAIN ENDED IN TOPEKA AROUND 3PM...HOWEVER...THE THUNDERSTORM IN
NORTHERN LYON COUNTY WILL MOVE BRING A CHANCE FOR RAIN BACK INTO THE
TOPEKA.
FORTUNE

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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.