Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Topeka, KS

March 26, 1991Barton County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Mar 26, 1991, 5:02 PM CST for Barton County, Kansas. It was in force for 28 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 26, 1991, 5:02 PM CST (23:02 UTC)
Expired
Mar 26, 1991, 5:30 PM CST
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Barton County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 26, 5:13 PM CSTHail 0.75Barton, 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, 11.0 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 1991-03-26Temperature 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 12:00Z on 1991-03-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -99 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
3441 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-99 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
4 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 KCNK 262303
TORCNK
KSC009-262330-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
502 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CONCORDIA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...BARTON COUNTY
 
AT 5 PM THE PUBLIC REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND 15 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF GREAT BEND NEAR RADIUM MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH. THIS TORNADO WILL BE
NEAR GREAT BEND BY 515 PM.
 
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.  8AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A
STURDIER BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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 26, 3:34 PM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
KSZ014-015-262230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
331 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCHES 63 AND 64 COVER MOST OF NORTHEAST AND EASTCENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 10PM THIS EVENING...

AT 330PM AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM NEAR
PERRY LAKE...SOUTHWEST TO A FEW MILES SOUTHEAST OF TOPEKA...AND
SOUTHWEST TO 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA NEAR DUNLAP. THESE SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST ABOT 20 MPH AND WILL
PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...SOME HEAVY RAIN...AND SEVERE LIGHTNING STRIKES.

THE STRONGEST OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS 10 MILES NORTH OF EMPORIA AT
330PM.  PEOPLE IN LYON AND OSAGE COUNTIES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER IF ANYTHING UNUSUAL IS SEEN OR REPORTED IN YOUR
AREA.
Special weather statement, Mar 26, 3:42 PM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
KSZ014-015-262245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
339 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCHES NUMBERS 63 AND 64 ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 10PM FOR MOST
OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 337PM THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE INDICATED BY RADAR BETWEEN
OSAGE CITY AND LAKE POMONA. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WAS
LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST WAUBANSEE COUNTY...OR 25 MILES NORTHNEAST OF
EMPORIA NEAR HARVEYVILLE. HEAVY RAIN...WINDS TO 40 MPH AND SOME HAIL
IS POSSIBLE WITH ALL OF THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT
30MPH. FORWARD SPEED HAS INCREASED IN PAST SEVERAL MINUTES.

PEOPLE IN TOPEKA...AUBURN...OVERBROOK...CLINTON LAKE AREA...AND%
LAWRENCE SHOULD WATCH FOR UNUSUAL WEATHER.  THE STORMS WILL BE IN
THESE AREAS BY 4 OR 415PM.
Special weather statement, Mar 26, 3:52 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
KSZ014-015-016-262300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
351 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCHES NUMBERS 63 AND 64 ARE IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF
NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 10PM THIS EVENING...

AT 346 PM A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND
WINDS TO 30 OR 40 MPH WAS CENTERED ABOUT 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF
OVERBROOK MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 45 MPH.  AT 346PM A HIGHWAY
PATROL TROOPER REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL AT OVERBROOK.  THIS THUNDERSTORM
WILL MOVE INTO THE LAWRENCE AND CLINTON LAKE AREAS BY 4 OR 415 THIS
AFTERNOON.  RESIDENTS IN THIS ARE SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
PROGREES OF THIS STORM AND BE PREPARED FOR TAKE QUICK AZCTION IF
NECESSARY

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA IS ISSUING A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR GREENWOOD COUNTY UNTIL 415PM.  THIS
THUNDERSTORM WILL BE MOVING INTO COFFEY COUNTY BY 4PM TO 430PM.
Special weather statement, Mar 26, 4:21 PM CST, 41 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-262330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
420 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 63 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CST FOR MOST OF CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 420 PM...NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE WERE LOCATED ACROSS
SOUTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN KANSAS. A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM WAS
LOCATED 25 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR GREAT BEND BY 5PM. STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY
RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY THIS STORM.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM NEAR TOPEKA TO EMPORIA.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE...IS STILL
POSSIBLE OVER THOSE PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS COVERED BY THE WATCH AREA.

JF
Special weather statement, Mar 26, 4:53 PM CST, 9 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-262345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
448 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991

...TONADOES WATCHES 63 AND 64 REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF NORTHEAST
AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 10PM THIS EVENING...

GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOPEKA IN
NORTHWEST OSAGE COUNTY AT 448PM.  THE THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING THE GOLF
BALL SIZE HAIL WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40MPH AND WILL THREATEN
AUBURN...TOPEKA AND BURLINGGAME BY 5PM.
Special weather statement, Mar 26, 5:00 PM CST, 2 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-270000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
5 PM CST TUE MAR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 63 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CST FOR MOST OF CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 5 PM CST A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WAS 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEND NEAR PAWNEE ROCK.
THE STORN WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH AND WILL BE IN THE GREAT BEND
AREA BY 515 PM CST.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
GREAT BEND AND WILL MOVE TO 10 MILES WEST OF LYONS BY 5:15 PM CST.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE
INTO CENTRAL KANSAS INTO THE EVENING HOURS.

PERSONS IN CENTRAL KANSAS SHOUL+D BE ALERT FOR SEVERE WEATHER.
LS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 26, 3:58 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey, Lyon62 min
Mar 26, 4:23 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsage37 min
Mar 26, 4:32 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas43 min
Mar 26, 4:43 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee47 min
Mar 26, 5:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson40 min
Mar 26, 5:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPFranklin44 min
Mar 26, 5:20 PM CSTTornado WarningTOPEllsworth25 min
Mar 26, 5:27 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas48 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.