Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 31, NWS Topeka, KS

April 26, 1991Jefferson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 1991, 9:02 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Kansas. It was in force for 43 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
Apr 26, 1991, 9:02 PM CDT (02:02 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 1991, 9:45 PM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Jefferson County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 26, 9:25 PM CDTTornado F2Jefferson, 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 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 34 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 1991-04-27Temperature 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 1991-04-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 409 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
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
79 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
409 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
485 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
17.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 270202
TORTOP
KSC087-270245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
902 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  945 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHEAST KANSAS
 
   ...JEFFERSON COUNTY
 
AT 900PM THE TORNADO WAS IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF JEFFERSON COUNTY
OR ABOUT 5-7 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOPEKA. PEOPLE IN MERIDAN SHOULD BE IN
THEIR BASEMENTS... OUT OF MOBILE HOMES... OR IN A LOW-LYING AREA IF
CAUGHT OUTSIDE.
 
AT 901 THE TORNADO WAS 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF KANSAS HIGHWAYS K-4 AND
US-24. POWER LINES CONTINUED TO EXPLODE.
 
THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SHAWNEE COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
 
MAY
 
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO
TO A STRONG BUILDING. DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A
TORNADO.  CARS ARE EASILY TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF NO
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT.

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 26, 6:30 PM CDT, 2 hours 32 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-270030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECT TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
628 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 8 PM CDT.

AT 627 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY RAIN..GUSTY WINDS..
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL WERE NORTHEAST OF CONCORDIA NEAR WASHINGTON
AND NEAR HADDAM EXTENDING NORTHWARD INTO NEBRASKA NORTH OF FAIRBURY.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

HIGH WINDS OF 70 TO 80 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THE CITY OF LINCOLN AND
AREAS SOUTH.  THESE WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF A FRONT AND
NOT WITH THUNDERSTORMS.

OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR HIAWATHA TO COUNCIL GROVE
TO JUST NORTH OF WICHITA.
 MRU
Local storm report, Apr 26, 6:34 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
633 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

STORM REPORTS FOR FRIDAY APRIL 26...ALL TIMES CDT

1:35 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 3 MILES SOUTH WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS..OTTAWA
         COUNTY
1:43 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL IN MINNEAPOLIS..OTTAWA COUNTY
1:45 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 2 NORTH AND 3 WEST OF MINNEAPOLIS..OTTAWA
         COUNTY
2 PM     GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 3 MILES EAST OF DELPHOS..OTTAWA COUNTY.
2:55 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL COVER THE GROUND AT CLYDE..CLOUD COUNTY.
2:59 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT CLIFTON..WASHINGTON COUNTY.
3:14 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT BRANTFORD..WASHINGTON COUNTY.
3:30 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL 21/2 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WASHINGTON..
         WASHINGTON COUNTY.
4:01 PM  GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AT NARKA..REPUBLIC COUNTY.
4:45 PM  3/4 INCH HAIL WEST OF MOUNDRIDGE..MCPHERSON COUNTY.
4:53 PM  3/4 INCH HAIL ONE MILE SOUTHEAST OF MOUNDRIDGE..MCPHERSON CO.
5:05 PM  HIGH WINDS DAMAGED FARM BUILDINGS 13 MILES SOUTH OF RUSSELL
         NO THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA..RUSSELL COUNTY.

LS
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 7:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-270100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
700 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 8 P
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 7:43 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-270145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
744 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING CONTINUES FOR JACKSON AND SHAWNEE COUNTY
UNTIL 815... AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR
LYON COUNTY UNTIL 830PM.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS... AND MOST OF
EASTERN KANSAS UNTIL 2AM CDT.

THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE TO EXTENDED FROM ST.
JOSEPH TO ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EMPORIA.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORM CELL WAS ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF EMPORIA... MOVING TO THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH. PEOPLE IN ADMIRE AND MILLER SHOULD BE
IN A STRONG STURDY SHELTER TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM DAMAGING
THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

MAY
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 7:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
KSZ014-016-270145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
749 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

AROUND 745 PM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS RECEIVED TWO
REPORTS FROM EMPORIA OF DEBRIS... IN THE FORM OF ROOF SHINGLES AND
CALENDARS... FALLING FROM THE SKY. THIS DEBRIS MAY BE FROM THE
TORNADOES THAT OCCURRED EARLIER THIS EVENING FROM THE TORNADOES IN
SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS.

MAY
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 8:14 PM CDT, 48 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-270215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
814 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING ISSUED FOR LYON COUNTY AT 758PM HAS
BEEN CANCELLED. THE WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

   OSAGE    SHAWNEE   EASTERN WABAUNSEE
   ATCHISON AND       NORTHERN JEFFERSON.

THESE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT UNTIL 9PM.  THE PRIMARY DANGER IS FROM
LARGE DAMAGING HAIL AND HIGH WINDS.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 2AM... HOWEVER... FOR ALL
OF NORTHEAST AND EAST-CENTRAL KANSAS. PEOPLE IN THIS AREA SHOULD BE
READY TO MOVE QUICKLY TO THEIR TORNADO SHELTER.

AT 813PM THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF
TOPEKA NEAR CARBONDALE... AND ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF
TOPEKA... JUST NORTH OF VALLEY FALLS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING
NORTH-NORTHEAST AROUND 30 MPH.

PEOPLE IN TOPEKA, EFFINGHAM, AND MUSCOTAH SHOULD BE IN A STRONG,
STURDY SHELTER.Q

MAY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 26, 7:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPWabaunsee37 min
Apr 26, 7:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Ottawa32 min
Apr 26, 7:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPClay69 min
Apr 26, 7:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Shawnee52 min
Apr 26, 7:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon59 min
Apr 26, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPWashington34 min
Apr 26, 7:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee62 min
Apr 26, 7:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAtchison, Jefferson62 min
Apr 26, 8:51 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPJefferson, Shawnee24 min
Apr 26, 9:20 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPAtchison40 min
Apr 26, 9:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPWabaunsee66 min
Apr 26, 9:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Shawnee54 min
Apr 26, 10:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAtchison, Jefferson60 min
Apr 26, 10:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Franklin, Osage61 min
Apr 26, 10:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Shawnee27 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.