Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 33, NWS Topeka, KS

April 28, 1991Smith County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 28, 1991, 4:22 PM CDT for Smith County, Kansas. It was in force for 38 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 28, 1991, 4:22 PM CDT (21:22 UTC)
Expired
Apr 28, 1991, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Smith County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 28, 4:35 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 0Smith, 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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 214 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 1991-04-28Temperature 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 1991-04-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 18 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
214 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 282124
TORCNK
KSC183-282200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
422 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CONCORDIA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHWESTERN SMITH COUNTY
 
AT 423 PM CDT SMITH COUNTY SHERRIFF REPORTS A TORNADO ON THE GROUND 15
MILES NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG OR 10 MILES NORTH OF KENSINGTON MOVING
TO THE NORTH AT 40 MILES AN HOUR. YTHIS TORNADO WILL REACH THE KANSAS
BORDER BY 435 PM CDT.
 
THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS STORM.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE IN THE
PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF AsVAILABLE.
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.
PACKETT

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 28, 2:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
KSZ013>016-282030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
230 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER MOST OF NORTHEAST
KANSAS AT MID AFTERNOON. SHORTLY BEFORE 230PM STORMS WERE GENERALLY
IN AN AREA FROM EMPORIA TO JUST SOUTH OF TOPEKA TO ST JOSEPH. ANOTHER
AREA OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTH OF MANHATTAN.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO
THE TOPEKA AND EMPORIA AREAS BY ABOUT 3PM. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...
SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY WITH THE
STRONGER STORMS.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINE TO FORM OVER MOST OF
NORTHEAST KANSAS AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON.

AKULOW
Special weather statement, Apr 28, 2:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-282100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
250 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 221 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR THAT PART
OF KANSAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WAKEENEY TO LINCOLN TO SALINA AND
SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM SALINA TO ANTHONY...

AT 250 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE 20 MILES EAST OF SALINA NEAR ABILENE
AND 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SALINA NEAR HERINGTON.  BRIEF HEAVY RAIN..
GUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED
FROM THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE NORTH AT 30 MPH.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTROM WERE FROM 20 TO 30 MILES EAST OF GREAT
BEND NEAR CHASE AND LYONS AND 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF GREAT BEND NEAR
GAL/ATIA.  THESE STORM WERE ALSO MOVIN NORTH AT 30 MPH.

LLS
Special weather statement, Apr 28, 3:25 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
KSZ013>016-282130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
325 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED OVER MUCH OF NORTHEAST
KANSAS AT LATE AFTERNOON. AT 320PM THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE ABOUT
25 MILES NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF TOPEKA FROM NEAR ST MARYS TO HOLTON
TO NEAR PERRY LAKE.  ANOTHER AREA OF STRONG STORMS WAS ABOUT 20 MILES
NORTH OF EMPORIA.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH AND WILL PRODUCE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WIND AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND A HEAVY DOWNPOUR WERE REPORTED AT HOLTON
AROUND 3PM.

PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MOST OF
NORTHEAST KANSAS DURING THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING
HOURS.
<
AKULOW
Special weather statement, Apr 28, 3:40 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
KSZ005-006-282300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
340 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 221 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR PART OF KANSAS.
THE WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

...WEST CENTRAL...
LANE            NESS            TREGO

...SOUTHWEST...
FORD            GRAY            HODGEMAN

THE FOLLOWING CITIES ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO
WATCH...

DODGE CITY
Special weather statement, Apr 28, 3:57 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-282200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
355 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 221 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR THAT PART
OF KANSAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WAKEENEY TO LINCOLN TO SALINA AND
SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM SALINA TO ANTHONY...

AT 355 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SALINA OR JUST
SOUTHWEST OF BROOKVILLE.  BRIEF HEAVY RAIN..GUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AN D POSSIBLE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THIS STORM AS IT MOVES
NORTH AT 30 MPH.

OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAYS OR JUST WEST OF
NATOMA AND NEAR PHILLIPSBURG.  THESE STORMS WERE ALSO MOVING NORTH AT
30 MPH.

LLS
Special weather statement, Apr 28, 4:17 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-282215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
417 PM CDT SUN APR 28 1991

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHERN LYON COUNTY EXPIRED
AT 415PM CDT AND WILL NOT BE REISSUED. NO FURTHER REPORTS OF
LARGE HAIL HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM NORTHERN LYON COUNTY.

HOWEVER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AS NOW BEEN POSTED FOR ALL OF
NORTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 10PM CDT TONIGHT.

AT 415PM RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN
NORTHERN LYON COUNTY ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILES NORTH OF EMPORIA.
OTHER STRONG STORMS HAD POPPED UP OVER NORTHERN OSASGE COUNTY ABOUT
20 TO 25 MILES SOUTH OF TOPEKA. THE STORMS WOULD THREATEN OVERBROOK
AND BURLINGAME.

THE ST^ORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL BETWEEN
LAWRENCE AND TOPEKA...AND TOWARD ADMIRE IN NORTHERN LYON COUNTY...
ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TOPEKA.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 28, 3:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon33 min
Apr 28, 4:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas38 min
Apr 28, 4:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRussell68 min
Apr 28, 4:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson45 min
Apr 28, 4:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBarton46 min
Apr 28, 5:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsborne69 min
Apr 28, 5:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRussell33 min
Apr 28, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee46 min
Apr 28, 5:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBarton43 min
Apr 28, 6:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsborne38 min
Apr 28, 6:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJewell, Mitchell67 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.