Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 52, NWS Topeka, KS

July 2, 1991Saline County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 1991, 2:43 PM CDT for Saline County, Kansas. It was in force for 62 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 2, 1991, 2:43 PM CDT (19:43 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1991, 3:45 PM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Saline County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 1991-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 731 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 1991-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -47 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
731 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-148 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1259 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 021945
TORCNK
KSC169-022045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
243 PM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CONCORDIA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  345 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...SOUTHERN SALINE COUNTY
 
AT 240 PM CDT ELLSWORTH COUNTY SHERRIF REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO
LOCATED JUT EAST OF KANOPOLIS RESEVOIR. THIS TORNADO WILL MOVE INTO
SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF SALINE COUNTY DURING THE NEXT 30 MINUTES AND
WILL BE LOCATED 15 MILES NORTH OF MARQUETTE BY 3 10 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 AVAILABLE.
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.
 
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.
 
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 FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVERB 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, Jul 2, 11:13 AM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
KSZ013>016-030000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR NORTHEAST KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1115 AM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST KANSAS:

ANDERSON     DOUGLAS      JEFFERSON     NEMAHA          SHAWNEE
ATCHISON     FRANKLIN     LYON          OSAGE           WABAUNSEE
BROWN        GEARY        MARSHALL      POTTAWATOMIE
COFFEY       JACKSON      MORRIS        RILEY

SYNOPSIS:A WEAK COLD FRONT OVER THE STATE WILL AGAIN RAISE THE CHANCE FOR
THUNDERSTORMS WITH AFTERNOON HEATING. A LITTLE BETTER THREAT EXISTS TO
THE SOUTH OF THE KANSAS RIVER INTO THE EVENING HOURS.
SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SEVERE
WEATHER...AND SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON
OR EVENING.

KAYS
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 11:25 AM CDT, 3 hours 18 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-021730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1125 AM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991

AT 1022 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
20 MILES WIDE EXTENDING FROM 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAYS TO 20 MILES NORTH
OF HAYS. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF
HAYS OR 15 MILES NORTHWEST OF RUSSELL. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

MOVEMENT OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SW
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 11:38 AM CDT, 3 hours 5 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-030000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1137 AM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL KANSAS:

BARTON       RICE       MCPHERSON     RUSSELL
ELLSWORTH    SALINE     DICKINSON     LINCOLN

AND IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS

SMITH        JEWELL     REPUBLIC      WASHINGTON
OSBORNE      MITCHELL   CLOUD         CLAY
OTTAWA

SYNOPSIS:  A COLD FRONT NOW MOVING SLOWLY THROUGH CENTRAL AND NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS WILL DEVELOP A FEW THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SOME OF THE STORMS MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER...
AND SPOTTER ACTIHVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

SW
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:15 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-021815-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1214 PM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991

AT 1210 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 25 MILES EAST OF
HAYS...OVER THE CITY OF RUSSELL. BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...GUSTY WINDS...
POSSIBLE HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM AS IT
MOVES SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SW
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 12:43 PM CDT, 2 hours before
KSZ007-008-010-011-021830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1240 PM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991

AT 1235 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 30 MILES EAST OF
HAYS OR 5 MILES EAST OF RUSSELL. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS WEAKENED RAPIDLY
OVER THE PAST 30 MINUTES BUT COULD STILL PRODUCE A BRIEF DOWNPOUR AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS IT MOVES TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SW
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 1:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-021930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
138 PM CDT TUE JUL 2 1991

AT 135 PM CDT RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS
20 MILES WIDE EXTENDING FROM 30 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF HUTCHINSON WEST
TO 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEND. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE
LOCATED FROM 30 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF GREAT BEND JUST NORTH OF STERLING
TO 10 MILES EAST OF STERLING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE BRIEF
HEAVY RAINS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE TO THE EAST AT 15 MPH.

SW

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.