Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 9, NWS Wichita, KS

March 17, 1992Harvey County, Sedgwick County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 17, 1992, 6:17 PM CST for Harvey County, Sedgwick County, Kansas. It was in force for 58 min. 4 reports 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 17, 1992, 6:17 PM CST (00:17 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1992, 7:15 PM CST
In force
58 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Harvey County, KS, Sedgwick County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 17, 6:17 PM CSTHail 1.75Sedgwick, KS
Mar 17, 6:22 PM CSTHail 1.75Harvey, KS
Mar 17, 6:43 PM CSTHail 0.75Harvey, KS
Mar 17, 6:45 PM CSTHail 0.75Sedgwick, 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, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 202 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 1992-03-18Temperature 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 1992-03-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 138 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
789 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
138 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
302 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KICT 180020
SVRICT
KSC079-173-180115-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
617 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...HARVEY COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN SEDGWICK COUNTY
 
AT 615 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IN
NORTHWEST SEDGWICK COUNTY NEAR MOUNT HOPE OR 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF
WICHITA. IT WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR. LARGE HAIL WAS
REPORTED OUT OF THIS STORM IN 3 MILES EAST OF MOUNT HOPE. IT WILL MOVE
INTO SOUTHWEST HARVEY COUNTY BY 630 PM CST. IT WILL AFFECT THE CITY OF
HALSTEAD BY 650 PM. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STROM SHOULD TAKE COVER
NOW.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY... SO
DON'T DRIVE ONTO WATER-COVERED ROADS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 17, 2:32 PM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-172145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
230 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1992

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS
UNTIL 8 PM...

CONDITIONS FAVORING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
COME TOGETHER OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AT 225 PM...THE WICHITA RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER
NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.  THIS IS WHERE POTENTIAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
EXPECTED TO BEGIN.  NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS YET BEEN REPORTED...BUT UNDER
THESE CONDITIONS...THE SITUATION CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY.

AN ISOLATED LIGHT RAINSHOWER REMAINED OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS NEAR CHANUT|E.

REMAIN ALERT AND STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION...AND NOAA
WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.
                                                                 .
HEDGES
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 3:13 PM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-172215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
312 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 310 PM...RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN
SOUTHEASTERN CHASE COUNTY...OR 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EMPORIA.  THIS
THUNDERSTORM WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BREIF HEAVY RAIN...SMALL
HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.  THE STORM WAS
MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.  MOTORIST ALONG THE KANSAS TURNPIKE
SOUTHWEST OF EMPORIA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND
NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA.  THIS ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN TO MOVE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS AROUND 5 PM.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 78 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS UNTIL 8 PM.

HEDGES
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 3:49 PM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes before
KSZ009-011-012-014-017-172245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
347 PM CST TUE MAR 17 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTH KANSAS...

AT 330 PM...RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING
OVER SOUTHWEST KANSAS.  THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 15 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF PRATT.  THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...
GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO DEVELOPING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EMPORIA...AND 20 MILES SOUTH OF EMPORIA.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...AND
FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

MOTORISTS ALONG THE KANSAS TURNPIKE BETWEEN MATFIELD GREEN AND EMPORIA
SHOULD BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO TO THE NORTH AT 20 MILES PER HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION STATIONS...AND NOAA WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH  REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS.

HEDGES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 17, 6:46 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTKingman29 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1992Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1992

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.