Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 5, 1993Morton County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at May 5, 1993, 9:56 PM CDT for Morton County, Kansas. It was in force for 34 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 5, 1993, 9:56 PM CDT (02:56 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 1993, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
34 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Morton County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 173 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:57 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 180 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 00:00Z on 1993-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2248 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 1993-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
2248 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-123 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
946 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
1 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
57 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 KDDC 060256
TORDDC
KSC129-060330-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
956 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1030 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHERN MORTON COUNTY
 
AT 955 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH A TORNADO
20 MILES NORTH OF ELKHART. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 15 MPH
AND WILL MOVE OVER OPEN COUNTRY TO THE MORTON-STANTON COUNTY LINE BY 102
PCDT. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!!!
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING.  AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH
OR LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.
 
 
PB

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, May 5, 3:58 PM CDT, 5 hours 58 minutes before
KSZ002-003-005-006-008-009-052245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST...COR FOR SPELLING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
350 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN ACROSS MOST OF
SOUTHWEST KANSAS. AT 3:45 PM CDT...WEATHER RADARS INDICATED THAT NO
ACTIVITY WAS OCCURRING...HOWEVER CONDITIONS REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP BY EARLY EVENING. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
COULD BECOME SEVERE. THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD FIRST DEVELOP WEST OF A LINE
FROM GARDEN CITY TO MEADE AND MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 25 MILES AN
HOUR.

OTHERWISE...WINDS WILL CONTINUE FROM THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 25
MILES AN HOUR WITH HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURE
READINGS WILL REMAIN IN THE 70S THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOW READINGS THURSDAY
MORNING SHOULD BE IN THE LOW 60S.
PERSONS ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS SHOUL.D BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS EVENING. MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR
LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

SZKIL
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:11 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
KSZ002-003-005-006-008-009-052300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
510 PM CDT WED APR 28 1993

...THERE IS A CHANCE OF VIOLENT THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF SOUTHWEST
   KANSAS...

A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE WAS OVER MUCH OF THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS BY
LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
BEGIN DEVELOPING ALONG AND WEST OF A SCOTT CITY TO GARDEN CITY AND
LIBERAL LINE BEFORE 7 PM TONIGHT.  ADDITIONALLY...STORMS NOW OVER PARTS
OF THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE SOUTH OF LIBERAL COULD MOVE NORTH INTO THE
LIBERAL AREA DURING THE NEXT HOUR.  NONE OF THESE STORMS HAD TURNED
SEVERE YET.

...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR THE AREA WEST OF
HIGHWAY 283 THROUGH WAKEENY AND DODGE CITY...

ALTHOUGH NO STORMS HAD YET DEVELOPED IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...YOU SHOULD
REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHEvR RADIO...OR YOUR LOCAL
RADIO OR TELEVISION STATION FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THIS VERY
DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

JOHNSON
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:39 PM CDT, 4 hours 17 minutes before
KSZ002-003-005-006-052345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
540 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

AT 539 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING
JUST SOUTH OF THE OKLAHOMA KANSAS BORDER...20 MILES SOUTH OF HUGOTON...
OR 45 MILES SOUTH OF ULYSSES.

THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE HUGOTON
AREA BY 615 PM CDT. THIS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...GUSTY
WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING
UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

BERG
Special weather statement, May 5, 5:40 PM CDT, 4 hours 16 minutes before
KSZ002-003-005-006-052345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
540 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

AT 539 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPING
JUST SOUTH OF THE OKLAHOMA KANSAS BORDER...20 MILES SOUTH OF HUGOTON...
OR 45 MILES SOUTH OF ULYSSES.

THE STORM WAS MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO THE HUGOTON
AREA BY 615 PM CDT. THIS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL...GUSTY
WINDS AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING
UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS
OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT.

BERG
Special weather statement, May 5, 6:23 PM CDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
KSZ003-060030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
624 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS TAKING AIM INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF GRANT
COUNTY...

AT 623 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES
TO THE SOUTH OF ULYSSES MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO
THE ULYSSES AREA BY 645 PM CDT.

THIS STORM HAS A PAST HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. IF YOU
LIVE IN SOUTHERN GRANT TAKE SAFE SHELTER BUILDING IN A STURDY BUILDING
NOW.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS UNTIL
MIDNIGHT.

BERG
Special weather statement, May 5, 6:24 PM CDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before
KSZ003-060030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
624 PM CDT WED MAY 5 1993

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS TAKING AIM INTO THE SOUTHERN PART OF GRANT
COUNTY...

AT 623 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES
TO THE SOUTH OF ULYSSES MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO
THE ULYSSES AREA BY 645 PM CDT.

THIS STORM HAS A PAST HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. IF YOU
LIVE IN SOUTHERN GRANT TAKE SAFE SHELTER BUILDING IN A STURDY BUILDING
NOW.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS UNTIL
MIDNIGHT.

BERG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 7:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCStevens50 min
May 5, 8:01 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCStevens29 min
May 5, 8:15 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCMorton30 min
May 5, 8:29 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCStevens31 min
May 5, 8:46 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCMorton29 min
May 5, 8:57 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCGrant33 min
May 5, 9:15 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCStevens45 min
May 5, 9:16 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCMorton29 min
May 5, 9:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCFinney, Haskell67 min
May 5, 9:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCGrant33 min
May 5, 9:43 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCGrant47 min
May 5, 9:48 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCFinney, Kearny27 min
May 5, 10:09 PM CDTTornado WarningDDCStanton51 min
May 5, 10:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCKearny45 min
May 5, 11:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCHamilton32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.