Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 7, NWS Topeka, KS

May 6, 1993Osage County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 6, 1993, 6:56 PM CDT for Osage County, Kansas. It was in force for 49 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
May 6, 1993, 6:56 PM CDT (23:56 UTC)
Expired
May 6, 1993, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Osage County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 6, 6:56 PM CDTTornado F0Melvern, KSA small tornado hit briefly in open country with no reported or observed damage.

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 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 39 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 1993-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 843 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 1993-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -15 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
843 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
802 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-15 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-15 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 070004
TORTOP
KSC139-070045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
656 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...SOUTHEASTERN OSAGE COUNTY
 
DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS WERE INDICATING THE POTENTIAL FOR A TORNADO AND
LARGE HAIL ABOUT 35 MILES SOUTH OF TOPEKA...OR JUST SOUTH OF LYNDON.
 
IN ADDITION...A FUNNEL WAS CLOUD WAS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC EAST OF THE
I-35 AND HIGHWAY 75 INTERSECTION.
 
THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING ACROSS MELVERN AND QUENEMO TOWARD THE
LAKE POMONA AREA DURING THE NEXT 30 MINUTES.
 
PERSONS SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY !!

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 6, 4:08 PM CDT, 2 hours 48 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-062215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
407 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS FOR EASTERN OSBORNE AND ALL OF SMITH
COUNTY HAS EXPIRED...

AT 4 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN OSBORNE AND
SMITH COUNTIES HAVE WEAKENED. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED IN A 15 MILE WIDE
BAND FROM 50 MILES NORTHWEST OF CONCORDIA IN NORTHWEST JEWELL COUNTY SOUTH-
WARD TO 45 MILES WEST OF CONCORDIA NEAR DOWNS. THESE STORMS WERE STILL CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 45 MILES WEST OF SALINA NEAR WILSON
AND WAS ALSO MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND COULD CONTAIN BRIEF VERY HEAVY
RAIN...HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN
EFFECT FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS UNTIL 8 PM CDT.  IFn
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.  SW
Special weather statement, May 6, 4:35 PM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
KSZ013-014-015-016-062230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
434 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS STRENGTHEN ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 425 PM A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM MARYSVILLE
TO MANHATTAN TO 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF WICHITA. STRONGER
STORMS WERE 22 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EMPORIA AND IN THE MANHATTAN
AREA.

THE STRONGEST STORM WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN LYON COUNTY AND REACH
THE AMERICUS AND ADMIRE AREAS BY 530 PM.  VERY HEAVY RAIN...WIND
GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

BY 530 PM THE LINE OF STORMS WILL EXTEND FROM SENECA TO ST MARYS TO
EMPORIA.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES UNTIL 9 PM.

LAPLANTE
Special weather statement, May 6, 6:31 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-070030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
631 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 630 PM CDT AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED 30 MILES
NORTH OF CONCORDIA ALONG THE KANSAS NEBRASKA BORDER...FROM NEAR CUBA TO
MAHASKA.  THIS AREA WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE FROM THIS
STORM.  NO OTHER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS OCCURING IN CENTRAL OR
NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS.

URBAN
Special weather statement, May 6, 6:31 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-070030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
631 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 630 PM CDT AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED 30 MILES
NORTH OF CONCORDIA ALONG THE KANSAS NEBRASKA BORDER...FROM NEAR CUBA TO
MAHASKA.  THIS AREA WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
SMALL HAIL...HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE FROM THIS
STORM.  NO OTHER THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS OCCURING IN CENTRAL OR
NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS.

URBAN
Special weather statement, May 6, 6:49 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
647 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 205 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR PART OF KANSAS.
THE WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

...NORTHWEST...
DECATUR         GRAHAM          NORTON

...NORTH CENTRAL...
PHILLIPS        WASHINGTON

...WEST CENTRAL...
TREGO

...CENTRAL...
DICKINSON       ELLIS           ELLSWORTH

THE FOLLOWING CITIES ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO WATCH

HAYS            HILL CITY

LABAS..2349Z
Special weather statement, May 6, 6:54 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
KSZ007-008-010-011-070100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
755 PM CDT THU MAY 6 1993

...TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO WATCH FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS HAS BEEN
CANCELLED.  SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE AREA THIS EVENING...HOWEVER NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED.

URBAN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 6, 12:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMitchell33 min
May 6, 12:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Jewell, Republic36 min
May 6, 2:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsborne51 min
May 6, 3:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPSmith52 min
May 6, 3:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsborne33 min
May 6, 4:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJewell54 min
May 6, 5:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon52 min
May 6, 5:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud17 min
May 6, 5:39 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPJackson, Nemaha, Pottawatomie51 min
May 6, 5:48 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPShawnee, Wabaunsee42 min
May 6, 6:03 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPNemaha27 min
May 6, 6:20 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPShawnee29 min
May 6, 6:21 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPJackson54 min
May 6, 6:55 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPBrown35 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.