Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 30, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 24, 1994Ford County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 1994, 6:21 PM CDT for Ford County, Kansas. It was in force for 54 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 24, 1994, 6:21 PM CDT (23:21 UTC)
Expired
May 24, 1994, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
54 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Ford County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 10 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:42 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 12:00Z, 11.4 hours before the alert went out and 9 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 12:00Z on 1994-05-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 777 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 12:00Z on 1994-05-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 44 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
777 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-112 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
963 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
49 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 
WUUS1 KDDC 242322 RRA
SVRDDC
KSC057-069-250015-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
621 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHWESTERN FORD COUNTY...NORTHEASTERN GRAY COUNTY
 
AT 618 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES
NORTH OF CIMARRON...OR 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF DODGE CITY.
 
THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE CIMARRON AREA THROUGH 640 PM CDT.  THE STORM SHOULD
REACH HOWELL BY 645 PM CDT...THEN APPROACH DODGE CITY AROUND 700 PM.
 
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.
 
CRAVEN/KRUSE

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, May 24, 4:11 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
KSZ043-044-242215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
411 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994

...A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED...

AT 408 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES
NORTHEAST OF SCOTT CITY AND JUST EAST OF SHALLOW WATER OR 7 MILES
SOUTH/SOUTHEAST OF SCOTT CITY.  THE STORMS WERE DRIFTING SOUTHEAST AT 5
TO 10 MILES AN HOUR.

VERY HEAVY RAIN...MARBLE SIZE HAIL...SOME WIND GUSTS AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE LIKELY WITH THE STORMS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE
ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF SCOTT COUNTY THROUGH 430 PM AND INTO THE
GRIGSTON AREA BY 425 PM.

IF THEATENING WEATHER APPROACHES MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM
WINDOWS.V

HUTTON
Special weather statement, May 24, 4:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
KSZ030-031-043-044-045-063-064-242245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
446 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE STILL THREATENING SCOTT AND LANE
COUNTIES...

AT 446 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM
SCOTT CITY TO DIGHTON AND FROM GOVE AND RUSSELL SPRINGS SOUTH TO THE
FINNEY COUNTY LINE NEAR FRIEND.  THE ENTIRE CLUSTER OF STORMS WAS MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.  STORMS SHOULD REACH DIGHTON BY
455 PM CDT...SHIELDS AND PENDENNIS BY 530 PM CDT.

THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY ACCOMPANIED BY BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS...STRONG
GUSTY WINDS...DEALY LIGHTNING AND SOME SMALL HAIL.  REMAIN INDOORS
DURING A THUNDERSTORM.

JOHNSON
Special weather statement, May 24, 5:34 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
KSZ043-044-045-063-064-077-078-242330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
534 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST
KANSAS...

AT 530 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL IN THE SCOTT CITY AND DIGHTON AREAS.
THESE STORMS EXTENDED INTO NORTHERN FINNEY COUNTY...15 MILES NORTHEAST
OF GARDEN CITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE HEADED EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH AND SHOULD REACH
UTICA...BEELER...AND KALVESTA BY 630 PM CDT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PRODUCE LOCALIZED TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...WITH AN INCH OR TWO OF
RAIN IN AN HOURS TIME.  THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL SINCE 5
PM CDT NEAR HEALY AND 5 MILES WEST OF DIGHTON IN LANE COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO THE JETMORE...
AND NESS CITY AREAS AFTER 7 PM.

KRUSE/CRAVEN

&
Special weather statement, May 24, 5:37 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
KSZ043-044-045-063-064-077-078-242330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
534 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING FROM WEST CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST
KANSAS...

AT 530 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL IN THE SCOTT CITY AND DIGHTON AREAS.
THESE STORMS EXTENDED INTO NORTHERN FINNEY COUNTY...15 MILES NORTHEAST
OF GARDEN CITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE HEADED EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH AND SHOULD REACH
UTICA...BEELER...AND KALVESTA BY 630 PM CDT.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
PRODUCE LOCALIZED TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS OF RAIN...WITH AN INCH OR TWO OF
RAIN IN AN HOURS TIME.  THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED PEA SIZE HAIL SINCE 5
PM CDT NEAR HEALY AND 5 MILES WEST OF DIGHTON IN LANE COUNTY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO THE JETMORE...
AND NESS CITY AREAS AFTER 7 PM.

KRUSE/CRAVEN

&
Special weather statement, May 24, 6:15 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
KSZ061>066-074>081-084>090-250020-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
615 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

AT 615 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS GUSTING TO 55 MPH WERE MOVING THROUGH THE
PIERCEVILLE AREA...12 MILES EAST OF GARDEN CITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH AND
BE MOVING THROUGH CIMARRON BY 625 PM CDT.  THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD
REACH THE DODGE CITY AREA BY 730 PM CDT.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.

CRAVEN/KRUSE
Special weather statement, May 24, 6:16 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
KSZ061>066-074>081-084>090-250020-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
615 PM CDT TUE MAY 24 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

AT 615 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY
RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND WINDS GUSTING TO 55 MPH WERE MOVING THROUGH THE
PIERCEVILLE AREA...12 MILES EAST OF GARDEN CITY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD CONTINUE MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH AND
BE MOVING THROUGH CIMARRON BY 625 PM CDT.  THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD
REACH THE DODGE CITY AREA BY 730 PM CDT.

IF YOU ARE OUTDOORS...MOVE TO A PLACE OF SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF A
STORM APPROACHES.  MOTORISTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR REDUCED
VISIBILITIES DURING DOWNPOURS OF RAIN.  STREETS MAY FLOOD QUICKLY.

CRAVEN/KRUSE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 23, 7:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCMorton37 min
May 24, 4:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCScott27 min
May 24, 6:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCGray37 min
May 24, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCFord47 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1994Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1994

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.