Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 31, 1994Finney County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 31, 1994, 4:17 PM CDT for Finney County, Kansas. It was in force for 43 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 31, 1994, 4:17 PM CDT (21:17 UTC)
Expired
May 31, 1994, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
43 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Finney County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 74 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:19 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, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 80 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 1994-05-31Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 71 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 1994-05-31The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -56 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
71 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-403 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2665 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-56 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
15 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 KDDC 312118 RRA
SVRDDC
KSC055-312200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
417 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING     EFFECTIVE UNTIL  500 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS
 
   ...NORTHERN FINNEY COUNTY
 
AT 416 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES
NORTHWEST OF GARDEN CITY. THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25
MPH AND WILL CROSS HIGHWAY 83...15 MILES NORTH OF GARDEN CITY BY 435 PM
CDT. THIS STORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
P.REPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
 
BERG

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 31, 11:00 AM CDT, 5 hours 17 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KANSAS
1100 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 1994

KSZ061>063-074>076-084>086-010000-
THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN KANSAS...

HAMILTON  KEARNY  FINNEY  STANTON  GRANT  HASKELL  MORTON
STEVENS   SEWARD

A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO FOCUS
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON.   A CAP IS MAINTAINING
SOME STABILITY ACROSS THE AREA AT THIS TIME BUT DAYTIME HEATING
IS EXPECTED TO SOFTEN THIS FEATURE.   INCREASING LOW LEVEL FLOW
FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST IS LIKELY TO MAKE ANY THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT APPROACH OR BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A WIDESPREAD AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO ANTICIPATED TO
BLOSSOM TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY AFTER 2 PM CDT FOR THE SOUTHWESTERN
COUNTIES OF KANSAS.   EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS SHOULD
MAKE PLANS FOR SPOTTER ACTIVATION AND MAINTAIN A VIGIL
FOR LATER STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON'S WEATHER SITUATION.

KSZ030-031-043>046-064>066-077>081-087>090-010000-
THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN KANSAS...

TREGO    ELLIS    SCOTT    LANE     NESS     RUSH      HODGEMAN
PAWNEE   GRAY     FORD     EDWARDS  KIOWA    STAFFORD  PRATT
MEADE    CLARK    COMANCHE BARBER

A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO FOCUS
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY ACROSS THE
SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES OF KANSAS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO MOVE EASTWARD INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS OVERNIGHT AND INCREASE
IN COVERAGE.  SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE TONIGHT.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS ARE URGED TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE
WATCH ON TODAY'S WEATHER SITUATION AND LATER STATEMENT ISSUANCES.

RICKS
Special weather statement, May 31, 11:04 AM CDT, 5 hours 13 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KANSAS
1100 AM CDT TUE MAY 31 1994

KSZ061>063-074>076-084>086-010000-
THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN KANSAS...

HAMILTON  KEARNY  FINNEY  STANTON  GRANT  HASKELL  MORTON
STEVENS   SEWARD

A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO FOCUS
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON.   A CAP IS MAINTAINING
SOME STABILITY ACROSS THE AREA AT THIS TIME BUT DAYTIME HEATING
IS EXPECTED TO SOFTEN THIS FEATURE.   INCREASING LOW LEVEL FLOW
FROM THE SOUTHEAST AND EAST IS LIKELY TO MAKE ANY THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT APPROACH OR BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

A WIDESPREAD AREA OF HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO ANTICIPATED TO
BLOSSOM TONIGHT ACROSS THE REGION.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY AFTER 2 PM CDT FOR THE SOUTHWESTERN
COUNTIES OF KANSAS.   EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS SHOULD
MAKE PLANS FOR SPOTTER ACTIVATION AND MAINTAIN A VIGIL
FOR LATER STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON'S WEATHER SITUATION.

KSZ030-031-043>046-064>066-077>081-087>090-010000-
THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN KANSAS...

TREGO    ELLIS    SCOTT    LANE     NESS     RUSH      HODGEMAN
PAWNEE   GRAY     FORD     EDWARDS  KIOWA    STAFFORD  PRATT
MEADE    CLARK    COMANCHE BARBER

A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS THE AREA IS EXPECTED TO FOCUS
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY ACROSS THE
SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES OF KANSAS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED
TO MOVE EASTWARD INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS OVERNIGHT AND INCREASE
IN COVERAGE.  SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE TONIGHT.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS ARE URGED TO MAINTAIN A CLOSE
WATCH ON TODAY'S WEATHER SITUATION AND LATER STATEMENT ISSUANCES.

RICKS
Special weather statement, May 31, 3:42 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
KSZ062-063-075-312145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
342 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST-CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 335 PM CDT...DODGE CITY RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AREA OF
THUNDERSTORMS FROM ULYSSES TO 20 MILES NORTH OF GARDEN CITY.  THE
STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAKIN OR 28
MILES NORTH OF ULYSSES.  MOVEMENT WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

THESE STORMS ARE ORIGINATING FROM WELL ALOFT AND STRONG DOWNBURST GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE QUITE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

PERSONS IN THE LAKIN AREA...AS WELL AS THE REMAINDER OF WEST
KANSAS...ARE URGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS AFTERNOON'S WEATHER
SITUATION.  SOME WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON.  THEREFORE...
MAKE A GAME PLAN NOW...DECIDING WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF A WARNING WAS
ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.

LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE
STRONGLY SUGGESTED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SOME OF THE STORMIER AREAS.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED ROUTINELY TO HELP IN YOUR PLANNING.

RICKS
Special weather statement, May 31, 3:42 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
KSZ062-063-075-312145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
342 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST-CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 335 PM CDT...DODGE CITY RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY DEVELOPING AREA OF
THUNDERSTORMS FROM ULYSSES TO 20 MILES NORTH OF GARDEN CITY.  THE
STRONGEST STORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAKIN OR 28
MILES NORTH OF ULYSSES.  MOVEMENT WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

THESE STORMS ARE ORIGINATING FROM WELL ALOFT AND STRONG DOWNBURST GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE QUITE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

PERSONS IN THE LAKIN AREA...AS WELL AS THE REMAINDER OF WEST
KANSAS...ARE URGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS AFTERNOON'S WEATHER
SITUATION.  SOME WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON.  THEREFORE...
MAKE A GAME PLAN NOW...DECIDING WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF A WARNING WAS
ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.

LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE
STRONGLY SUGGESTED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR SOME OF THE STORMIER AREAS.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED ROUTINELY TO HELP IN YOUR PLANNING.

RICKS

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.