Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Wichita, KS

April 15, 1994Allen County, Wilson County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 15, 1994, 12:13 AM CDT for Allen County, Wilson County, Kansas. It was in force for 62 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 1994, 12:13 AM CDT (05:13 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 1994, 1:15 AM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Allen County, KS, Wilson County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 5.2 hours before the alert went out and 142 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 1994-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2441 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 00:00Z on 1994-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 127 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
2441 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-36 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1451 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
127 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
247 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.4
Supercell composite
13.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KICT 150515
SVRICT
KSC001-205-150615-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1213 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  115 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS
 
   ...WILSON COUNTY AND ALLEN COUNTY
 
AT 1213 AM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS NOTED NORTHWEST OF
COYVILLE...OR 20 MILES WEST OF CHANUTE TO PETROLIA...OR 10 MILES NORTH
OF CHANUTE.
 
THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
 
PEOPLE IN THE TOWNS OF FREDONIA...HUMBOLDT...IOLA..AND PETROLIA ARE IN
THE PATH OF THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOULD MOVE TO THEIR STORM
SHELTERS AT ONCE TO PROTECT AGINST LARGE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60
MILES AN HOUR.
 
A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
 
HYSELL

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, Apr 14, 6:59 PM CDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before
KSZ052-053-068-069-070-071-072-083-092-093-094-095-096-098-099-
150300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
658 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #84 HAS BEEN POSTED FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 100 AM...

ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS ARE
RIPE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS EVENING.  WHEN THESE
STORMS FIRE...THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND EVEN TORNADOES.  SO AS A RESULT...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS:
MARION...CHASE...COWLEY...HARVEY...SEDGWICK...AND SUMNER...

IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS THE TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE COUNTIES:
ALLEN...CHAUTAUQUA...ELK...GREENWOOD...MONTGOMERY...NEOSHO...WILSON...
AND WOODSON.

THOSE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND TAKE IMMEDIATE
SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS OBSERVED.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AND LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE READY FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION PRIOR TO 800 PM
IN HARVEY...MARION...SEDGWICK AND SUMNER COUNTIES...AND LATER THIS
EVENING...FOR THE REST OF THE WATCH AREA.

HYSELL
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 8:39 PM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before
KSZ071-072-150245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
838 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...A THUNDERSTORM HAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 835 PM CDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A FAST DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM 7
MILES NORTHWEST OF CHANUTE...OR JUST EAST OF ROSE.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL LIKELY PRODUCE PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...GUSTY
WINDS...AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS.

THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR AND PEOPLE IN
IOLA AND HUMBOLDT ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM AND SHOULD MOVE INDOORS
UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

*TORNADO WATCH #84 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL
100 AM CDT*

HYSELL

@
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 9:55 PM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
KSZ052-053-068-069-070-071-072-083-092-093-094-095-096-098-099-
150400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
954 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #84 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR MARION...HARVEY...AND
SEDGWICK COUNTIES...

THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER HAS MOVED EAST AND SOUTH OF THE NEWTON AND
WICHITA AREAS...SO AS A RESULT TORANDO WATCH #84 WHICH COVERED
SEDGWICK...HARVEY AND MARION COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THE WATCH DOES CONTINUE FOR SUMNER...BUTLER...CHASE...AND COWLEY
COUNTIES IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS ALONG WITH MUCH OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS
UNTIL 100 AM CDT.

HYSELL
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 10:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 33 minutes before
KSZ053-069-070-072-092-093-094-095-096-098-099-150445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1039 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...TORNADO WATCH #84 CONTINUES FOR PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND MUCH OF
SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 100 AM CDT...

AT 1030 PM CDT...NO PRECIPIATION WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL OR SOUTHEAST KANSAS. HOWEVER...CONDITIONS STILL REMAIN
FAVORABLE FOR RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...ESPECIALLY EAST OF A EL
DORADO TO CALDWELL LINE.

WHEN THE STORMS DEVELOP...THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND EVEN TORNADOES.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR NOAA WEATHER
RADIO AS WELL AS LOCAL TELEVIShION AND RADIO STATIONS TO KEEP ABREAST
ON THE LATEST WEATHER SITUATION.

HYSELL
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 11:19 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
KSZ069-070-071-093-095-150515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1117 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY FORMING ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 1115 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF RAPIDLY DEVELOPING
THUNDERSTORMS...FROM 30 MILES SOUTH OF EMPORIA...TO 20 MILES SOUTHEAST
OF EL DORADO.

PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITIES OF SEVERY AND FALL RIVER ARE IN THE PATH OF
THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE QUICKLY TO THE EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS LIKELY WILL PRODUCE PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...GUSTY
WINDS...ALONG WITH DEADLY LIGHTNING.

*A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND MUCH OF
SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL 100 AM CDT.*

HYSELL
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 11:36 PM CDT, 37 minutes before
KSZ093-094-098-150530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1135 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS...

AT 1135 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED RAPIDLY
DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS OVER COWLEY COUNTY... FROM NEAR
ATLANTA... OR 25 MILES SOUTH OF ELDORADO... TO ARKANSAS CITY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES
AN HOUR... AND WILL BE PASSING ACROSS THE COMMUNITIES OF
CAMBRIDGE BY 1145 PM... AND CLOVERDALE AND GRENOLA BY 1155 PM.

IF YOU LIVE IN THE COMMUNITIES OF BURDEN... HOOSER... GRENOLA...
OR CEDAR VALE... BE READY TO MOVE TO SHELTER IF THREATENING
WEATHER IS OBSEfRVED OR A WARNING ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.

*TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 84 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM FOR PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS.

CAMPBELL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 8:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTAllen44 min
Apr 14, 11:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTGreenwood, Woodson60 min
Apr 14, 11:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTElk67 min
Apr 14, 11:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTCowley47 min
Apr 15, 12:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChautauqua65 min
Apr 15, 1:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBourbon, Crawford18 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.