Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS Topeka, KS

April 15, 1994Anderson County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 15, 1994, 12:30 AM CDT for Anderson County, Kansas. It was in force for 30 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 15, 1994, 12:30 AM CDT (05:30 UTC)
Expired
Apr 15, 1994, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Anderson County, KS

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 111 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:44 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

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 92 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 KTOP 150533
SVRTOP
KSC003-059-150600-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1230 AM CDT FRI APR 15 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  100 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...ANDERSON COUNTY...SOUTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY
 
AT 1228 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM
10 MILES SOUTH OF OTTAWA TO 20 MILES SOUTH OTTAWA OR FROM
NEAR LANE TO JUST SOUTH OF GARNETT. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO
THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 40 MPH AND WILL MOVE ACROSS GARNETT...
LANE AND GREELEY BY 1 AM CDT. PEOPLE IN THESE COMMUNITIES
SHOULD GET TO A SHELTER...PREFERABLY A BASEMENT..UNTIL THESE
STORMS PASS BY.
 
 
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.
 
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.

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, 11:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
KSZ010>012-022>026-036>040-054>056-058-059-150505-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1105 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS NORTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 1100 PM...THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM 35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HIAWATHA
BETWEEN ATCHISON AND POTTER TO 22 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOPEKA NEAR
OZAWKIE. THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR
AND WILL MOVE ACROSS WINCHESTER AND POTTER AREAS BY 1120 PM.

WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

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.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

WOYNICK
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 11:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
KSZ010>012-022>026-036>040-054>056-058-059-150525-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1125 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

AT 1115PM THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM NORTH OF LAWRENCE NEAR OSKALOOSA TO
JUST SOUTH OF TOPEKA NEAR LYNDON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST
AROUND 35 MPH. SOME PEA SIZE HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS.

AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST...LAWRENCE MAY RECEIVE SOME GUSTY WINDS
TO AROUND 45 MPH BY 1140PM.

A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS.
THE FRONT EXTENDED FROM JUST WEST OF OTTAWA. THE FRONT COULD TRIGGER
THUNDERSTORMS FROM OTTAWA TO BURLINGTON BY MIDNIGHT.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
SMALL HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUAT6ION.
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 11:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
KSZ010>012-022>026-036>040-054>056-058-059-150525-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1125 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

AT 1115PM THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS.

THE THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM NORTH OF LAWRENCE NEAR OSKALOOSA TO
JUST SOUTH OF TOPEKA NEAR LYNDON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST
AROUND 35 MPH. SOME PEA SIZE HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS.

AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST...LAWRENCE MAY RECEIVE SOME GUSTY WINDS
TO AROUND 45 MPH BY 1140PM.

A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS.
THE FRONT EXTENDED FROM JUST WEST OF OTTAWA TO WEST OF BURLINGTON.
THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP FROM OTTAWA TO BURLINGTON BY MIDNIGHT.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
SMALL HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THBIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 11:44 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
KSZ010>012-022>026-036>040-054>056-058-059-150500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1142 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

AT 1140PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MARCH OVER NORTHEAST
KANSAS. THUNDERSTORMS WERE JUST EXITING NORTHERN DOUGLAS AND EASTERN
JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHEAST OF EMPORIA AND JUST ABOUT
TO ENTER COFFEY COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE MOVING INTO
BURLINGTON BY MIDNIGHT. THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS
TO AROUND 45 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL
1AM CDT.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
SMALL HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS.
Special weather statement, Apr 14, 11:53 PM CDT, 37 minutes before
KSZALL-150600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1152 PM CDT THU APR 14 1994

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 84 HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR PART OF KANSAS.
THE WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

...NORTHEAST...
ATCHISON        DONIPHAN        JEFFERSON

...EAST CENTRAL...
CHASE           DOUGLAS         LYON            OSAGE
SHAWNEE

...SOUTHEAST...
BUTLER

THE FOLLOWING CITIES ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE TORNADO
WATCH...
ATCHISON        EL DORADO       EMPORIA         LAWRENCE
TOPEKA

KAYS
Special weather statement, Apr 15, 12:02 AM CDT, 28 minutes before
KSZ010>012-022>026-036>040-054>056-058-059-150600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
MIDNIGHT CDT FRI APR 15 1994

AT 1155PM THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EAST OVER EASTERN KANSAS. THE
STORMS STRETCHED FROM SOUTHEAST OF LAWRENCE NEAR WELLSVILLE TO
SOUTHEAST OF EMPORIA TO NEAR LEROY. THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY
WINDS TO AROUND 45 MPH AND SOME HAIL. STORMS COULD BE MOVING THROUGH
LEROY AND GARNETT BEFORE 1AM CDT.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF EASTERN AND
SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS UNTIL 1AM CDT.

STRONG GUSTY WIND...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
SMALL HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 15, 12:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPFranklin18 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.