Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 3, NWS Topeka, KS

April 20, 1994Smith County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 20, 1994, 10:40 PM CDT for Smith County, Kansas. It was in force for 36 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 1994, 10:40 PM CDT (03:40 UTC)
Expired
Apr 20, 1994, 11:16 PM CDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Smith County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 214 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1994-04-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1994-04-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 2 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
3 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-285 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2194 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KCNK 210342
SVRCNK
KSC183-210430-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1040 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CONCORDIA HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
 
   ...SMITH COUNTY
 
AT 1038 PM RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 20 MILES 5 MILES EAST
OF KENSINGTON...OR 20 MILES EAST OF PHILLIPSBURG. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE
EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
 
 
THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM.  IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH YOU SHOULD
PREPARE FOR DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD NMOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING BUT STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
 
BAKER

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 20, 6:55 PM CDT, 3 hours 45 minutes before
KSZ006>009-018>021-034-035-210045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
655 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994

...A THUNDERSTORM HAS DEVELOPED OVER NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 650 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A NEWLY DEVELOPED THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES
EAST NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG OR 5 MILES NORTH OF KENSINGTON.  MOVEMENT
WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.  PERSONS ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN PORTIONS
OF SMITH COUNTY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR DEADLY LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY
DOWNPOURS...AND POSSIBLE GUSTY WINDS WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS STORM.

PACKETT
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 7:49 PM CDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
KSZ006>009-018>021-034-035-210045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
748 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994

...LONE THUNDERSTORM MOVING NORTH OUT OF SMITH COUNTY IN NORTH
   CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 745 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LONE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF
CORA...OR 45 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG. THIS THUNDERSTORM
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY
SOME SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH DnEADLY LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH-
EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...STAY INDOORS AND REFRAIN FROM
USING SMALL ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 7:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 50 minutes before
KSZ006>009-018>021-034-035-210115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT             ...COR EXP TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
750 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994

...LONE THUNDERSTORM MOVING NORTH OUT OF SMITH COUNTY IN NORTH
   CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 745 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A LONE THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF
CORA...OR 45 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG. THIS THUNDERSTORM
HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND POS|SIBLY
SOME SMALL HAIL ALONG WITH DEADLY LIGHTNING. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE NORTH-
EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...STAY INDOORS AND REFRAIN FROM
USING SMALL ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNTIL THE STORM PASSES.

BAKER
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 9:37 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
KSZ010>012-022>026-036>040-054>056-058-059-210340-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
938 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM FOR MARSHALL...
RILEY...POTTAWATOMIE AND GEARY COUNTIES OF NORTHEAST KANSAS...

AT 936 PM CDT...NO THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS.
HOWEVER...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN NEBRASKA.
THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO THE MARYSVILLE AREA SHORTLY AFTER
11 PM.

IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY.

WOYNICK
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 9:45 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
KSZ006>009-018>021-034-035-210345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
944 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #105 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM FOR ALL OF
   NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 944 PM CDT CONCORDIA RADAR INDICATED NO THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN NORTH
CENTRAL KANSAS. HOWEVER...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURING IN NEBRASKA
FROM 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HASTINGS NE TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF LINCOLN NE.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
STORMS WITH HAIL...GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

IF STORMS DEVELOPE IN YOUR AREA MOVE TO SHELTER AWAY FROM WIN<DOWS.

TA
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 10:37 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
KSZ006>009-018>021-034-035-210445-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONCORDIA KS
1036 PM CDT WED APR 20 1994

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #105 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM FOR ALL OF
   NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

AT 1035 PM CDT CONCORDIA RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM JUST WEST
OF THE SMITH-PHILLIPS COUNTY LINE 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF KENSINGTON...OR
15 MILES NORTHEAST OF PHILLIPSBURG. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST-SOUTHEST AT
25 MPH. THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY RAIN...SMALL
HAIL AND DEADLY LIGHTNING AS IT MOVES INTO WESTERN SMITH COUNTY.

REMEMBER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
STORMS WITH HAIL...GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60F MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING.

IF STORMS DEVELOPE IN YOUR AREA MOVE TO SHELTER AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

BAKER

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.