Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 11, NWS Goodland, KS
NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at May 22, 1996, 10:41 PM CDT for Rawlins County, Kansas. It was in force for 64 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- May 22, 1996, 10:41 PM CDT (03:41 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 1996, 11:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 64 min
- Issued by
- NWS Goodland, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Rawlins County, KS
The radar
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 71 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:44 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 10:49 PM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Atwood, KS |
NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in.
The nearest sounding before it
N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 155 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1020 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -61 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 870 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 54 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 205 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 306 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 1.6
- Supercell composite
- 7.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KGLD 230342 TORGLD KSC153-230445- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 941 PM MDT (1041 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND KS HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1145 PM CDT (1045 PM MDT) FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHWEST KANSAS ...RAWLINS COUNTY AT 1040 PM CDT...A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ATWOOD MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 28 MPH. THE TORNADO IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER RURAL AREAS. GO TO A BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS. TURNER
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 22, 2:46 PM CDT, 7 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 2:46 PM CDT, 7 hours 55 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 142 PM MDT (242 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...FORECAST CHALLENGES WILL BE TEMPS/LOCATION OF PCPN... ...SENT THIS OUT EARLY...EXPECTING BUSY PERIOD SOMEWHERE/TIME SOON... HAVE NO TROUBLES WITH MODELS INTERPRETATION OF WX PATRN AT SYNOPTIC SCALE THRU 4TH. AGAIN...HI PLAINS WIL HAVE A COMPLEX PCPN PATRN OF NOCTURNAL SHRWS/TRWS AS S/W ENERGY WHIPS ARD BASE OF UPR LO THRU 4TH PD. A SERIES OF SFC LOWS SHUD DRAG ACRS A FRONTAL BNDRY THAT SLOLY SAGS COOLER AIR FROM WYO OVER THE CWA AS TIME PROGRESSES. PROBLEM HERE WIL BE TO IDENTIFY WHICH S/W PASSAGE ALOFT WIL FINALLY DRAG COOLER SFC AIR INTO AREA. IT APPRS OUTSIDE THIS FCST FOR NOW...BASED ON H85 TEMP FCSTS OF THE ETA. BUT AS TRW COMPLEX TRIES TO KICK DVLP AND KICK OUT LATER TDY...ENUF NWLY FLO CUD SEEP INTO EXTREME NWRN ZNS BY MRNG. UNTIL WE CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT UPR TROF WILL FINALLY KICK OUT OF THE ROCKIES...AGAIN OUTSIDE THE WINDOW OF THIS FCST PD. SEE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE OVER CWA AS LARGE...AND BROAD SFC TROF PATRN OVER FRONT RANGE...AS PEGGED BY THE MODELS...CONTINUES TO WRAP MOIST FLOW NWWD. EACH DAYLIGHT PD...PERIODICALLY OVER THE FORECAST PD... THE SFC TROF TILTS MORE COUNTERCLOCKWISE IN A NNW/SSE TO WNW/ESE WITH COOL AIR...CLDS AND PCPN PILING UP OVER SE WYO AND MOVG ALG THE TRF FOR SURE ON FRIDAY OVER NWRN CWA. PROBLEM IS THAT THRUOUT THIS FCST PD...LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE WIL BE DCRG AS WINDS BECOME MORE SWLY SO PCPN WIL BE MORE STRATIFORM IN NATURE. WIL GO BLO TEMP GUID ON FRIDAY FOR HIGHS FOR THICK CLOUD. EMBEDDED TRWS IN S/W ENERGY RIDING OVR THE TOP. SIGNIFICANT TO HEAVY RAINFALL PATTERN POSSIBLE...BUT AM STILL NOT SURE WHERE BEST CHCS ARE...ATTM CONSIDER YUMA CTY COLO AS A SUSPECT. GLD 55/79/52/73 3-3- HLC 60/87/57/77 3-22 CBK 57/82/53/75 3-3- MCK 55/80/53/72 3432 TRB 57/86/52/78 3-3- ITR 52/78/49/70 2-46 VOJTESAK
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 22, 8:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before
COZ090-091-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-NEZ079>081-230240- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 737 PM MDT (837 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM MDT (2 AM CDT)... THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS DUNDY AND HITCHCOCK COUNTIES OF NEBRASKA AND RAWLINS COUNTY OF KANSAS...MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS IS SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THESE AREAS UNTIL 830 PM MDT (930 PM CDT). THESE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING...KEEP UP ON THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION VIA NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA. IF STORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA...STAY INDOORS AND KEEP AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ALSO...DON'T USE ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES OR PHONES WHEN STORMS ARE IN THE AREA SINCE LIGHTNING CAN TRAVEL THROUGH THE LINES. IF A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUE FOR YOUR AREA...GO TO THE BASEMENT OR TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR HOME. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND GO TO A STORM SHELTER. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO OCCUR. MARTELLO
Special weather statement, May 22, 8:56 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
NEZ080-230230- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 754 PM MDT (854 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHERN HITCHCOCK COUNTY HAS EXPIRED... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT WAS OVER SOUTHERN HITCHCOCK COUNTY HAS WEAKENED AND OTHER THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA ARE CURRENTLY NOT SEVERE. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO OCCUR. BE READY TO MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR STORM CELLAR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA.
Special weather statement, May 22, 9:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
COZ090-091-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-NEZ079>081-230330- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 828 PM MDT (928 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM MDT (2 AM CDT)... THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHERN YUMA COUNTY OF COLORADO EXTENDING EAST-SOUTHEASTWARD INTO DUNDY...HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW COUNTIES OF NEBRASKA AS WELL AS NORTHEAST RAWLINS AND NORTHWEST DECATUR COUNTIES OF KANSAS. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN IN THESE AREAS UNTIL 930 PM MDT (10 PM CDT). THE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...VERY LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...STAY INDOORS AND KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION VIA NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL T.V. OR RADIO STATIONS. DO NOT USE PHONES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. THE KEY TO SURVIVAL IS ADVANCED PLANNING. YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE THE SAFEST AREAS OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS ARE...SUCH AS INTERIOR ROOMS ON THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE. MARTELLO
Special weather statement, May 22, 10:17 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
COZ090-091-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-NEZ079>081-230420- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 917 PM MDT (1017 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM MDT (2 AM CDT)... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW COUNTIES OF NEBRASKA AS WELL AS DECATUR COUNTY OF KANSAS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING THE STORMS OVER HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW COUNTIES WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH WHILE THE STORM OVER DECATUR COUNTY KANSAS WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION!...SO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO OCCUR. BE READY TO MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR STORM CELLAR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. MARTELLO
Special weather statement, May 22, 10:22 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
COZ091-230355- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 922 PM MDT WED MAY 22 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH FOR KIT CARSON COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED... SEVERE WEATHER IS REMAINING WELL NORTHEAST OF KIT CARSON COUNTY AND SEVERE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN EXTREME NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA SO THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR THE BURLINGTON AND BETHUNE AREAS. MARTELLO
Special weather statement, May 22, 10:31 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
COZ090-091-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-NEZ079>081-230420- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRETION TO LINE 2 & 3 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 917 PM MDT (1017 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM MDT (2 AM CDT)... SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW COUNTIES OF NEBRASKA AS WELL AS DECATUR COUNTY OF KANSAS. THE STORMS OVER HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW COUNTIES WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH WHILE THE STORM OVER DECATUR COUNTY KANSAS WAS MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THE STORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF PRODUCINGVERY LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION!...SO STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER UPDATES. REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS THAT TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS MAY ALSO OCCUR. BE READY TO MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR STORM CELLAR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED FOR YOUR AREA. MARTELLO
The office that day
Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 7:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Cheyenne | 47 min |
| May 22, 7:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Rawlins | 64 min |
| May 22, 7:57 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Rawlins | 63 min |
| May 22, 8:58 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Rawlins | 47 min |
| May 22, 9:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Decatur | 64 min |
| May 22, 9:44 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Rawlins | 61 min |
| May 22, 10:06 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Decatur | 49 min |
| May 22, 10:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Norton | 64 min |
| May 22, 10:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Decatur | 63 min |
| May 22, 11:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Sheridan | 65 min |
| May 22, 11:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Norton | 48 min |
| May 22, 11:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Norton | 60 min |
| May 22, 11:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD | Decatur | 51 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1996Every tornado warning in 1996Tornadoes in 1996
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.