Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1996
Tornado Warning 2, NWS Goodland, KS
NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at May 22, 1996, 7:33 PM CDT for Cheyenne County, Kansas. It was in force for 47 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, 7:33 PM CDT (00:33 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 1996, 8:20 PM CDT
- In force
- 47 min
- Issued by
- NWS Goodland, KS
- Area
- Whole counties
County Cheyenne County, KS
The radar
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:34 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, 8:05 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 50 | Bird City, 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
Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 128 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
- 173 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -30 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 3436 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 63 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -21 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 36 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KGLD 230034 TORGLD KSC023-230120- BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 633 PM MDT (733 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND KS HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 820 PM CDT (720 PM MDT) FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION... IN NORTHWEST KANSAS ...NORTHEASTERN CHEYENNE COUNTY KANSAS AT 732 PM CDT...A POSSIBLE TORNADO WAS INDICATED BY GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BENKELMAN MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THE TORNADO IS CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER RURAL AREAS. IF YOU ARE IN A MULTIPLE STORY BUILDING, GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ENTWISTLE
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, 4 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 2:46 PM CDT, 4 hours 47 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, 3:57 PM CDT, 3 hours 36 minutes before
COZ090-NEZ079-080-230255- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 256 PM MDT (356 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST COLORADO AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT (10 PM CDT) FOR NORTHEAST COLORADO AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...THE WATCH INCLUDES NORTHERN YUMA COUNTY... MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34. SOME CITIES IN THIS AREA INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE YUMA AND WRAY. IN SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...THE WATCH INCLUDES DUNDY AND HITCHCOCK COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF BENKELMAN...STRATTON...AND TRENTON. WARM MOIST AIR IS SURGING NORTHWARD AHEAD OF AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER EASTERN COLORADO. THIS...IN COMBINATION WITH FAVORABLE WIND SHEAR...HAS CREATED UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS OVER THE REGION. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A THUNDERSTORM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...SEEK SHELTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LASTEST ZINFORMATION ON DEVELOPING STORMS. STAVISH
Special weather statement, May 22, 4:27 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes before
COZ090-NEZ079-080-230255- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 256 PM MDT (356 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST COLORADO AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA... THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM MDT (10 PM CDT) FOR NORTHEAST COLORADO AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...THE WATCH INCLUDES NORTHERN YUMA COUNTY... MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 34. SOME CITIES IN THIS AREA INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE YUMA AND WRAY. IN SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...THE WATCH INCLUDES DUNDY AND HITCHCOCK COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF BENKELMAN...STRATTON...AND TRENTON. WARM MOIST AIR IS SURGING NORTHWARD AHEAD OF AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER EASTERN COLORADO. THIS...IN COMBINATION WITH FAVORABLE WIND SHEAR...HAS CREATED UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS OVER THE REGION. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A THUNDERSTORM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...SEEK SHELTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LASTEST INF"ORMATION ON DEVELOPING STORMS. STAVISH
Special weather statement, May 22, 5:10 PM CDT, 2 hours 23 minutes before
COZ090-NEZ079-080-222315- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 410 PM MDT (510 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR DUNDY...HITCHCOCK...AND NORTHERN YUMA COUNTY CONTINUES UNTIL 9 PM MDT (10 PM CDT)... AT 405 PM MDT (505 PM CDT) THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN YUMA COUNTY IN COLORADO. THREE STORMS WERE DETECTED BY GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR OVER. THE STRONGEST WAS 12 MILES NORTH OF WRAY WHILE THE OTHER TWO WERE ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF YUMA AND 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF YUMA. ALL THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 17 MPH. 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. ENTWISTLE
Special weather statement, May 22, 6:06 PM CDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
COZ090-NEZ079-080-230010- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 505 PM MDT (605 PM CDT) WED MAY 22 1996 ...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHERN YUMA AND ALL OF DUNDY AND HITCHCOCK COUNTIES CONTINUES UNTIL 9 PM MDT (10 PM CDT)... THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF YUMA COUNTY INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST DUNDY COUNTY... MOVING JUST NORTH OF EAST AT 20 MPH. THESE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN IN THIS AREA THROUGH 6 PM MDT (7 PM CDT). IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING... CHECK THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION AND KEEP A WEATHER EYE ON THE SKY. 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. ENTWISTLE
The office that day
Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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, 10:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | GLD | Rawlins | 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.