Alert archive / Missouri / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 29, NWS Kansas City, MO

May 2, 1997Worth County, Missouri

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 1997, 5:34 PM CDT for Worth County, Missouri. It was in force for 41 min. 2 reports 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 2, 1997, 5:34 PM CDT (22:34 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 1997, 6:15 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Whole counties

County Worth County, MO

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 151 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:33 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 2, 5:34 PM CDTHail 1.75Grant City, MOWorth County Sheriff office reported golfball-size hail which covered the ground 2 inches deep a mile west of Grant City.
May 2, 5:45 PM CDTHail 1Allendale, MOSevere thunderstorms dropped one inch hail in Allendale extending a mile to the east. Two miles west of Allendale the hail completely covered the ground.

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

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 189 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1997-05-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1997-05-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 181 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
500 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
196 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 KMCI 022233 RRA
SVRMCI
MOC227-022315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PLEASANT HILL/KANSAS CITY MO
534 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
    WORTH COUNTY - NORTHWEST MISSOURI
 
* UNTIL 615 PM CDT

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
    OXFORD AT 533 PM
    WORTH BY 540 PM
    GRANT CITY BY 545 PM
    DENVER BY 550 PM
    ALLENDALE 555 PM

* AT 533 PM WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRANT CITY NEAR OXFORD
  MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM CAN EXPECT HAIL AROUND ONE-INCH
IN DIAMETER.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING.
 
WELVAERT

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.

NWS Kansas City, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 2, 2:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 2:52 PM CDT, 2 hours 42 minutes before
NORTHWEST MISSOURI FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PLEASANT HILL/KANSAS CITY MO
252 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997

UPR LOW SPINNING ALNG KS/NE BRDR WITH SFC LOW VCNTY 3OI.  CDFNT
TRAILING SWD TO WC/SW MO.  UPR SYS TO MOVE ACRS AREA TONITE WITH
CDFNT EXITING AREA EARLY EVE.  WRAP ARND PCPN THE CONCERN TONITE
WITH TEMPS THE PROBLEM FOR REMAINDER OF FCST.

DRY SLOT HAS WRAPPED IN BEHIND CDFNT WITH SUN BREAKING OUT.  THIS
ACTING TO DESTABLIZE AMS SOMEWHAT FOR CU SCTD SHRA ACTIVITY. TEMPS
HAVE REALLY SHOT UP WITH EARLY MAY SUN.  BUT...STILL DONT EXPECT THIS
TO BE TOO WIDESPREAD THIS EVE DESPITE VRY LOW LI/HIGH TT PARAMETERS.
STILL...SHOULD BE DECENT WRAP ARND PCPN TONITE MOST AREAS AND WILL
HANG ON TO POPS.  COLD POOL ALFT WILL ALLOW FOR RATHER STEEP LAPSE
RATES AND LOW TOP CONVECTION CANT BE RULED OUT.  WILL MAKE DESISION
AT LAST MINUTE WHETHER TO INCLUDE THUNDER IN ZONES.  OTHER CONCERN
IS POTENTIAL THAT SOME -SN COULD BE MIXED IN OVR NRN ZONES.  STNG
CAA EVIDENT AND LLVL THICKNESS SEEMS TO SUGGEST THIS IS PSBL.  COORD
DSM/OMA AND AGREE THAT CLDS WILL LIKELY LIMIT SFC TEMP DROP...AND
AS SUCH WILL LEAVE MENTION OF THE S WORD OUT.  AFTER ALL...IT IS MAY
(I THINK).  STILL...WITH COLD TEMPS/THKNS THINK PLENTY OF SMALL HAIL
OR EVEN SLEET WILL BE PSBL WITH ANY TSRA TONITE...ESP ACRS NW MO.
WILL PASS ON CONCERNS TO EVE SHIFT.

CAA CONTS IN FORCE DURG DAY SAT AND SOME LLVL RH HANGING ARND...
ESP EARLY IN DAY.  THUS THINK THERE WILL BE A GOOD DEAL OF WRAP ARND
SC ARND...AND EVEN CU DVLPT BEHIND.  THIS WILL KEEP DAY QUITE CHILLY
FOR EARLY MAY...AND SETS STAGE FOR EVEN CHILLYER NIGHT.  SFC RIDGE
PROGGD PASS OVRHEAD...AND WITH LGT WNDS/CLR SKIES THERE IS GREAT SETUP
FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING.  THINK MDLS BANKING ON CLIMO TOO MUCH AND WILL
GO BLO GUID.  GETTING CLOSE TO RECORD LOWS.  FROST A DEFINATE
POSSIBILITY AS WELL AND LATER SHIFTS WILL NEED TO MONITOR THIS TOO.
CANT BELIEVE ALL OF THIS IN MAY

FINALLY SOME RELIEF FOR SUNDAY AS WE GET ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE HIGH
AND WAA BEGINS.  BEST SW FLOW DOESNT QUITE GET HERE AND THINK FWC
GUID A BIT OPTIMISTIC.  WILL SHADE TO THE LWR FAN.

MCI BB 040/056 038/068 050 995-0

WELVAERT

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 1:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before
KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040-
043>046-053-054-031200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PLEASANT HILL/KANSAS CITY MO
100 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE EASTERN
HALF OF THE OUTLOOK AREA...

FORECAST:  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A
PASSING COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON.  THE FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM BETHANY
TO KANSAS CITY AT 1 PM...AND WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY SUNSET.
THERE REMAINS A CHANCE THAT A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE
WITH LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS THE PRIMARY THREAT.  AREAS EAST OF
A LINE FROM PRINCETON TO RICHMOND TO PAOLA ARE IN THE THREAT AREA...
WHILE POINTS WEST OF THAT LINE SHOULD BE OUT OF IT.  EMERGENCY
MANAGERS...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS...AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION.

BY TONIGHT...ANOTHER BATCH OF RAIN AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS IS
EXPECTED TO CROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA AS AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM
PASSES OVERHEAD.  DUE TO THE COOLER AIR THAT WILL BE PUSHING INTO THE
REGION...SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL.

DISCUSSION:  AN UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM WAS LOCATED OVER NORTHERN
KANSAS AND WILL MOVE ACROSS MISSOURI AND INTO THE ILLINOIS BY LATE
TONIGHT.  LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHWEST TIP OF MISSOURI WILL MOVE
ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE AND INTO ILLINOIS BY TONIGHT.
A COLD FRONT TRAILING FROM THIS LOW ACROSS MISSOURI AND INTO ARKANSAS
WILL FOCUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...WITH
SUFFICIENT MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY TO PRODUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF
SEVERE STORMS.  THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE SOUTH OF THE AREA HOWEVER.
THE PASSING UPPER SYSTEM WILL ALSO PROVIDE ENOUGH LIFT FOR ADDITIONAL
SHOWERS AND A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA AGAIN TONIGHT.

WELVAERT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Kansas City, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 6:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXLivingston31 min
May 2, 6:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXHarrison, Mercer40 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Missouri, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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.