Alert archive / Missouri / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 32, NWS Kansas City, MO

May 2, 1997Mercer County, Putnam County, Missouri

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 1997, 7:38 PM CDT for Mercer County, Putnam County, Missouri. It was in force for 52 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 2, 1997, 7:38 PM CDT (00:38 UTC)
Expired
May 2, 1997, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Whole counties

Counties Mercer County, MO, Putnam County, MO

The radar

The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:37 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, 7:55 PM CDTHail 1.25Powersville, MOA Putnam County resident reported half dollar -size hail 2 miles southwest of Powersville. The county sheriff office reported nickel-size hail coverering the ground at Lake Thunderhead.

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

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 258 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 1997-05-03Temperature 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1997-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1444 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
8 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
1 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-17 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 030038 RRA
SVRMCI
MOC129-171-030130-

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

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
    NORTHEASTERN MERCER COUNTY - NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI
    PUTNAM COUNTY - NORTH CENTRAL MISSOURI
 
* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
  CLEOPATRA BY 745 PM
  POWERSVILLE BY 750 PM
  NORTH OF UNIONVILLE BY 820 PM

* AT 737 PM WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES EAST OF MERCER MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
  NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL HAVE BEEN RECIEVED
  WITH THIS STORM

PEOPLE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM CAN EXPECT HAIL UP TO PING PONG
BALL SIZE...OR 1.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER.

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR OTHER
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY.

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, 4 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 2:52 PM CDT, 4 hours 46 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

Local storm report, May 2, 7:22 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PLEASANT HILL/KANSAS CITY MISSOURI
1114 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

534 PM     1 W OF GRANT CITY        MO    0.75 INCH HAIL
5/2/97     WORTH                          REPORTED BY SHERIFF

539 PM     1 W OF GRANT CITY        MO    1.75 INCH HAIL
5/2/97     WORTH                          SHERIFF REPORTED HAIL
                                          2 INCHES DEEP

655 PM     2 SE CHULA               MO    0.75 INCH HAIL
5/2/97     LIVINGSTON                     REPORTED BY SHERIFF

653 PM     4 NE OF BLYTTHEDALE      MO    0.75 INCH HAIL
5/2/97     HARRISON                       REPORTED BY SHERIFF

655 PM     3 SE OF ANDOVER          MO    1.00 INCH HAIL
5/2/97     HARRISON                       REPORTED BY PUBLIC

x705 PM     SALINE                   MO    1.00 INCH HAIL
5/2/97     MERCER                         REPORTED BY PUBLIC

JULY
Local storm report, May 2, 7:22 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PLEASANT HILL/KANSAS CITY MISSOURI
722 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 1997

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

534 PM     1 W OF GRANT CITY        MO   DIME-SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY
5/2/97     WORTH                          SHERIFFS OFFICE

539 PM     1 W OF GRANT CITY        MO   SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED
5/2/97     WORTH                           GOLFBALL-SIZE HAIL AND HAIL
                                           COVERING GROUND 2 INCHES
                                           DEEP

655 PM     2 SE CHULA               MO    SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED
5/2/97     LIVINGSTON                      DIME-SIZE HAIL

653 PM     4 NE OF BLYTTHEDALE      MO    PUBLIC REPORTED DIME-SIZE HAIL
5/2/97     HARRISON

655 PM     3 SE OF ANDOVER          MO    PUBLIC REPORTED QUARTER-SIZE
5/2/97     HARRISON                        HAIL

705 PM     SALINE                   MO    PUBLIC REPORTED ONE INCH HAIL
5/2/97     MERCER

BODNER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 2, 9:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXSchuyler34 min
May 2, 9:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXMacon23 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.