Alert archive / Kansas / Flash Flood Warnings in 1997

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Goodland, KS

September 15, 1997Graham County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this flash flood warning at Sep 15, 1997, 12:31 AM CDT for Graham County, Kansas. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 15, 1997, 12:31 AM CDT (05:31 UTC)
Expired
Sep 15, 1997, 3:30 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Graham County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 176 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 1997-09-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1285 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 1997-09-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 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
1285 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-44 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1644 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
227 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
8.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGLD 150531
FFWGLD
KSC065-150830-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1131 PM MDT (1231 AM CDT) SUN SEP 14 1997

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR
  SOUTHWESTERN GRAHAM COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN KANSAS

* UNTIL 330 AM CDT
 
* SOME STREAMS AFFECTED
  TRIBUTARIES OF THE SOUTH FORK SOLOMON RIVER
  TRIBUTARIES OF THE SALINE RIVER

* CAUSE AND EFFECT
  WATER IS COVERING ROADS NORTH OF ST PETER AND SPOTTERS IN MORLAND
  AND PENOKEE ARE ESTIMATING 2 TO 2.25 INCHES OF RAIN AN HOUR IS
  FALLING.  GOODLAND RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES OF 2.5 TO 3 INCHES ARE
  NOTED OVER THE AREA.

DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD!

ENTWISTLE
 

&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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 flash flood warning went out at Sep 14, 3:08 PM CDT, 9 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 3:08 PM CDT, 9 hours 23 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
208 PM MDT (308 PM CDT) SUN SEP 14 1997

...FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE POSITION OF LEE TROUGH THROUGH FIRST
THREE PERIODS...THEN TIMING OF FROPA TUESDAY...

ETA/AVN CLOSE ON INITIALIZATION THIS MORNING AND WITH 18 UTC SURFACE
PRESSURE VERIFICATION...SO WILL LEAN TOWARD THEM EARLY IN THE
PACKAGE.  ETA HAD VERY GOOD VORT FIELD VERIFICATION USING WIND
PROFILERS AND WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...SO WILL LEAN TO IT IN THE OUT
PERIODS.

LEE TROUGH TO MOVE EAST INTO KANSAS...POSSIBLY REACHING A COLBY TO
LEOTI LINE BY 12 UTC MONDAY...THEN WASH OUT AS NEW TROUGH RAPIDLY
INTENSIFIES OVER COLORADO PLAINS IN RESPONSE TO APPROACHING
SHORTWAVE. SHORTWAVE.

THIS SHORTWAVE INFLUENCES THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY MORNING...
AND PACIFIC FRONT BEGINS TO PUSH INTO AREA.  BUT MOISTURE IS LIMITED
AT MID LEVELS OF ATMOSPHERE...PER TIME/HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS...AND
GUIDANCE POPS...THEREFORE... APPEAR REASONABLE.

TUESDAY...FROPA...BUT JUST WHERE IS THE QUESTION.  AVN PUSHES
FRONT WELL BY CWA BY TUESDAY MORNING...WHEREAS ETA HAS IT LYING ON A
GOODLAND TO ELKHART LINE BY TUESDAY MORNING.  WILL LEAN MORE TOWARD
ETA SOLUTION SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSISTENT WITH
ITS UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS.  AVN UPPER DYNAMICS SIMILAR TO ETA BY 48
HOURS...AND SUGGESTS WITH SHORTWAVE LIFTING NORTHEAST THAT FRONT
SHOULD STALL EITHER NEAR OR OVER EAST AND SOUTH PARTS OF CWA.  WITH
WEAK UPSLOPE AND LOWERING HEIGHTS...WILL AIM ABOVE GUIDANCE...
ESPECIALLY SINCE MOISTURE WILL STILL BE AROUND FOR ISENTROPIC
LIFTING MECHANISMS TO WORK WITH.

TEMP FORECASTS ARE SIMILAR AMONG THE THREE MODELS THROUGH FIRST TWO
PERIODS...AND WILL STAY NEAR GUIDANCE EXCEPT WHERE TROUGH AXIS
CROSSES CWA DURING EARLY MORNING.  THOSE SPOTS WILL GET FORECASTS
ONE CATEGORY LOWER THAN GUIDANCE DUE TO A PERIOD OF LIGHT WIND AND
CLEAR SKIES ALLOWING FOR RADIATIONAL COOLING AND DRYING.

MONDAY NIGHT...ABOUT A CATEGORY ABOVE TONIGHT DUE TO STRONGER
PRESSURE GRADIENT AND INCREASED CLOUDS.

TUESDAY...ABOUT A CATEGORY COOLER THAN MONDAY DUE TO CLOUDS.  COOLER
AIR BEHIND PACIFIC FRONT WILL NOT REALLY PUSH IN UNTIL TUESDAY
NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

.GLD...NONE.

ENTWISTLE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 14, 8:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...ADDED NEW REPORTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
652 PM MST SUN SEP 14 1997

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

0422 PM    ST FRANCIS                KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   CHEYENNE

0425 PM    ST FRANCIS                KS   1 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   CHEYENNE                       REPORTED AT THE POWER
                                          PLANT

0544 PM    2 NW MC COOK              NE   70 MPH TSTM GUST
09/14/97   RED WILLOW                     REPORTED BY MC COOK POLICE

0552 PM    2 SW ATWOOD               KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   RAWLINS                        VIA KSN

0554 PM    1 N MC COOK               NE   70 MPH TSTM GUST
09/14/97   RED WILLOW                     REPORTED BY SHERIFFS OFFICE

0604 PM    2 SW ATWOOD               KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   RAWLINS                        STRONG WINDS KNOCKED DOWN
                                          TREE TOPS. REPORTED BY
                                          PUBLIC.
Local storm report, Sep 14, 9:42 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...ADDED NEW REPORTS...TIMES NOW MDT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
842 PM MDT SUN SEP 14 1997

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

0522 PM    ST FRANCIS                KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   CHEYENNE

0525 PM    ST FRANCIS                KS   1 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   CHEYENNE                       REPORTED AT THE POWER
                                          PLANT

0644 PM    2 NW MC COOK              NE   70 MPH TSTM GUST
09/14/97   RED WILLOW                     REPORTED BY MC COOK POLICE

0652 PM    2 SW ATWOOD               KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   RAWLINS                        VIA KSN

0654 PM    1 N MC COOK               NE   70 MPH TSTM GUST
09/14/97   RED WILLOW                     REPORTED BY SHERIFFS OFFICE

0704 PM    2 SW ATWOOD               KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   RAWLINS                        STRONG WINDS KNOCKED DOWN
                                          TREE TOPS. REPORTED BY
                                          PUBLIC.

0801 PM    OBERLIN MUNI AIRPORT      KS   60 MPH TSTM WIND
09/14/97   DECATUR                        SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORT

0816 PM    14 SW OBERLIN             KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   DECATUR

0838 PM    COLBY                     KS   1.00 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   THOMAS                         FROM RADIO CLUB

ENTWISTLE
Local storm report, Sep 14, 10:21 PM CDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
921 PM MDT SUN SEP 14 1997

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

0858 PM    11 S OBERLIN              KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   DECATUR

0906 PM    8 SW DRESDEN              KS   .75 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   DECATUR                        HWY 9 AT MILEPOST 7

ENTWISTLE
Local storm report, Sep 14, 11:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
1017 PM MDT SUN SEP 14 1997

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

1012 PM    STUDLEY                   KS   60 MPH TSTM WIND
09/14/97   SHERIDAN                       SHERIFFS SPOTTER REPORT

ENTWISTLE
Local storm report, Sep 14, 11:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
1017 PM MDT SUN SEP 14 1997

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

1012 PM    STUDLEY                   KS   60 MPH TSTM WIND
09/14/97   SHERIDAN                       SHERIFFS SPOTTER REPORT

ENTWISTLE
Local storm report, Sep 15, 12:07 AM CDT, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
1107 PM MDT SUN SEP 14 1997

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

1020 PM    9 W HILL CITY             KS   1.00 INCH HAIL
09/14/97   GRAHAM                         ALSO HEAVY RAIN AND 45 MPH
                                          WIND

1034 PM    MORLAND                   KS   65 MPH TSTM WIND
09/14/97   GRAHAM                         ALSO .75 INCH HAIL

ENTWISTLE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Goodland, KS issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 14, 7:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDCheyenne49 min
Sep 14, 8:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDRawlins60 min
Sep 14, 8:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDThomas48 min
Sep 14, 8:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDDecatur64 min
Sep 14, 8:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDSheridan, Thomas36 min
Sep 14, 9:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDThomas61 min
Sep 14, 9:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDDecatur65 min
Sep 14, 10:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDRawlins49 min
Sep 14, 10:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDGraham, Sheridan47 min
Sep 14, 11:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDRawlins65 min
Sep 14, 11:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDGraham47 min
Sep 15, 12:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDRawlins48 min
Sep 15, 12:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDGraham61 min
Sep 15, 12:35 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningGLDRawlins6 hr
Sep 15, 3:45 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningGLDGraham3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Kansas, 1997Every flash flood 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.