Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 261, NWS Goodland, KS

October 12, 1997Sherman County, Thomas County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Oct 12, 1997, 3:50 AM MDT for Sherman County, Thomas County, Kansas. It was in force for 35 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Oct 12, 1997, 3:50 AM MDT (09:50 UTC)
Expired
Oct 12, 1997, 4:25 AM MDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Sherman County, KS, Thomas County, KS

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 27 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:50 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Oct 11, 11:00 PM MDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Denver, CO (KDNR), launched 00:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 168 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, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 1997-10-12Temperature 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 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Denver, CO at 00:00Z on 1997-10-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 120 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
2617 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
120 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
68 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 KGLD 120948 RRA
SVRGLD
KSC181-193-121025-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
350 AM MDT (450 AM CDT) SUN OCT 12 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
  SOUTHEASTERN SHERMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN KANSAS
  WESTERN THOMAS COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN KANSAS

* UNTIL 425 AM MDT (525 AM CDT)
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
  8 MILES SOUTH OF BREWSTER               AROUND 455 AM CDT
  BREWSTER                                AROUND 500 AM CDT
  LEVANT                                  AROUND 510 AM CDT
  9 MILES NORTH OF BREWSTER               AROUND 510 AM CDT

* AT 349 AM MDT (449 AM CDT)...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 17 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GOODLAND OR 12 MILES
  SOUTH OF BREWSTER MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS! A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE TORNADOES.

TURNER

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Oct 12, 2:43 AM MDT, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 12, 2:43 AM MDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...AMENDED TO ADDRESS PCPN STATE TON
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
243 AM MDT (343 AM CDT) SUN OCT 12 1997

...MANY FORECAST PROBLEMS THROUGH THE PERIOD...

BASED ON CURRENT RADAR...SATL...AND SFC ANAL...WL PREFER THE ETA
OVERALL...BUT WL SPEED IT UP JUST A TAD. GOOD DISCUSSIONS IN PMDSPD
AND QPF...GOT A LOT OF GOOD INFO FROM IT...BIG THANK YOU.

TO ALL WHO GET GLD OPU...MAY AJDUST PCPN FCST IN WRN ZONES SLIGHTLY
BASED ON LAST MINUTE RADAR. CURRENTLY HAVE A TOR WATCH FOR MOST
OF CWA...AND GROUPING WL LIKELY CHANGE BASED ON WHERE WATCH IS
STILL UP. LATEST SFC ANAL SHOWS FRONT MOVING INTO WRN PTN OF CWA
ATTM. SATL AND GLD WSR-88D SHOWG PCPN COVER MOST OF CWA WITH ECHOES
TRANING IN FROM THE SW.

SATL AND PLAN PROFILER WNDS/VORTICITY SHOW ENERGY STILL A FAIR
DISTANCE TO SW AND W WITH MAIN UPR LOW NEAR FOUR CORNERS AREA. MORE
ENERGY COMG DOWN BACKSIDE OF TROF AS SEEN ON SATL AS WELL. WILL ALSO
GET STRONG CAA ALOFT WITH HIGH LAPSE RATES SEEN IN THE 700 TO 500 MB
LAYER. ALSO 700 TO 500 LOW TRACK APPEARS TO BE JUST TO S AND E OF
GLD.

BASED ON ALL THAT...WL GO VERY CLOSE TO 100 PERCENT ALL AREAS WITH
SOME DECREASE SEEN IN THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON. LOOK TO GET SOME QG
FORCG/FRONTOGENETIC FORCG TONIGHT BUT WITH LESS MSTR THAN DURG THE
DAY. WL ALSO HAVE NOSE OF JET ARND EARLY AS WELL...SO WL KEEP SMALL
POPS FOR AT LEAST THE EVENING HOURS. HWVR...BY THE TIME THE COLD AIR
ARRIVES TO CHANGE THINGS OVR...THE MSTR HAS LEFT...SO WL ONLY HAVE
RAIN IN THE PACKAGE.

WL BE GOING WITH HIGH WND WARNING FOR TDY WITH SUCH STRONG CAA BEHIND
FRONT AND VERY STRONG WNDS AHEAD OF FRONT. MODELS OFTEN UNDERO CAA
AND NW WNDS IN THIS SCENARION. WL LIKELY NEED ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT TON
WITH WNDS CONTINUING BUT WL LEAVE THAT TO LATER SHIFTS. WL BE WNDY
AGAIN ON MON. BLV NGM MOS IS TOO WARM ESP WEST TODAY. WL GO BLO
THERE AND CLOSE TO IN THE EAST...AND AM NOT SURE WHAT SIDE OF MOS WL
GO ON...AND WL LATE FOR LATEST OBS.

WINDS AND CLDS TO KEEP TEMPS TONIGHT FROM BOTTOMING OUT. WL NOT PUT
OUT ANYTHING FOR THE COLD TEMPS TONIGHT...BUT WL HAVE DAY SHIFT TAKE
A LOOK AT IT. UNLESS I SEE SOMETHING MORE...I WILL PROBABLY GO CLOSE
TO MOS GUIDANCE IN WEST TONIGHT AND BLO IN THE EAST. THINK NGM MAY
BE WARMING UP THINGS A LTL MUCH ON MON. LOOK TO HAVE CLDS ARND PLUS
MOIST...PSBLY FROST COVERED GRND. SO WL TEND TO GO BLO MOS FOR MAXES
ON MON...ESPECIALLY ERN AREAS.

.GLD...HIGH WND WARNING TODAY FOR ALL ZONES.

BULLER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 11, 11:00 PM MDT, 4 hours 50 minutes before
COZ090>092-KSZ001>003-013>015-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-121105-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1101 PM MDT (1201 AM CDT) SAT OCT 11 1997

...TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...EXTREME
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...AND MUCH OF NORTHWEST KANSAS UNTIL 5 AM MDT (6
AM CDT)...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR EAST
CENTRAL COLORADO...EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...AND MUCH OF
NORTHWEST KANSAS UNTIL 5 AM MDT (6 AM CDT).

COLORADO COUNTIES COVERED IN THE WATCH...CHEYENNE...KIT CARSON...AND
SOUTHERN YUMA.

NEBRASKA COUNTIES IN THE WATCH...DUNDY...HITCHCOCK...AND RED WILLOW

COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST KANSAS THAT ARE IN THE WATCH...
CHEYENNE...RAWLINS...DECATUR...SHERMAN...THOMAS...SHERIDAN...WALLACE
...LOGAN...GOVE...GREELEY...AND WICHITA.

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION
THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING ISOLATED TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF
60 MPH...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DO NOT USE TELEPHONES OR
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM HAS
PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED...CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO RELAY YOUR INFORMATION TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

BULLER
Special weather statement, Oct 12, 3:06 AM MDT, 44 minutes before
COZ090>092-121015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
308 AM MDT SUN OCT 12 1997

...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR EASTERN COLORADO HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 305 AM MDT...SURFACE OBSERVATIONS ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO
INDICATE THAT THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE REGION HAS STABILIZED.
ALTHOUGH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER YUMA...KIT
CARSON...AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES IN EASTERN COLORADO...IT IS UNLIKELY
THAT ANY WILL BECOME SEVERE.

THEREFORE THE TORNADO WATCH FOR EASTERN COLORADO HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT ISSUED CONCERNING THIS WEATHER
EVENT. HOWEVER...YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR CONDITIONS AND LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF
REDEVELOPMENT OCCURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION
OR CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

GONSOWSKI
Special weather statement, Oct 12, 3:08 AM MDT, 42 minutes before
COZ090>092-121015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
308 AM MDT SUN OCT 12 1997

...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR EASTERN COLORADO HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 305 AM MDT...SURFACE OBSERVATIONS ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO
INDICATE THAT THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE REGION HAS STABILIZED.
ALTHOUGH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE OVER YUMA...KIT
CARSON...AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES IN EASTERN COLORADO...IT IS UNLIKELY
THAT ANY WILL BECOME SEVERE.

THEREFORE THE TORNADO WATCH FOR EASTERN COLORADO HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT ISSUED CONCERNING THIS WEATHER
EVENT. HOWEVER...YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR CONDITIONS AND LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF
REDEVELOPMENT OCCURS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TV STATION
OR CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

GONSOWSKI
Special weather statement, Oct 12, 3:37 AM MDT, 13 minutes before
NEZ079>081-121045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
339 AM MDT (439 AM CDT) SUN OCT 12 1997

...THE TORNADO WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA HAS BEEN
   CANCELLED...

AT 338 AM MDT (438 AM CDT)...THE ATMOSPHERE OVER SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA
HAS BECOME MORE STABLE. WHILE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE
MORNING HOURS...THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED. THE TORNADO
WATCH FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA HAS THEREFORE BEEN CANCELLED.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST STATEMENT ISSUED CONCERNING THIS WEATHER
EVENT.  HOWEVER...YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR CONDITIONS AND LATER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF
REDEVELOPMENT OCCURS.

TURNER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Oct 12, 1:44 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDSherman51 min
Oct 12, 3:16 AM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDSherman34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.