Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Topeka, KS

April 30, 1997Morris County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 30, 1997, 5:49 AM CDT for Morris County, Kansas. It was in force for 26 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
Apr 30, 1997, 5:49 AM CDT (10:49 UTC)
Expired
Apr 30, 1997, 6:15 AM CDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Morris County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 30, 6:00 AM CDTHail 1Council Grove, 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

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 94 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 1997-04-30Temperature 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 1997-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 104 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1985 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
104 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
214 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 KTOP 301049 RRA
SVRTOP
KSC127-301115-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
549 AM CDT WED APR 30 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
  MORRIS COUNTY - EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 615 AM CDT
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
  DELAVAN
  WILSEY
  DOWNING
  PARKERVILLE

* AT 545 AM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES WEST
  OF COUNCIL GROVE OR BETWEEN DELAVAN AND WILSEY MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  ABOUT 35 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR
  DOWNING AND PARKERVILLE VICINITIES AROUND 600 AM

* REPORTS
  STRONG WINDS AND HAIL WERE REPORTED AT WILSEY AROUND 545 AM.

  RADAR INDICATED WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH POSSIBLE ALONG
  WITH LARGE HAIL.
 
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY.  GO INSIDE A STURDY
BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 3:40 AM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
KSZ008>012-020>024-034>038-054-300935-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
340 AM CDT WED APR 30 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 216 WHICH WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL
   5 AM CDT FOR NORTHCENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
   AND EASTCENTRAL KANSAS HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED TO WEAKEN ACROSS MUCH OF
NORTHEAST AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS SINCE 3 AM. THE THREAT FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT HAS DIMINISHED.
THEREFORE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WHICH WAS TO BE IN EFFECT
UNTIL 5 AM HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

SW
Special weather statement, Apr 30, 3:42 AM CDT, 2 hours 7 minutes before
KSZ008>012-020>024-034>038-054-300935-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
340 AM CDT WED APR 30 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #216 WHICH WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL
   5 AM CDT FOR NORTHCENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
   AND EASTCENTRAL KANSAS HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE CONTINUED TO WEAKEN ACROSS MUCH OF
NORTHEAST AND NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS SINCE 3 AM. THE THREAT FOR
ANY ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT HAS DIMINISHED.
THEREFORE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WHICH WAS TO BE IN EFFECT
UNTIL 5 AM HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

SW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 30, 1:17 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMarshall43 min
Apr 30, 6:08 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPWabaunsee47 min
Apr 30, 6:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee34 min
Apr 30, 7:14 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson31 min
Apr 30, 7:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson47 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.