Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Topeka, KS

May 7, 1997Anderson County, Coffey County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 7, 1997, 8:58 PM CDT for Anderson County, Coffey County, Kansas. It was in force for 42 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 7, 1997, 8:58 PM CDT (01:58 UTC)
Expired
May 7, 1997, 9:40 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

Counties Anderson County, KS, Coffey County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 7, 9:21 PM CDTHail 0.75Welda, 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 7, 6:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 2.0 hours before the alert went out and 87 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 1997-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1465 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 1997-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 208 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
1465 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
785 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
208 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
298 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.9
Supercell composite
9.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 080159 RRA
SVRTOP
KSC003-031-080240-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
858 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
     WESTERN ANDERSON COUNTY - EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
     SOUTHERN COFFEY COUNTY - EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 940 PM CDT
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
     BURLINGTON
     LE ROY
     HARRIS
     WESTPHALIA

* AT 853 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 25 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF EMPORIA...NEAR BURLINGTON...TO 35 MILES EAST OF
  EMPORIA...NEAR WAVERLY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR
     BURLINGTON AROUND 910 PM
     HARRIS AROUND 915 PM
     WESTPHALIA AROUND 920 PM
     LE ROY AROUND 930 PM

* REPORTS
     DIME SIZE HAIL AND 50 MPH WINDS NEAR LEBO AT 830 PM

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

 
DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE LIKELY.  GO INSIDE A STURDY
BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

&
SD/BW

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

Local storm report, May 7, 4:39 PM CDT, 4 hours 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
438 PM CDT WED MAY 07 1997

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

0437 PM4    MINNEAPOLIS               KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/07/97   OTTAWA
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:31 PM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
KSZ010-072335-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
531 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

...LARGE HAIL NEAR FRANKFORT...

AT 529 PM A SPOTTER IN FRANKFORT REPORTED ONE INCH HAIL OCCURRING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING COUNTIES FOR SOUTHEAST MARSHALL COUNTY
UNTIL 550 PM CDT.

FRANTZ
Special weather statement, May 7, 5:32 PM CDT, 3 hours 26 minutes before
KSZ010-072335-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
531 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

...LARGE HAIL NEAR FRANKFORT...

AT 529 PM A SPOTTER IN FRANKFORT REPORTED ONE INCH HAIL OCCURRING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING COUNTIES FOR SOUTHEAST MARSHALL COUNTY
UNTIL 550 PM CDT.

FRANTZ
Special weather statement, May 7, 7:26 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
KSZ011-012-021>024-035-036-080130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
726 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT EARLIER THIS EVENING
HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF
THE AREA WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER NOW OVER.

SKIES WILL GRADUALLY BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
ACROSS THE REGION.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 7, 7:27 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
KSZ011-012-021>024-035-036-080130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
726 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT EARLIER THIS EVENING
HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF
THE AREA WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER NOW OVER.

SKIES WILL GRADUALLY BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
ACROSS THE REGION.

BARLOW
Special weather statement, May 7, 8:43 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
KSZ026-037>039-080245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
843 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT EARLIER THIS EVENING
HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF
THE AREA WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER NOW OVER.

SKIES WILL GRADUALLY BECOME PARTLY CLOUDY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
ACROSS THE REGION.

BARLOW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 7, 7:15 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMorris30 min
May 7, 7:26 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPLyon44 min
May 7, 8:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey, Lyon, Osage48 min
May 7, 9:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson33 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.