Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 73, NWS Topeka, KS

May 18, 1997Osage County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 18, 1997, 9:07 PM CDT for Osage County, Kansas. It was in force for 48 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 18, 1997, 9:07 PM CDT (02:07 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1997, 9:55 PM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Osage County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 9:30 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Quenemo, 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 18, 5:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 39 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 1997-05-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2665 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 1997-05-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 28 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
2665 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2061 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
85 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTOP 190207 RRA
SVRTOP
KSC139-190255-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
907 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR
     SOUTHERN OSAGE COUNTY - EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 955 PM CDT
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
     OLIVET
     MELVERN
     MELVERN LAKE
     QUENEMO

* AT 905 PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 25 MILES
  SOUTHWEST OF OTTAWA...OR JUST SOUTHWEST OF OLIVET MOVING NORTHEAST
  AT 30 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR
     MELVERN AT 915 PM
     QUENEMO AT 925 PM
 
LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY.  GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY
AWAY FROM WINDOWS!


SD/DDN

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 18, 8:43 PM CDT, 24 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
843 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

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

0726 PM    TOPEKA FORBES FLD         KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0745 PM    10 W ESKRIDGE             KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   WABAUNSEE

0800 PM    PERRY                     KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0815 PM    TOPEKA FORBES FLD         KS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0820 PM    1 SW TOPEKA               KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0833 PM    6 S OSKALOOSA             KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0835 PM    TOPEKA BILLARD ARPT       KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE
Local storm report, May 18, 8:44 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
843 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

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

0726 PM    TOPEKA FORBES FLD         KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0745 PM    10 W ESKRIDGE             KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   WABAUNSEE

0800 PM    PERRY                     KS   1.75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0815 PM    TOPEKA FORBES FLD         KS   .88 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0820 PM    1 SW TOPEKA               KS   1 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE

0833 PM    6 S OSKALOOSA             KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0835 PM    TOPEKA BILLARD ARPT       KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   SHAWNEE
Local storm report, May 18, 8:57 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
857 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

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

0755 PM    7 NW PERRY                KS   1.25 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0850 PM    5 S MC LOUTH              KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON
Local storm report, May 18, 8:59 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
857 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

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

0755 PM    7 NW PERRY                KS   1.25 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON

0850 PM    5 S MC LOUTH              KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   JEFFERSON
Local storm report, May 18, 9:01 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
901 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

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

0857 PM    4 SW CARLTON              KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   DICKINSON
Local storm report, May 18, 9:02 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
901 PM CDT SUN MAY 18 1997

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

0857 PM    4 SW CARLTON              KS   .75 INCH HAIL
05/18/97   DICKINSON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 7:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson64 min
May 18, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee, Wabaunsee46 min
May 18, 7:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon46 min
May 18, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Jefferson61 min
May 18, 7:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPOsage61 min
May 18, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMorris48 min
May 18, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPShawnee, Wabaunsee64 min
May 18, 7:59 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPMorris31 min
May 18, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Jefferson60 min
May 18, 8:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Osage59 min
May 18, 8:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson61 min
May 18, 9:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPFranklin48 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.