Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 1997

Tornado Warning 4, NWS Topeka, KS

May 7, 1997Morris County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 7, 1997, 7:15 PM CDT for Morris County, Kansas. It was in force for 30 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, 7:15 PM CDT (00:15 UTC)
Expired
May 7, 1997, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Morris County, KS

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 7, 7:18 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Council 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 7, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 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 1997-05-08Temperature 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.

256 
WFUS1 KTOP 080016 RRA
TORTOP
KSC127-080045-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
715 PM CDT WED MAY 7 1997

* TORNADO WARNING FOR
     EASTERN MORRIS COUNTY - EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 745 PM CDT
 
* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED
     COUNCIL GROVE
     DOWNING
     RURAL AREAS OF EASTERN PARTS OF MORRIS COUNTY

* AT 714PM  RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA
  MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE STORM WILL BE NEAR
     COUNCIL GROVE AROUND 720PM
 
GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 7, 7:26 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPLyon44 min
May 7, 8:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey, Lyon, Osage48 min
May 7, 8:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson, Coffey42 min
May 7, 9:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson33 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 1997Every tornado warning in 1997Tornadoes 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.