Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1998

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 49, NWS Goodland, KS

May 22, 1998Decatur County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 22, 1998, 9:42 PM CDT for Decatur County, Kansas. It was in force for 78 min. 2 reports 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 22, 1998, 9:42 PM CDT (02:42 UTC)
Expired
May 22, 1998, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
78 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Whole counties

County Decatur County, KS

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 116 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:44 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 22, 10:06 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 78Cedar Bluffs, KSSpotter estimated 90 mph wind gust.
May 22, 10:52 PM CDTHail 1Norcatur, KSDime hail at 2149 CST.

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 22, 9:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 2.7 hours before the alert went out and 150 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1998-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 26 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1998-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 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
26 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-128 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
728 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
130 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 230242 RRA
SVRGLD
KSC039-230400-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
842 PM MDT (942 PM CDT) FRI MAY 22 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  DECATUR COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN KANSAS

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT (1000 PM MDT)

* AT 938 PM CDT...GOODLAND DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE
  THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING WESTERN DECATUR COUNTY.  THESE STORMS
  ARE MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH AND SHOULD REACH OBERLIN AT 1005 PM CDT
  AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY BY 1035 PM CDT.

DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH AND LARGE HAIL UP GOLFBALL SIZE ARE LIKELY.
GO INSIDE A STURDY BUILDING AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

VJN/KPL

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 May 22, 3:10 PM CDT, 6 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 3:10 PM CDT, 6 hours 32 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
210 PM MDT (310 PM CDT) FRI MAY 22 1998

...MAIN FCST CHALLENGE IS CONVECTION TONIGHT...

ETA AND AVN INITIALIZED WELL...BOTH WERE EXCELLENT AT 5H. ETA/AVN
WERE BOTH GOOD AT SFC...WHILE NGM WAS TOO DEEP ON THE LOW OVER KS AT
12Z. BY 18Z ETA WAS BEST AT SFC AS IT INDICATED DEVELOPING LOW OVER
EASTERN COLORADO. WILL FOLLOW ETA THIS PACKAGE.

WV SATELLITE SHOWS A VORT MAX MOVING INTO CENTRAL CO WHICH IS FIRING
TRW ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. THIS FIRST WAVE WILL TRIGGER CONVECTION
OVER WESTERN SECTIONS OF FA BEGINNING LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
THE EVENING. WITH SFC LOW DEEPENING OVER EASTERN CO LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...MOIST UPSLOPE FLOW WILL PRODUCE BEST MOISTURE
CONVERGENCE FROM NE CO ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN SECTIONS OF FA.
Q VECTOR ANALYSIS SHOWS STRONGEST CONVERGENCE OVER THETA E RIDGE
ACROSS EASTERN FA BY 00Z. WENT HIGHEST POPS NRN AND ERN FA FOR THESE
REASONS.

UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUES FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT. THIS COMBINED WITH
SOME OUTFLOW COOLED AIR OVER FA...SO EXPECT AREAS OF FOG TO DEVELOP
OVER ALL BUT FAR SRN ZONES. WITH CLOUDS AND E WINDS MOST OF THE
NIGHT...TEMPERATURES SHOULD STAY ABOVE FWC/FAN NUMBERS.

UPPER LEVEL LOW KICKS OFF TO THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON SAT...DRAGGING
THE SFC LOW INTO EASTERN KS. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS FA
EARLY SAT MORNING. ALTHOUGH Q VECTOR ANALYSIS INDICATES BEST FORCING
OVER EASTERN KS BY 12Z...THINK THAT WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WILL
CONTINUE WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY SAT MORNING OVER
EASTERN ZONES.

PRECIPITATION ENDS BY SAT AFTERNOON WITH DRY CONDITIONS FOR THE REST
OF THE PERIODS. CAA BEHIND SFC LOW KEEPS 850/700 THICKNESSES 30M
LOWER THROUGH SUN AFTERNOON PER ETA/AVN. PREFER FAN NUMBERS OVER
SLIGHTLY WARMER FWC.

.GLD...NONE

MLC/TURNER

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 22, 8:10 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
710 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 1998

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

0709 PM    9 N ST FRANCIS            KS   3 INCH HAIL
05/22/98   CHEYENNE
Local storm report, May 22, 8:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
713 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 1998

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

0711 PM    16 NW ST FRANCIS          KS   2.75 INCH HAIL
05/22/98   CHEYENNE
Local storm report, May 22, 8:40 PM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
740 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 1998

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

0530 PM    10 N BIRD CITY            KS   1.5 INCH HAIL
05/22/98   CHEYENNE

0736 PM    ST FRANCIS                KS   60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/22/98   CHEYENNE                       SPOTTER REPORT
Local storm report, May 22, 8:42 PM CDT, 1 hour before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
742 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 1998

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

0735 PM    BENKELMAN                 NE   FLOODING
05/22/98   DUNDY                          WATER OVER CURBS. LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT  STRANDED.

0844 PM    14 S ST FRANCIS           KS   TORNADO
05/22/98   CHEYENNE                       OBSERVED FROM NWS OFFICE
Local storm report, May 22, 8:42 PM CDT, 1 hour before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KANSAS
742 PM MDT FRI MAY 22 1998

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

0735 PM    BENKELMAN                 NE   FLOODING
05/22/98   DUNDY                          WATER OVER CURBS. LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT  STRANDED.

0844 PM    14 S ST FRANCIS           KS   TORNADO
05/22/98   CHEYENNE                       OBSERVED FROM NWS OFFICE
Special weather statement, May 22, 9:12 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
KSZ004-014>016-230810-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
812 PM MDT (912 PM CDT) FRI MAY 22 1998

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR WESTERN KANSAS
UNTIL 3 AM CDT...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS POSTED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 3 AM CDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...NORTON...GRAHAM...SHERIDAN...AND THOMAS.

STRONG WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WITH WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH ARE
POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS
SHOULD WATCH FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER
RADIO...COMMERCIAL RADIO...OR TELEVISION FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT (1
AM CDT) FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN EASTERN COLORADO...YUMA.
IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...DUNDY...HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW.
IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...CHEYENNE...RAWLINS AND DECATUR.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 22, 7:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDCheyenne65 min
May 22, 7:54 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDCheyenne31 min
May 22, 8:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDRawlins65 min
May 22, 8:26 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDCheyenne49 min
May 22, 8:45 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDCheyenne, Sherman65 min
May 22, 8:57 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDRawlins48 min
May 22, 9:07 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDThomas63 min
May 22, 10:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDSheridan77 min
May 22, 10:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDNorton79 min
May 22, 10:36 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDSheridan49 min
May 22, 10:54 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDGraham51 min
May 22, 11:13 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDNorton47 min
May 22, 11:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDGraham45 min
May 23, 3:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDSherman33 min
May 23, 3:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDThomas76 min
May 23, 4:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDGove, Logan67 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 1998Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1998

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.