Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2000

Tornado Warning 44, NWS Hastings, NE

November 5, 2000Smith County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at Nov 5, 2000, 5:58 PM CST for Smith County, Kansas. It was in force for 32 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 5, 2000, 5:58 PM CST (23:58 UTC)
Expired
Nov 5, 2000, 6:30 PM CST
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Smith County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:07 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.

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 214 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 12:00Z on 2000-11-05Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 2000-11-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 112 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
608 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
112 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
84 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.

863 
WFUS53 KGID 052358
TORGRI
KSC183-060030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
558 PM CST SUN NOV 5 2000

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SMITH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 630 PM CST

* AT 556 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  DEVELOPING TORNADO OVER SMITH CENTER...OR ABOUT 28 MILES EAST OF
  PHILLIPSBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  SMITH CENTER AT 605 PM CST
  BELLAIRE AT 615 PM CST
  LEBANON AT 630 PM CST

PEOPLE IN SMITH COUNTY SHOULD TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN A BASEMENT
OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.

IF IN A MOBILE HOME...LEAVE IT IMMEDIATELY AND GET INSIDE A STURDY
SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE NEAREST DITCH
AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

$$

NNNN

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Nov 5, 1:57 PM CST, 4 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 5, 1:57 PM CST, 4 hours 1 minute before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
2OO PM CST SUN NOV 5 2000

MAJOR CHANGES ON THE WAY...AND THE MAIN CONCERN IS WHETHER COLD AIR
WILL FUNNEL QUICKLY ENOUGH INTO THE CWA TO ALLOW FOR MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING BEFORE THE SYSTEM PULLS
NORTHEAST AND TAKES THE MOISTURE WITH IT. THE BIG PICTURE ON WV SATL
PIX SHOWS AN UPPER LEVEL TROF DIGGING OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
SOUTHWARD TOWARDS NEW MEXICO WITH A SERIES OF WAVES ROTATING AROUND
THE MAIN BODY. AT THE SURFACE A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDS
FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS.
3MB+ PRESSURE CHANGES OVER THE LAST 3HRS WAS NOTED JUST AHEAD OF
BROAD LOW PRESSURE WITH MOISTURE AXIS RUNNING THROUGH EASTERN KANSAS
AND EASTERN NEB. DO POINTS IN THESE AREAS WERE GENERALLY IN THE
50S WITH A FEW 60S. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO STREAM NORTHWARD
IN STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW. SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE IN THE REGION AS LOW
CLOUDS BEGINNING TO BREAK UP A BIT. LIS ARE APPROACHING -4 OVER
PORTIONS OF KANSAS WHERE MORE SUN IS GETTING IN.

ALL 3 SHORT RANGE MODELS DID A DECENT JOB INITIALIZING VORT ENERGY
OVER NORTHEAST UTAH AS WELL AS SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY JUST SOUTH OF
THE U.S. BORDER. MOVING AHEAD 6HRS TO 05/18Z INDICATES ALL THE
MODELS HAVE A DECENT GRIP ON THE SITUATION AS COMPARED TO/VERIFIED BY
WV SAT PIX. A GLANCE AT TIME SERIES AGAIN SUGGESTS THAT THE 3 SHORT
TERM MODELS ARE IN HARMONY WRT THE FROPA LATER TONIGHT.

TONIGHT...AS MENTION...STRONG CAA TO PLUNGE THROUGH THE CWA
OVERNIGHT. THE MODELS SUGGEST THE FRONT REACHING GRI SOMETIME
AROUND MIDNIGHT WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST. BY THAT TIME
SFC LOW PRESSURE SHOULD BE MORE ORGANIZED OVER KANSAS AS THE UPPER
LEVEL TROF BEGINS TO SWING OUT INTO THE PLAINS. A LOOK AT CROSS
SECTIONS OVER THE CWA SUGGEST THAT THERE IS SOME CONVECTIVE
INSTABILITY OVER OUR KANSAS COUNTIES AND SOMEWHAT INTO OUR NEBRASKA
COUNTIES. THIS CONCURS WITH SPCS SWODY1 SLGT RISK ENCROACHMENT INTO
PARTS OF OUR CWA. THEREFORE MENTION OF THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH TONIGHT
WARRANTED. PCPN WILL BEGIN AS RAIN AND EVENTUALLY MIX WITH SNOW
TOWARDS DAWN. BUT BY THE TIME ENOUGH COLD AIR MOVES IN...MOST OF
THE SIGNIFICANT PCPN SHOULD BE TAPERING OFF. SO NO SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE CWA.

MONDAY...SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOULD LINGER THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING
HOURS TO THE NORTH WITH LIQUID FOUND SOUTH. IN SPITE OF COPIOUS
MOISTURE...DYNAMIC/ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL BE FOUND EAST OF THE CWA...
SO WILL WORD FOR MAINLY A MORNING EVENT. WIND WILL ALSO BE A
FACTOR OVER THE AREA. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS UP NICELY AND
SHOULD CATAPULT WINDS TO THE 20-30MPH RANGE WITH HIGHER GUSTS.
OVERALL...A PRETTY DREARY DAY IN STORE. TEMPS SHOULD MODERATE AND
BEGIN TO FALL FROM THE LOWER 30S INTO THE MID TO UPPER 20S OVER
NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA...WHILE TEMPS SOUTH REMAIN STEADY.

MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY....CLOUDS HANG ON THRU PERIODS 3 AND 4 FOR
THE MOST PART. AT THIS POINT...CANT DISCOUNT SOME RAP AROUND SNOWS
MAINLY NORTH AND CENTRAL. SO WILL ADD SMALL POPS TO COVER. THE ETA
SUGGESTS A PARTIAL BREAKUP OF CLOUDS OVER OUR SOUTHERN CWA TUESDAY
AS THE SFC LOW TREKS NORTHEAST INTO MIN. WILL THEREFORE WORD FOR
PARTLY SUNNY IN KS COUNTIES FOR TUESDAY. NOT MUCH REBOUND IN TEMPS
AS STRONG NW FLOW CONTINUES CAA TREND.

IN THE EXTENDED...NO CHANGE TO WED AND THUR AND WILL GO DRY ON
FRIDAY.

.GID...NONE.

DEE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 5, 12:00 PM CST, 5 hours 58 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-052300-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK - SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1200 PM CST SUN NOV 5 2000

...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED OVER PARTS OF THE AREA DURING THE
EVENING...

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE FROM VALENTINE AND OGALLALA AT NOON TO
AROUND O'NEILL AND BROKEN BOW BY 6 PM. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS FRONT...MAINLY AFTER
3 PM THIS AFTERNOON.

AS THIS FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
BECOME MORE NUMEROUS THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY FROM GRAND ISLAND AND
HASTINGS SOUTHEAST. ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE STORMS WILL REMAIN BELOW
SEVERE LIMITS...A FEW SEVERE STORMS...PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND STRONG
WIND...WILL BE POSSIBLE.

THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE OVER NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.
HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT AS FAR NORTH
AS GRAND ISLAND. THUNDERSTORMS WILL SHIFT EAST OF ENTIRE REGION BY
AROUND MIDNIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT PASSES INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA.

DEG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 5, 5:31 PM CSTTornado WarningGIDSmith29 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2000Every tornado warning in 2000Tornadoes in 2000

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.