Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Topeka, KS

April 18, 2002Marshall County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 18, 2002, 1:28 AM CDT for Marshall County, Kansas. It was in force for 47 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Apr 18, 2002, 1:28 AM CDT (06:28 UTC)
Expired: Apr 18, 2002, 2:15 AM CDT
In force: 47 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Marshall County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:28 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 18, 2:05 AM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 61 E	Frankfort, 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 121 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2478 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -54 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1480 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 38 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 190 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 361 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.5
Supercell composite: 16.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KTOP 180628
SVRTOP
KSC117-180715-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
128 AM CDT THU APR 18 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS

* UNTIL 215 AM CDT

* AT 127 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 15 MILES SOUTH OF WATERVILLE...OR ABOUT 18
  MILES NORTHEAST OF CLAY CENTER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
  BLUE RAPIDS
  MARYSVILLE
  FRANKFORT
  VERMILLION
  BEATTIE

LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS
STORM. TAKE COVER INSIDE A BUILDING.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

LAT...LON 3997 9679 3958 9680 3958 9626 3996 9627

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 17, 3:00 PM CDT, 10 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 17, 3:00 PM CDT, 10 hours 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
3 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

MAIN PROBLEMS ARE CONSIDERATIONS OF STG CONVECTION TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY...THEN AMT OF COOLING AND PCPN CHCS INTO THE WEEKEND.

VERY WARM ON THURSDAY WITH SOME READINGS NEAR RECORD HIGH LVLS...AM
USING MESO-ETA SFC TEMPERATURES FOR MAX TEMP GUIDANCE ON THURSDAY.

RATHER SLIM CHCS FOR CONVECTION TONIGHT. NOT QUITE SLIM ENUF TO
PRECLUDE MENTION...BUT WILL HOLD WITH MINIMAL POPS FOR THREE
REASONS...ALL OF WHICH MAY BE RATHER WEAK. FIRST IS WARMFRONTAL
BOUNDARY. LATEST PROFILERS FROM 19Z SHOW BNDRY JUST OFF THE SFC
(FIRST SVRL GATES OF PROFILERS) SHOW IT ALG NRN BORDER. ALL SMALLER
GRID MODELS INCLUDING MESO-ETA AND WORKSTATION ETA SHOW SFC FNT MVG
RAPIDLY NORTH REST OF THIS AFTERNOON. COULD HAVE A STORM OR TWO
ALONG NRN BORDER EARLY BUT MORE LIKELY TO NORTH OF CWA. SECOND
REASON IS CONVECTION TRYING TO GET ITSELF TOGETHER ALG DRY LINE WRN
OK. THIS COULD DVLP FURTHER NORTH NEXT FEW HOURS...THEN MAY TRACK
NORTHEAST INTO CWA LATE EVENING. HOWEVER WOULD NOT EXPECT THIS TO
MAKE MUCH PROGRESS EAST...IF IT EVEN MAKES IT THIS FAR. NOTE AND
AGREE WITH ICT THAT STORMS MAY HAVE A HARD TIME MAKING IT TOO FAR
INTO KS...LET ALONE MY CWA. BUT STILL SOME REMOTE THREAT. PROBABLY
THE BEST THREAT...ALBEIT STILL QUITE SMALL...IS THE THREAT FOR
ELEVATED CONVECTION WITHIN THE LOW LVL JET LATER TONIGHT. BUFKIT
SNDGS IMPLY THIS AFT MIDNIGHT WITHIN AREA. IF THIS HAPPENS, THIS
CONVECTION COULD LINGER INTO TMRW AM. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE WITH
SLGT CHC FOR CONVECTION TONIGHT...THEN MENTION CONVECTION CNTRL AND
ERN PTN CWA ON THURSDAY. FOLLOWING MESO-ETA LOW LVL MOISTURE
PROFILE... WRN PTN CWA NOT LIKELY TO SEE ANY CONVECTION TMRW SINCE
DRYER AIR LIKELY WORKING IN BY MIDDAY TMRW. QUESTION THEN BECOMES
WHERE BEST MOISTURE CONVERGENCE SETS UP BY THIS TIME THURSDAY. ALSO
AGREE WITH ICT THAT TMRW COULD BE AN ACTIVE SVR WX DAY. NUMEROUS
SHORT WAVE IMPULSES MOVG OVR AREA LATE IN THE AFTN COULD BE JUST
ENOUGH IMPETUS FOR EXPLOSIVE DVLPMT. GIVEN CURRENT MESO-ETA
FCST...WOULD SUSPECT THAT MAY HAPPEN NEAR OR JUST EAST OF A
SENECA-ABILENE LINE BY MID TO LATE AFTN. CONVECTION WOULD THEN PUSH
EAST OVR REST OF CWA...EXITING SOUTHEASTERN PTN OF CWA AFT MIDNIGHT.

LATER FORECAST PDS PROBLEMATIC TOO. IF HPCS SFC WX DEPICTION IS
RIGHT...CANT SEE MUCH SUPPORT FOR PCPN OVER THE WEEKEND...CERTAINLY
NOT TSTMS. OF COURSE, COULD SEE LOTS OF CLOUDS WITH SOME
OVRRNG...BUT WIDESPREAD PCPN NOT LIKELY. WITH NORTHERLY FLOW AND
CLOUDS...TEMPERATURES BLO CLIMO LIKELY. NICE RECOVERY BY EARLY NEXT
WEEK. IF LESS CLOUDS OCCUR THAN FORECAST...WEEKEND TEMPS WOULD NOT
BE THAT FAR REMOVED FROM CLIMO HIGHS/LOWS...I.E. 60S/40S.

.TOP...NONE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 17, 11:33 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1133 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

1113 PM    2 SW CARLTON              KS    .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON                       PUBLIC REPORTED DIME
                                           SIZE HAIL

Local storm report, Apr 17, 11:34 PM CDT, 1 hour 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1134 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

1124 PM    1S ELMO                   KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON

Local storm report, Apr 17, 11:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1135 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

1123 PM    CARLTON                   KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON

Local storm report, Apr 17, 11:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1148 PM CDT WED APR 17 2002

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

1148 PM    5N HERINGTON              KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON

Local storm report, Apr 18, 12:05 AM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1205 AM CDT THU APR 18 2002

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

1204 AM    MINNEAPOLIS               KS    .75 INCH HAIL
04/18/02   OTTAWA                          PENNY SIZE HAIL
                                           REPORTED BY LAW
                                           ENFORCEMENT

Local storm report, Apr 18, 1:20 AM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
120 AM CDT THU APR 18 2002

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

1111 PM    3 SW CARLTON              KS    1.25 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON                       PUBLIC REPORTED HALF
                                           DOLLAR SIZE HAIL

1113 PM    2 SW CARLTON              KS    .75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON                       PUBLIC REPORTED DIME
                                           SIZE HAIL

1120 PM    3 S CARLTON               KS    TORNADO
04/17/02   DICKINSON                       PUBLIC REPORTED ROARING
                                           NOISE OVERHEAD AS STORM
                                           PASSED BY

1123 PM    CARLTON                   KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON

1124 PM    3 S ELMO                  KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON                       PUBLIC REPORTED GOLF
                                           BALL SIZE HAIL

1124 PM    1S ELMO                   KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON

1130 PM    ST MARYS                  KS    NON TSTM WINDS
04/17/02   POTTAWATOMIE                    POWER OUT IN ST MARYS.
                                           REPORTS OF HIGH WINDS
                                           IN BELVUE ALSO.
                                           REPORTED BY CO EM.

1144 PM    9N DELIA                  KS    NON TSTM WINDS
04/17/02   JACKSON                         ESTIMATED 75 MPH

1148 PM    5N HERINGTON              KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/17/02   DICKINSON

1155 PM    15W HOLTON                KS    NON TSTM WINDS
04/17/02   JACKSON                         ESTIMATED 70 TO 75 MPH.

1159 PM    CORNING                   KS    NON TSTM WINDS
04/17/02   NEMAHA                          ESTIMATED 70 TO 75.

1241 AM    2N LONGFORD               KS    1 INCH HAIL
04/18/02   CLAY                            REPORTED BY SO

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 17, 8:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	34 min
Apr 17, 10:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Dickinson	43 min
Apr 17, 11:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	48 min
Apr 17, 11:36 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary, Morris	39 min
Apr 18, 12:17 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Ottawa	43 min
Apr 18, 12:22 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Republic, Washington	38 min
Apr 18, 12:46 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay	44 min
Apr 18, 1:08 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Riley, Washington	37 min
Apr 18, 1:47 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Marshall	43 min
Apr 18, 5:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	38 min
Apr 18, 6:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Riley	45 min
Apr 18, 6:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Pottawatomie	45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2002 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.