Alert archive / Missouri / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 255, NWS Kansas City, MO

August 19, 2003Atchison County, Missouri

NWS Kansas City, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 19, 2003, 4:31 PM CDT for Atchison County, Missouri. It was in force for 59 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Aug 19, 2003, 4:31 PM CDT (21:31 UTC)
Expired
Aug 19, 2003, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Kansas City, MO
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Atchison County, MO

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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Aug 19, 3:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 166 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 12:00Z on 2003-08-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1071 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 12:00Z on 2003-08-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 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
1071 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-160 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1566 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
56 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 
WUUS53 KEAX 192131
SVREAX
MOC005-192230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY-PLEASANT HILL MO
430 PM CDT TUE AUG 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PLEASANT HILL HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ATCHISON COUNTY IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI

* UNTIL 530 PM CDT

* AT 428 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  PHELPS CITY...OR NEAR PERU...AND MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
   PHELPS CITY...WATSON...LANGDON BY 440 PM CDT.
   ROCKPORT BY 450 PM CDT.
   TARKIO BY 510 PM CDT.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A STRONG
BUILDING. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND DEADLY
LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STAY INSIDE AWAY
FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN
PLEASANT HILL.

LAT...LON 4058 9571 4031 9558 4040 9533 4059 9537

$$


NRR

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 Kansas City, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 19, 4:30 PM CDT, 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 19, 4:30 PM CDT, 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
430 PM CDT TUE AUG 19 2003

INTERSECTING BOUNDARIES FROM THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION
LEADING TO MORE CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE MISSOURI
LAKE REGION NORTHWARD TO THE MISSOURI RIVER.  CONVECTION
ALSO FIRING ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF BUBBLE HIGH ANCHORED
OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA.  LOW LEVEL SHEAR VALUES SUGGEST
ONLY WEAK ORGANIZATION POTENTIAL WITH ALL STORMS...BUT EXCESSIVE
TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH HIGH DEWPOINTS...HAVE LED TO
SURFACE BASED CAPES GREATER THAN 3000 J/KG.  EXPECT THE
CONVECTION OVER THE LAKE REGION TO DISSIPATE AFTER SUNSET...
BUT STORMS ACROSS THE NORTH WILL HAVE BETTER DYNAMIC SUPPORT...
SO THESE WILL LAST A LITTLE LONGER.  MAY SEE A SHORT BREAK
IN ACTIVITY...AS THERMODYNAMICALLY DRIVEN ACTIVITY DISSIPATES
IN THE 02-03Z TIMEFRAME.  INCREASING 850MB CONVERGENT...MOIST
FLOW WILL LEAD TO REDEVELOPMENT LATE TONIGHT...SO WILL KEEP
LOW CHANCE POPS GOING ALL NIGHT NORTHWEST OF A SAINT JOE TO
BETHANY LINE.

ANOTHER HOT DAY ON WEDNESDAY...WITH ALL OF FORECAST AREA
LIKELY REACHING 100 DEGREE MARK.  SOME CONCERN THAT CONVECTIVE
DEBRIS MAY INHIBIT WARMUP...BUT STORMS PROBABLY WONT FIRE
UNTIL AFT 19Z...SO TEMPS MAY JUST EAK UP TO 100 AHEAD OF FRONT.
COMPRESSIONAL HEATING IN ADVANCE OF FRONT MAY PUSH TEMPERATURES
AOA 105...BUT AGAIN AM HESITANT TO BUMP TEMPS MUCH ABOVE PREVIOUS
FORECAST DUE TO UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CONVECTIVE DEBRIS.  DO NOT
EXPECT TO SEE MUCH RELIEF FROM FRONTAL PASSAGE ON THURSDAY...
THUS KEPT TEMPERATURES NEAR 100.  COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL
INFILTRATE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY...RESULTING IN A 5 TO 10 DEGREE
COOLDOWN.  TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH
ANOTHER FRONTAL BOUNDARY BRINGING ADDITIONAL RELIEF TO THE FORECAST
AREA ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

SF

415 AM...

EARLY MORNING WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND UPPER AIR ANALYSIS DEPICT
POSITIVELY TILTED MID-LEVEL RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING FROM SOUTHERN
PLAINS INTO WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION...WHILE UPSTREAM UPPER LOW
CONTINUES TO SPIN OVER HIGH PLAINS OF SOUTHEASTERN WY. UPPER LEVEL
DIFFLUENCE HAS ALLOWED BAND OF CONVECTION TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT
ACROSS CENTRAL PLAINS...WHILE FURTHER EAST CONVECTION HAS DIMINISHED
ACROSS CENTRAL MO WITH ONLY ISOLATED SHOWERS REMAINING.

MAIN CONCERN OVER NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WILL BE THE HEAT...AS AIRMASS
ACROSS REGION REMAINS RELATIVELY UNCHANGED. HAVE LEANED TOWARDS ETA
SOLUTION OF SLOWER/WEAKER FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING INTO THE REGION
THURSDAY. AS A RESULT 850MB TEMPS SHOULD REMAIN IN THE MID 20S C
THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY...THUS HAVE EXTENDED HEAT ADVISORY
THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS ALL BUT KC METRO...WHERE EXCESSIVE HEAT
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT.

HIGH PLAINS LOW IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY EJECT ACROSS CENTRAL/NORTHERN
PLAINS OVER NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AS IT DOES SO REGION OF UPPER LEVEL
DIFFLUENCE SHOULD GRADUALLY SPREAD EASTWARD. GIVEN STRONG DAYTIME
HEATING META PROGS SBCAPE OF 1500-2000 J/KG ACROSS AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY. LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH APPROACHING
UPPER LOW SHOULD ALLOW SCATTERED CONVECTION TO DEVELOP/SPREAD ACROSS
CWA TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY SHOULD PUSH
INTO NORTHERN MO THURSDAY...THUS HAVE RETAINED LOW CHANCE POPS
ACROSS NORTHERN CWA.

SEAMAN

445 PM...
WITH UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE EXPECTED TO HOLD STRONG OVER THE
CENTRAL UNITED STATES THROUGH MID WEEK, AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES
WILL REMAIN IN THE 100 TO 105 DEGREE RANGE THROUGH AT LEAST
WEDNESDAY.  TOMORROW LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE A VIRTUAL REPEAT OF
TODAYS WEATHER WITH THE UPPER LOW OVER THE HIGH PLAINS MAKING
LITTLE PROGRESS EAST.  THE ETA AND GFS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT
BRINGING THIS SHORTWAVE THROUGH THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES SLOWER
THAN PREVIOUS RUNS.  THIS IN EFFECT WILL DELAY PRECIPITATION CHANCES
FOR MOST OF EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI UNTIL THE FRONT
PASSES THROUGH ON THURSDAY.  SOME SCATTERED STORMS MAY AFFECT
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF MISSOURI AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY EVENING AS LOW
LEVEL FORCING IMPROVES IN ADVANCE OF THE SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT.

TEMPERATURES ONLY MANAGED TO DROP INTO THE MID TO UPPER 70S LAST
NIGHT IN THE KANSAS CITY METRO.  WITH NIGHT TIME DEWPOINTS
REBOUNDING INTO THE LOWER 70S, HEAT INDICES WILL REMAIN AT 80
DEGREES OR MORE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE NIGHT.  THEREFORE, I HAVE
UPGRADED THE HEAT ADVISORY FOR THE CITY TO AN EXCESSIVE HEAT
WARNING.  AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN THREE
CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF 105 DEGREE HEAT INDICES OCCUR...AND NIGHT TIME
HEAT INDICES REMAIN ABOVE 80 DEGREES.  OUTSIDE THE METROPOLITAN
AREA NIGHT TIME TEMPERATURES WILL DROP ENOUGH THAT HEAT INDICES
SHOULD FALL BELOW 80 DEGREES FOR SEVERAL HOURS DURING THE EARLY
MORNING.  THUS HEAT ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED INTO TOMORROW AND
WILL LIKELY BE EXTENDED FURTHER INTO WEDNESDAY.

KOCH

IN THE EXTENDED...THE AIRMASS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL NOT PROVIDE MUCH
RELIEF IN THE WAY OF TEMPERATURES LATER THIS WEEK. A BRIEF COOL PUSH
WILL LOWER TEMPERATURES INTO THE UPPER 80S TO MID 90S BY FRIDAY BUT
A WARMING TREND WILL BEGIN AGAIN SATURDAY. 1000-500MB THICKNESSES
ADVERTISED BY THE GFS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THE ECMWF FOR
SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY BUT THINK THAT THE GFS MIGHT BE TOO STRONG WITH
ITS SOUTHWARD COOL PUSH AS THE UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS NORTHEAST AND THE
BROAD UPPER RIDGE RETURNS TO THE REGION. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES
WILL CONTINUE OVER THE WEEKEND INTO THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK AS
THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE EASTERN PORTION
OF THE 850MB THERMAL RIDGE.

STOFLET

.EAX...
KS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THROUGH 9 PM FOR ZONES KS025...KSZ102.

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES
KSZ103>105.

HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES KSZ025...KSZ102.

HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES KSZ057...KSZ060.

MO...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH THROUGH 9 PM FOR ZONES MOZ001>007...
MOZ011>016...MOZ020.

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES
MOZ028>029...MOZ037.

HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES MOZ001>008...
MOZ011>016...MOZ020.

HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY FOR ZONES MOZ017...
MOZ021>025...MOZ030>033.

HEAT ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY FOR ZONES MOZ038>040...
MOZ043>046...MOZ053>054.
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 19, 1:00 PM CDT, 3 hours 31 minutes before
KSZ025-057-060-102>105-MOZ001>008-011>017-020>025-028>033-037>040-
043>046-053-054-201100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
100 PM CDT TUE AUG 19 2003

...AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE KANSAS CITY METRO
AREA...AND A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST...NORTH CENTRAL AND
WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...AS WELL AS EXTREME EASTERN KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL EXCEED 100 DEGREES ACROSS EXTREME
EASTERN KANSAS AND MOST OF WESTERN MISSOURI TODAY.  THE COMBINATION
OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL PUSH HEAT INDICES INTO THE 105 TO 110
DEGREE RANGE THIS AFTERNOON.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE AND
PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL UP TO
THE SIZE OF NICKELS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

HOT WEATHER WILL CONTINUE WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE AREA...AS AFTERNOON
HEAT INDICES ONCE AGAIN RISE INTO THE 105 TO 110 DEGREE RANGE. HEAT
INDICES ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO EXCEED 100 DEGREES ACROSS MUCH OF THE
AREA THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT ACROSS
THE AREA. ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN MISSOURI DURING
THE DAY THURSDAY...RESULTING IN ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH
THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS ALONG AND NORTH OF
HIGHWAY 36.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY NOT BE NEEDED.

&&

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC AND CLIMATE
INFORMATION...IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/EAX
OR HTTP://WEATHER.GOV.

FOSTER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 19, 4:14 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
KSZ025-102-MOZ001>007-011>015-020-021-200200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY-PLEASANT HILL MO
414 PM CDT TUE AUG 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 152...IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING. THIS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN MISSOURI:

ANDREW...ATCHISON...BUCHANAN...CLINTON...DAVIESS...DE KALB...
GENTRY...GRUNDY...HARRISON...HOLT...MERCER...NODAWAY...PUTNAM AND
WORTH.

IN KANSAS:

ATCHISON AND DONIPHAN.

SOME CITIES IN THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDE ATCHISON...
BETHANY...MARYVILLE...ROCKPORT...ST JOSEPH AND TRENTON.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
WHILE SEVERE WEATHER MAY NOT BE IMMINENT...PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND LISTEN FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Aug 19, 4:14 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
KSZ025-102-MOZ001>007-011>015-020-021-200200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED WATCH NUMBER
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KANSAS CITY-PLEASANT HILL MO
414 PM CDT TUE AUG 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 872...IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING. THIS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN MISSOURI:

ANDREW...ATCHISON...BUCHANAN...CLINTON...DAVIESS...DE KALB...
GENTRY...GRUNDY...HARRISON...HOLT...MERCER...NODAWAY...PUTNAM AND
WORTH.

IN KANSAS:

ATCHISON AND DONIPHAN.

SOME CITIES IN THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDE ATCHISON...
BETHANY...MARYVILLE...ROCKPORT...ST JOSEPH AND TRENTON.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
WHILE SEVERE WEATHER MAY NOT BE IMMINENT...PERSONS SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND LISTEN FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

MAXIMUK

The office that day

Everything else NWS Kansas City, MO issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 18, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningEAXLafayette45 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Missouri, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.