Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 326, NWS Springfield, MO

July 11, 2003Bourbon County, Kansas

NWS Springfield, MO issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 11, 2003, 8:23 PM CDT for Bourbon County, Kansas. It was in force for 67 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
Jul 11, 2003, 8:23 PM CDT (01:23 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 2003, 9:30 PM CDT
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Springfield, MO
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Bourbon County, KS

The radar

The Pleasant Hill radar (KEAX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:24 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.

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
Jul 11, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 131 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 2003-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2885 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 2003-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 64 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
2885 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-21 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1641 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
64 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
8.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

010 
WUUS53 KSGF 120123
SVRSGF
KSC011-120230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
823 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SPRINGFIELD HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  BOURBON COUNTY IN KANSAS

* UNTIL 930 PM CDT.

* AT 822 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  MORAN...OR 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF LA HARPE...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT
  40 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
   BRONSON BY 830 PM CDT.
   FULTON BY 835 PM CDT.
   UNIONTOWN BY 840 PM CDT.
   REDFIELD BY 845 PM CDT.
   FORT SCOTT BY 850 PM CDT.

THE TOWNS OF PETERSBURG AND HIATTVILLE ARE ALSO IN THE PATH OF THIS
STORM.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM. IF YOU ARE IN ITS PATH...PREPARE
IMMEDIATELY FOR DAMAGING WINDS...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...AND DEADLY CLOUD
TO GROUND LIGHTNING. PEOPLE OUTSIDE SHOULD MOVE TO A SHELTER...
PREFERABLY INSIDE A STRONG BUILDING AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 3827 9487 3805 9531 3768 9504 3769 9464
          3795 9459

$$

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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 11, 7:30 PM CDT, 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 7:30 PM CDT, 53 minutes before
MESOSCALE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
620 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

.DISCUSSION...
THUNDERSTORMS WERE BEGINNING TO FORM OVER EAST CENTRAL KANSAS ALONG
GREATEST INSTABILITY AND SURFACE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE SINCE 7 PM.
85/50H MEAN WIND INDICATES THAT FORWARD PROPAGATION WILL BE
SOUTHEAST AT 40 TO 50 KTS. CURRENT RUC AND TIME LINE INTERPOLATION
HAS THE MAIN COMPLEX MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND WEST CENTRAL
MISSOURI BETWEEN 745 AND 9 PM. IF THE CURRENT TRACK/SPEED/INTENSITY
CONTINUES...JOPLIN & SPRINGFIELD WILL HAVE THIS COMPLEX MOVING INTO
THE AREA BETWEEN 9 AND 10 PM. LATEST RUC/LAPS STILL INDICATES CAPES
OF 2000-3000 J/KG DURING THE NEXT HOUR OR TWO. ALSO...RUC HAS THE
GREATEST MOISTURE CONVERGENCE (100/85H 85/50H) OVER SOUTHERN
MISSOURI AFTER 06Z WITH A SLOW PROPAGATION TO THE SOUTH. WITH
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ABOVE 1.50 INCHES...AND THE POSSIBILITY OF
TRAINING ECHOES (SW/W MOISTURE TRANSPORT OF 85H AND NW/W OF THE MEAN
FLOW) BELIEVE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS/RATES WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT.

&&

.SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.MO...NONE.
.KS...NONE.

JLT
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-121100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
645 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE TONIGHT...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME
SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

  WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED:

  NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT...ISOLATED STORMS MAY
  CONTAIN:
    HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF HALF DOLLARS.
    WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS 60 MPH.

  LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH LOCAL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF AN INCH.

  AREAS AFFECTED AND TIMING:

  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG AN STRONG
  MOISTURE AXIS LINE FROM WEST CENTRAL MISSOURI...SOUTH OF KANSAS
  CITY...TO SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI DURING THE EVENING. ALTHOUGH THE
  SEVERE THREAT WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT...THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY
  CONTINUE...AND BECOME MORE OF HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCER. MOST OF THE
  OZARKS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS WILL BE IN THE THREAT AREA OVERNIGHT.

  DISCUSSION:

  A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE
  MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TONIGHT. AS THE DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THE AREA
  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME
  MORE NUMEROUS TONIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE GETS CLOSER
  TO THE AREA AND A LOW LEVEL JET DEVELOPS. STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL
  COMBINED WITH MODERATELY STRONG INSTABILITY AND LEAD TO FAVORABLE
  CONDITIONS FOR SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE TONIGHT.

  IN ADDITION TO THE SEVERE THREAT...SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL
  CONTAIN HEAVY RAINFALL. AT THIS TIME CONDITIONS DO NOT APPEAR
  FAVORABLE FOR WIDESPREAD OR SIGNIFICANT FLOODING...BUT SOME
  LOCATIONS COULD SEE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES TONIGHT.
  RAINFALL OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER OR
  MINOR FLOODING IN THE TYPICAL LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

  THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT OVER SOUTHERN
  MISSOURI TOMORROW. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED
  ALONG THE BOUNDARY DURING THE DAY TOMORROW. IT IS UNCLEAR HOW
  TONIGHTS THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CLOUD COVER AND SUBSEQUENT
  INSTABILITY...HOWEVER IF THE ATMOSPHERE DOES DESTABILIZE...WIND
  FIELDS WILL REMAIN SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE
  HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AGAIN ON SATURDAY.

  THUNDERSTORMS ARE AGAIN POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS
  YET ANOTHER DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE REGION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

  SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY ANYTIME THIS EVENING...BUT IS
  MORE LIKELY AFTER 9 PM OVER SOUTHWEST MISSOURI AND SOUTHEAST
  KANSAS.

&&

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER
WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT
HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF

JLT/IZZI

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 23 minutes before
KSZ073-097-101-MOZ066>068-077>079-088>090-093>095-101>104-120300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
400 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 61...IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING. THIS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN MISSOURI:

BARRY...BARTON...CEDAR...CHRISTIAN...DADE...GREENE...HICKORY...
JASPER...LAWRENCE...MCDONALD...NEWTON...POLK...ST. CLAIR...STONE...
TANEY AND VERNON.

IN KANSAS:

BOURBON...CHEROKEE AND CRAWFORD.

SOME CITIES IN THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDE BOLIVAR...
BRANSON...FORT SCOTT...JOPLIN...MONETT...MOUNT VERNON...NEOSHO...
NEVADA...OZARK...PITTSBURG...SPRINGFIELD AND STOCKTON.

A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS HAS SURGED NORTH OVER EXTREME
SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND MUCH OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON.  A
WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM NORTHEAST KANSAS INTO SOUTHWEST
MISSOURI...WILL ACT AS A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  THIS FEATURE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
CONTINUED AFTERNOON HEATING...WILL ALLOW STORMS TO QUICKLY BECOME
SEVERE...WITH HAIL UP TO TWO AND HALF INCHES IN DIAMETER AND
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

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.

CRAMER
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 5:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 56 minutes before
MOZ055>058-069>071-080>083-091-092-096>098-105-106-120300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT - SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
527 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
NUMBER 725...IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FRIDAY EVENING. THIS SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN MISSOURI:

BENTON...CAMDEN...DALLAS...DENT...DOUGLAS...HOWELL...LACLEDE...
MARIES...MILLER...MORGAN...OREGON...OZARK...PHELPS...PULASKI...
SHANNON...TEXAS...WEBSTER AND WRIGHT.

SOME CITIES IN THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH INCLUDE AVA...
CAMDENTON...FORT LEONARD WOOD...HOUSTON...LEBANON...OSAGE BEACH...
ROLLA AND WEST PLAINS.

A VERY MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS HAS SURGED NORTH OVER EXTREME
SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND MUCH OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON.  A
WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM NORTHEAST KANSAS INTO SOUTHWEST
MISSOURI...WILL ACT AS A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR SHOWER AND
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT.  THIS FEATURE IN CONJUNCTION WITH
CONTINUED AFTERNOON HEATING...WILL ALLOW STORMS TO QUICKLY BECOME
SEVERE...WITH HAIL UP TO TWO AND HALF INCHES IN DIAMETER AND
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

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.

CRAMER
Local storm report, Jul 11, 7:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
702 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0558 PM    6 S WARSAW                MO   1 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   BENTON                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0615 PM    2 E TUNAS                 MO   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   DALLAS                         TREES DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY
                                          E. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0620 PM    FRISTOE                   MO   1 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   BENTON                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0625 PM    BENNETT SPRINGS           MO   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   LACLEDE                        TREE DOWN ON LARGE TENT.
                                          INJURIES. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0625 PM    BENNETT SPGS              MO   .75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   LACLEDE                        REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
Local storm report, Jul 11, 7:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
716 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0707 PM    3 N GROVESPRING           MO   .88 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   WRIGHT                         REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
Local storm report, Jul 11, 8:04 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
804 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0800 PM    ST ROBERT                 MO   1 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   PULASKI                        REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.
Local storm report, Jul 11, 8:23 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
823 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0745 PM    4 SW BRINKTOWN            MO   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   MARIES                         TREES FELL ACROSS HIGHWAY
                                          BB. REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 8:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCrawford63 min
Jul 11, 9:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCherokee55 min
Jul 11, 11:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFBourbon60 min
Jul 12, 12:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFBourbon73 min
Jul 12, 12:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFCrawford45 min
Jul 12, 2:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningSGFBourbon70 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.