Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 137, NWS Topeka, KS

July 11, 2003Anderson County, Coffey County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 11, 2003, 8:42 PM CDT for Anderson County, Coffey County, Kansas. It was in force for 33 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, 8:42 PM CDT (01:42 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 2003, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Anderson County, KS, Coffey County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 107 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:45 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, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 94 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.

000 
WUUS53 KTOP 120142
SVRTOP
KSC003-031-120215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
841 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN ANDERSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
  EASTERN COFFEY COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 838 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF BURLINGTON...OR ABOUT 25
  MILES NORTHWEST OF IOLA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
  LE ROY
  COLONY
  WESTAPHALIA
  BURLINGTON

LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL WILL OCCUR WITH THIS STORM. FOR YOUR SAFETY
MOVE INDOORS NOW...AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF 
BASEBALLS.

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

LAT...LON 3804 9581 3831 9573 3837 9550 3803 9534

$$

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 Jul 11, 3:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 3:00 PM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KANSAS
3 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

...MAIN CONCERN IS STILL THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TONIGHT...THEN
TEMPERATURES AND PRECIP CHANCES NEXT WEEK...

SFC ANALYSIS AND RADAR SHOWING FRONT PUSHING SOUTHEASTWARD
STRETCHING FROM STJ TO NEAR SLN. CU FIELD DEVELOPING ALONG FRONT
SHOULD INCREASE AS CAP ERODES WITH SCT CONVECTION POSSIBLE THROUGH
THE EVENING AS FRONT PUSHED SOUTHWARD. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE
SEVERE OVER THE EAST CENTRAL THIS EVENING.

MORE CONVECTION WHICH DEVELOPS FURTHER WEST IN THE HIGH PLAINS MAY
ALSO CATCH THE SOUTHERN CWA OVERNIGHT AS POSSIBLE MCS INCREASES OVER
SOUTHERN KS. WILL KEEP LOW POPS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA UNTIL
SUNRISE SATURDAY. DRIER AIR OVERSPREAD THE CWA THROUGH SATURDAY AS
HIGH PRESSURE AND SUBSIDENCE BUILD SOUTHWARD. WILL CONTINUE DRY FCST
THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ALTHOUGH RETURN MOISTURE FLOW AND WAA SUNDAY
NIGHT COULD DEVELOP CONVECTION NOT TOO FAR TO THE WEST OF THE CWA.

WILL KEEP HIGHS ON SATURDAY GENERALLY IN THE MID 80S WITH NORTHEAST
WINDS...THEN RAISE INTO THE LOW TO MID 90S SUNDAY AS SFC WINDS COME
BACK AROUND TO THE SOUTH/SOUTHEAST.

WILL ADD A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY AS MODELS CONTINUE TO
SHOW ANOTHER SHORTWAVE AND FRONT DROP SOUTHEAST INTO THE CWA AROUND
THE NORTHEAST EDGE OF WESTERN RIDGE ALOFT. AS A RESULT LOWERED HIGHS
THROUGH MID WEEK SLIGHTLY. CONTINUED WITH DRY FGST THEN THROUGH
FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH INITIAL NORTHWEST WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED UNTIL
WARMER AIR ALOFT CAN BECOME REESTABLISHED OVER THE AREA.

.TOP...NONE.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 4:42 PM CDT, 4 hours before
KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-121000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
442 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING GENERALLY
ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE
THE MAIN THREATS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ON TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THIS EVENING.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/TOP  (ALL LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 11, 7:49 PM CDT, 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
749 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0748 PM    OTTAWA                    KS    2.75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   FRANKLIN                        MULTIPLE REPORTS OF
                                           BASEBALL SIZE HAIL.
Local storm report, Jul 11, 7:53 PM CDT, 49 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
753 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0738 PM    OTTAWA                    KS    .88 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   FRANKLIN

0740 PM    OTTAWA                    KS    1 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   FRANKLIN

0745 PM    OTTAWA                    KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   FRANKLIN                        LEAVES STRIPPED OFF TREES

0748 PM    OTTAWA                    KS    2.75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   FRANKLIN                        WINSHIELDS SHATTERED ON
                                           CARS
Local storm report, Jul 11, 8:06 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
806 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0804 PM    1 S RANTOUL               KS    1 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   FRANKLIN                        REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 8:23 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
KSZ026-037>040-054>056-058-059-120300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
823 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES ARE NO LONGER IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
#724...

  JEFFERSON             SHAWNEE               WABAUNSEE
  MORRIS

SOME CITIES NO LONGER IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #724...

  TOPEKA

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #724 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

  DOUGLAS               OSAGE                 LYON
  FRANKLIN              COFFEY                ANDERSON

SOME CITIES STILL IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #724...

  EMPORIA               OTTAWA                LAWRENCE
Local storm report, Jul 11, 8:30 PM CDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
830 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0825 PM    1 NW OLIVET               KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   OSAGE

0828 PM    6 E LEBO                  KS    2.75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   COFFEY                          REPORTED BY EMPLOYEE AT
                                           BETO JUNCTION TRUCK STOP.
Local storm report, Jul 11, 8:37 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
837 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

0831 PM    WAVERLY                   KS    2 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   COFFEY                          REPORTED BY SHERIFF.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 7:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas, Franklin52 min
Jul 11, 7:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPFranklin33 min
Jul 11, 8:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey, Osage36 min
Jul 12, 1:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson48 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.