Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Topeka, KS

May 4, 2003Lyon County, Morris County, Wabaunsee County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 2003, 2:49 PM CDT for Lyon County, Morris County, Wabaunsee County, Kansas. It was in force for 41 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
May 4, 2003, 2:49 PM CDT (19:49 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2003, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Lyon County, KS, Morris County, KS, Wabaunsee County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 22 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:50 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 4, 11:40 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 57 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 2003-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 409 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2003-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 582 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
409 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-194 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
563 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
582 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
841 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
17.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

136 
WUUS53 KTOP 041949
SVRTOP
KSC111-127-197-042030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
249 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN LYON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
  EAST CENTRAL MORRIS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS
  SOUTHEASTERN WABAUNSEE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 330 PM CDT

* AT 245 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
  A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR COUNCIL GROVE...OR ABOUT 22 
  MILES NORTHWEST OF EMPORIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
  ESKRIDGE

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE
TORNADOES RAPIDLY.

LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. FOR YOUR 
SAFETY...TAKE COVER INSIDE A BUILDING NOW.

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

LAT...LON 3872 9645 3864 9640 3884 9596 3907 9596

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 2:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon30 min
May 4, 2:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson25 min
May 4, 3:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson17 min
May 4, 4:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPAnderson26 min
May 4, 4:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud64 min
May 4, 6:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson, Geary34 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.