Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 63, NWS Topeka, KS

May 8, 2003Marshall County, Nemaha County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 8, 2003, 8:03 AM CDT for Marshall County, Nemaha County, Kansas. It was in force for 57 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 8, 2003, 8:03 AM CDT (13:03 UTC)
Expired: May 8, 2003, 9:00 AM CDT
In force: 57 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Marshall County, KS, Nemaha County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 87 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:06 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 8, 4:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 1.1 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-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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 836 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 427 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 517 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KTOP 081303
SVRTOP
KSC117-131-081400-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
803 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 900 AM CDT

* AT 801 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OVER LILLIS...OR ABOUT 25 MILES SOUTHEAST OF
  MARYSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
  VERMILLION
  CENTRALIA
  CORNING
  BAILEYVILLE
  GOFF
  WETMORE
  SENECA
  ONEIDA
  SABETHA

LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. MOVE INDOORS
NOW...AND AVOID WINDOWS.

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

LAT...LON 3988 9623 3956 9635 3957 9580 3996 9581

$$

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 May 8, 1:53 AM CDT, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 1:53 AM CDT, 6 hours 10 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KANSAS
153 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

SEVERE WEATHER THIS MORNING AND AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON REMAINS MAIN
FORECAST CONCERN.

CONVECTION DEVELOPING IN WARM ADVECTION REGIME OVER CENTRAL KANSAS
AT THE MOMENT WILL SPREAD NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA EARLY THIS
MORNING.  THERE IS MUCH ELEVATED INSTABILITY TO WORK WITH AND
INCREASING LOW LEVEL JET WILL ONLY ADD TO THE POTENTIAL SEVERE
WEATHER.  SPC HAS ALREADY ISSUED MCD FOR PARTS OF THE CWA...AND
WEATHER WATCH EXPECTED SHORTLY.  MORNING GRIDS WILL HAVE SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE MORNING.

AMOUNT OF ATMOSPHERIC RECOVERY FOR AFTERNOON CONVECTION IS STILL IN
QUESTION.  CURRENT CONVECTION IN KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA MAY DISRUPT
THIS PROCESS SOME...BUT SEVERAL FACTORS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR
ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE STORMS THIS AFTERNOON.  UPPER TROUGH WILL
EJECT NEGATIVELY TILTED INTO THE PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON.  ETA IS
SHOWING UPPER 60S AND LOW 70S DEW POINTS OVER THE CWA BY THIS
AFTERNOON...YIELDING CAPES ON THE ORDER OF 4000 J/KG.  DIRECTIONAL
AND SPEED SHEAR IS OFF THE CHARTS BY 00Z.  IF AND WHEN WE ERODE MID
LEVEL CAP...EXPECT SUPERCELL STORMS TO QUICKLY FIRE BY MID
AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA.  TORNADIC
POTENTIAL IS DEFINITELY PRESENT AND WOULD BE MOST LIKELY NEAR WARM
FRONT IN NORTHEAST KANSAS.  WILL WORD ZONES ACCORDINGLY AND PUT OUT
STRONGLY WORDED WHO TO ADVERTISE THIS.

EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO WARM QUICKLY...JUST AS THEY DID LAST
SUNDAY...AHEAD OF SURFACE LOW AS SOON AS CLOUD DEBRIS FROM THIS
MORNINGS CONVECTION EXITS THE AREA.  PROBABLY WILL AT LEAST HIT THE
MID 80S SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70.  WILL ALSO LINGER SEVERE THREAT INTO
THE EVENING BEFORE DRYLINE MOVES EAST.

FRIDAY LOOKS LINE ANOTHER WARM DAY AS 850 TEMPS SURGE BACK TO NEAR
20C.  WILL KEEP REST OF THE FORECAST UNCHANGED FOR NOW.  RAIN
CHANCES COME BACK INTO PLAY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY WITH SUNDAY
COOLER AND DRY.

.TOP...NONE

62

Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 6:00 AM CDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-091000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
600 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH MID MORNING NORTHEAST OF A
LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO MANHATTAN...TOPEKA AND LAWRENCE.  LARGE HAIL
IS THE PRIMARY CONCERN.

MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...GENERALLY AFTER 2 PM...ACROSS ALL OF NORTH
CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS.

TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE ALL POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY
MORNING...MAINLY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND NOON...ACROSS ALL OF NORTH
CENTRAL...NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON...AND MAY BE NEEDED THIS
MORNING.

&&

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, May 8, 5:12 AM CDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
512 AM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0508 AM    1 NE UPLAND               KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03   DICKINSON

Local storm report, May 8, 5:17 AM CDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
517 AM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0517 AM    MILFORD                   KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03   GEARY

Local storm report, May 8, 5:38 AM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
538 AM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0529 AM    KEATS                     KS    60 MPH TSTM GUST
05/08/03   RILEY                           NO DAMAGE.

Special weather statement, May 8, 7:01 AM CDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before

KSZ034>040-054>056-058-059-081230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
701 AM CDT THU MAY 8 2003

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #295 HAS EXPIRED FOR THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES...

  OTTAWA                GEARY                 SHAWNEE
  WABAUNSEE             DICKINSON             DOUGLAS
  MORRIS                OSAGE                 LYON
  FRANKLIN              COFFEY                ANDERSON

SOME CITIES NO LONGER IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #295...

  EMPORIA               OTTAWA                ABILENE
  LAWRENCE              JUNCTION CITY         TOPEKA

Local storm report, May 8, 7:41 AM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
741 AM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0733 AM    5 SW GARNETT              KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03   ANDERSON

Local storm report, May 8, 7:42 AM CDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
742 AM CDT THU MAY 08 2003

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

0738 AM    1 S WELDA                 KS    1.75 INCH HAIL
05/08/03   ANDERSON

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 8, 3:27 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Morris	33 min
May 8, 3:58 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud	47 min
May 8, 4:01 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Morris	44 min
May 8, 4:09 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	36 min
May 8, 4:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Geary	28 min
May 8, 5:04 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Geary, Riley	26 min
May 8, 7:08 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Anderson, Coffey	52 min
May 8, 7:58 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Anderson	32 min
May 8, 3:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	49 min
May 8, 3:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	66 min
May 8, 3:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic, Washington	40 min
May 8, 4:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Washington	34 min
May 8, 4:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Douglas, Franklin	30 min
May 8, 4:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Washington	38 min
May 8, 5:11 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Washington	34 min
May 8, 5:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley	53 min
May 8, 5:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Marshall	33 min
May 8, 5:31 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Geary	44 min
May 8, 5:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wabaunsee	49 min
May 8, 5:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Lyon, Morris, Wabaunsee	43 min
May 8, 5:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Lyon, Osage	52 min
May 8, 6:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Marshall	45 min
May 8, 6:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Marshall	39 min
May 8, 6:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Jackson, Pottawatomie	47 min
May 8, 6:29 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Osage	46 min
May 8, 6:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Shawnee, Wabaunsee	42 min
May 8, 6:38 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Coffey	52 min
May 8, 6:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Shawnee, Wabaunsee	46 min
May 8, 6:54 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Douglas, Franklin	51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2003 Every 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.