Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2004

Tornado Warning 68, NWS Hastings, NE

July 7, 2004Smith County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at Jul 7, 2004, 5:29 PM CDT for Smith County, Kansas. It was in force for 61 min. 6 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 7, 2004, 5:29 PM CDT (22:29 UTC)
Expired: Jul 7, 2004, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 61 min
Issued by: NWS Hastings, NE
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Smith County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:30 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 7, 5:31 PM CDT	HAIL 1.5	Smith Center, KS	LARGE HAIL CONTINUES TO FALL. HEAVY RAINFALL HAS CAUSING STREET FLOODING.
Jul 7, 5:31 PM CDT	HAIL 1.5	Smith Center, KS	LARGE HAIL CONTINUES TO FALL. HEAVY RAINFALL HAS CAUSING STREET FLOODING.
Jul 7, 5:45 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Smith Center, KS
Jul 7, 5:45 PM CDT	HAIL 1	1 S Smith Center, KS
Jul 7, 6:32 PM CDT	HAIL 1	6 W Cedar, KS
Jul 7, 6:32 PM CDT	HAIL 1	6 W Cedar, KS

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado 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
Jul 7, 2:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 209 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: 70 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -302 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1096 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 298 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 374 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 2.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KGID 072229
TORGID
KSC183-072330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
528 PM CDT WED JUL 7 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SMITH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 525 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO
  WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTH OF GAYLORD...OR ABOUT 27 MILES EAST OF
  PHILLIPSBURG...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  HARLAN AROUND 540 PM CDT...
  BELLAIRE AROUND 555 PM CDT...
  LEBANON AROUND 625 PM CDT...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF 
BALL SIZE HAIL AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. LAW 
ENFORCEMENT REPORTED A WALL CLOUD WITH ROTATION NORTH OF GAYLORD.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

LAT...LON 3998 9906 3956 9903 3957 9851 4000 9852

$$

NELSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 7, 3:28 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 3:28 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
328 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

.DISCUSSION...NOT MUCH TIME TO LOOK AT THE FORECAST TODAY AS WOULD
HAVE LIKED AS ONGOING CONVECTION AND FIRST PERIOD CONCERNS HAVE
OVERWHELMED THE REST OF THE FORECAST.  HOWEVER...MAIN FEATURES OF
INTEREST IN THE NEAR TERM INVOLVES WARM FRONT SITTING OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND DRYLINE DEVELOPMENT OVER THE HIGH PLAINS.
STRONG MOISTURE ADVECTION IS BRINGING CAPE VALUES IN THE 2500-4000
J/KG RANGE IN THE WARM SECTOR WITH NEARLY THAT ELEVATED OVER THE
WARM FRONT AS WELL.  DEEP LAYER SHEAR IN THE 35-45KT RANGE ACROSS
THE WARM SECTOR HAS SET THE STAGE FOR A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.
ONGOING CONVECTION HAS PRIMARILY BEEN ANCHORED ON OR TO THE NORTH OF
THE WARM FRONT.  FULLY ANTICIPATE THIS CONVECTION TO CONTINUE
THROUGH EARLY EVENING WITH SEVERE WEATHER THREAT POSSIBLE.
HOWEVER...WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALS A SECONDARY WAVE JUST MOVING
INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA AT TIME AND EXPECT CONVECTION TO BEGIN ALONG
THE DRYLINE BY EARLY EVENING.  SEVERE THREAT LOOKS JUST AS GOOD IS
THIS ACTUALLY OCCURS.

BEYOND TONIGHT...THE UPPER RIDGE IS SHOWN TO SLOWLY BUILD INTO THE
PLAINS BY THE WEEKEND WITH FRONTS OCCASIONALLY MAKING IT INTO AREA
BEFORE STALLING.  THIS WILL LIKELY BRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO
AREA THROUGH WEEKEND.  OVERALL AREA SHOULD SEE A GRADUAL TEMPERATURE
INCREASE WELL INTO THE WEEKEND.

FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE UPPER RIDGE IS SHOWN TO BE FULLY
ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE REGION WITH TEMPERATURES ABOVE SEASONAL
NORMALS AND PRECIP CHANCES FAIRLY SMALL.
&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.NE...NONE.
.KS...NONE.
&&

AWJ/MSL

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 7, 2:58 PM CDT, 2 hours 31 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
258 PM CDT WED JUL 7 2004

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039-046-047-060>063-072>076-082>087-081200-
ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLAY-DAWSON-FRANKLIN-FURNAS-GOSPER-HALL-HAMILTON-
HARLAN-HOWARD-JEWELL-KEARNEY-MITCHELL-NUCKOLLS-OSBORNE-PHELPS-
PHILLIPS-ROOKS-SHERMAN-SMITH-THAYER-VALLEY-WEBSTER-
258 PM CDT WED JUL 7 2004

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA GENERALLY WEST OF A GREELEY TO GENEVA LINE AND PORTIONS OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK
AREA THROUGH THIS EVENING. A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO
PUSH EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.  A FEW OF THESE
STORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO POSSIBLE. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE
THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE HIGH PLAINS AND MOVE INTO AREAS
WEST OF HIGHWAY 281 BY EVENING.  SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY ALSO BECOME
STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE POSSIBLE
THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE
OUTLOOK AREA.  LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY
HAZARDS FROM ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

NEZ040-041-048-049-064-077-081200-
FILLMORE-GREELEY-MERRICK-NANCE-POLK-YORK-
258 PM CDT WED JUL 7 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
GENERALLY EAST OF A GREELEY TO GENEVA LINE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL EXIST THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING. A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EAST ACROSS
THIS PORTION OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH EARLY EVENING. A FEW OF
THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE
PRIMARY HAZARDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE POSSIBLE
THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE
OUTLOOK AREA.  LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY
HAZARDS FROM ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM.

.SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AWJ

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 7, 4:55 PM CDT, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
0455 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

..TIME(CDT)  ...EVENT...       ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...    ....MAG....       ...COUNTY LOCATION...ST.....SOURCE...
             ..REMARKS..

0449 PM      HAIL                6 SW OF MANKATO         0.00N  0W
07/07/2004   1.75 INCH           JEWELL             KS   STORM SPOTTER
             CAN ALSO SEE SOME ROTATION WITHIN THE THUNDERSTORM NE OF
             IONIA

LEWIS

Local storm report, Jul 7, 5:00 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
500 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0445 PM     HAIL             IONIA                   39.66N 98.35W
07/07/2004  1.75 INCH        JEWELL             KS   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

LEW

Local storm report, Jul 7, 5:13 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
513 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0512 PM     HAIL             SMITH CENTER            39.78N 98.78W
07/07/2004  1.00 INCH        SMITH              KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

LEW

Local storm report, Jul 7, 5:15 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
515 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     HAIL             CAWKER CITY             39.51N 98.43W
07/07/2004  0.88 INCH        MITCHELL           KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

LEW

Local storm report, Jul 7, 5:17 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
517 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     HEAVY RAIN       1 SE JEWELL             39.66N 98.14W
07/07/2004  3.00 INCH        JEWELL             KS   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORT OF OVER 3 INCHES OF RAIN.

0515 PM     HEAVY RAIN       FORMOSO                 39.78N 97.99W
07/07/2004  1.10 INCH        JEWELL             KS   AMATEUR RADIO

            PUBLIC MEASUREMENT OF 1.10 INCHES OF RAINFALL.

&&

LEWIS

Local storm report, Jul 7, 5:25 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
525 PM CDT WED JUL 07 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0524 PM     HAIL             SMITH CENTER            39.78N 98.78W
07/07/2004  1.00 INCH        SMITH              KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            HAIL CONTINUING TO FALL AT THIS TIME.

&&

LEWIS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 7, 1:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	61 min
Jul 7, 2:16 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	59 min
Jul 7, 3:12 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell	63 min
Jul 7, 3:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Smith	62 min
Jul 7, 4:09 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	GID	Jewell	3 hr
Jul 7, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell, Osborne	62 min
Jul 7, 4:50 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	GID	Mitchell	6 hr
Jul 7, 5:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Smith	68 min
Jul 7, 5:38 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	GID	Osborne	6 hr
Jul 7, 5:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Mitchell, Osborne	59 min
Jul 7, 5:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Rooks	31 min
Jul 7, 6:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Phillips	56 min
Jul 7, 6:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Phillips	41 min
Jul 7, 6:26 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Osborne	49 min
Jul 7, 6:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Smith	45 min
Jul 7, 6:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Rooks	47 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2004 Every tornado warning in 2004 Tornadoes in 2004

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.