Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 287, NWS Wichita, KS

September 17, 2004Ellsworth County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 17, 2004, 9:45 AM CDT for Ellsworth County, Kansas. It was in force for 60 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: Sep 17, 2004, 9:45 AM CDT (14:45 UTC)
Expired: Sep 17, 2004, 10:45 AM CDT
In force: 60 min
Issued by: NWS Wichita, KS
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Ellsworth County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:47 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 nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 181 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: 1989 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -289 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1361 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 86 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 212 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KICT 171445
SVRICT
KSC053-171545-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
945 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS REISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  ELLSWORTH COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 1045 AM CDT.

* AT 945 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES NORTH OF GENESEO...OR ABOUT 29 MILES
  NORTHWEST OF MCPHERSON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE
  OVER RURAL AREAS OF ELLSWORTH COUNTY...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
  HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS...
  VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...WHICH MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING...

REPEATING...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING HAS BEEN REISSUED FOR
ELLSWORTH COUNTY UNTIL 1045 AM CDT.

LAT...LON 3863 9823 3853 9823 3852 9794 3864 9793

$$

/COX

NNNN

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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Sep 17, 3:04 AM CDT, 6 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 17, 3:04 AM CDT, 6 hours 41 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
304 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

.DISCUSSION...
FCST CONCERNS...
REMOTE CNVTV CHC THIS MORNING AND AGAIN LATE TONGT, THEN TIMING OF
SGFNT FROPA NEXT WEEK...

FRI-SUN:
SOUTHEAST FLOW HAS BROUGHT LLVL MOIST AIR BACK ACROSS OKLAHOMA OVER
THE PAST 24 HOURS. SHOULD SEE SOME OF THAT MOISTURE CREEP INTO
SOUTHERN KS AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. WENT AHEAD AND INTRODUCED SOME
ISO POPS FOR ELEVATED MORNING CONVECTION TODAY, MAINLY ACROSS
CNTRL/SCNTRL KS. BEEN NOTICING SOME MID-LVL CLOUDS AND DECENT
ISENTROPIC LIFT OVER THESE AREAS. MODIFIED SOUNDINGS SHOW AN
UNSTABLE AIR MASS ALONG WITH CAPES IN EXCESS OF 2000 J/KG THIS
MORNING WITH VERY LITTLE CIN. WEAK UPPER LVL WAVE MOVING THROUGH
THE REGION AS WELL. LOCAL AREA PROFILERS SHOW GOOD VEERING OF THE
WINDS FROM LOW TO MID-LVLS. WILL LET LATER SHIFTS DECIDE IF POPS
NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO THE AFTN.

UPPER RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE AREA THROUGH SAT BEFORE SLIDING
A BIT EAST ON SUN. AFTN HIGH TEMPS WILL SOAR BACK INTO THE UPPER
80S INTO THE LOWER 90S THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR
THINGS AGAIN LATE TONIGHT WITH LLVL MOISTURE AROUND AND A MODEST
LLVL JET, COULD BE A SCHC FOR ELEVATED CONVECTION ACROSS AREAS OF
CNTRL AND SERN KS. HOWEVER, WARM TEMPS AT 700 MB COULD KEEP
CONVECTION FURTHER ACROSS FAR ERN AND NERN KS WHERE BETTER
ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL BE.

MON-THU:
NE-SW ORIENTED UPPER RIDGE AXIS REMAINS ACROSS ERN KS AS BROAD UPPER
TROUGH DEEPENS ACROSS THE WRN US. MED RANGE MODELS NOT IN GOOD
AGREEMENT FROM WED ON. THE ECM BRINGS UPPER SYSTEM FURTHER NORTH
ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS, AS WELL AS QUICKER THAN THE
GFS. WILL NOT MAKE MANY CHANGES TO ONGOING EXTENDED FCST UNTIL
THINGS BECOME CLEARER. ONE THING FOR CERTAIN, IS THAT AFTN HIGH
TEMPS WILL CONTINUE TO BE SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL INTO
WEDNESDAY AS NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES. TIMING OF THE SYSTEM BY
MID-WEEK WILL BE TRICKY AND COULD PLAY HAVOC WITH TEMPS TOWARD THE
LATTER HALF OF THE EXTENDED, AS COOLER AIR FILTERS IN BEHIND THE
TROUGH.

&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    88  68  93  68 /  20  10  10   0
HUTCHINSON      88  68  94  68 /  10  10  10   0
NEWTON          87  67  93  67 /  20  10  10   0
ELDORADO        87  67  93  67 /  20  10  10   0
WINFIELD-KWLD   88  68  93  68 /  20  10  10   0
RUSSELL         90  67  96  67 /  10  10   5   0
GREAT BEND      90  67  96  67 /  10  10   5   0
SALINA          89  68  95  69 /  20  10  10   0
MCPHERSON       88  68  94  68 /  20  10  10   0
COFFEYVILLE     87  63  90  64 /  10  10  10   0
CHANUTE         86  63  89  64 /  10  10  10   0
IOLA            86  62  89  63 /  10  10  10   0
&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&

5/SEDLOCK

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 17, 5:00 AM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
500 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-181200-
RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE-
RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER-
SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE-
500 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING ACROSS CENTRAL
AND SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS. WHILE MOST STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
BECOME SEVERE, AN ISOLATED LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND REPORT CANNOT
BE RULED OUT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY SATURDAY MORNING,
ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

THERE IS A BETTER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST KANSAS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, ESPECIALLY TUESDAY
NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME, IT IS TOO EARLY TO SPECULATE ON
THE MAGNITUDE AND TYPE OF ANY SEVERE WEATHER. LOOK FOR LATER
FORECASTS AND OUTLOOKS FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION, SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/ICT/HWO/HWOICT.HTM

TES

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:48 AM CDT, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
848 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0846 AM     HAIL             EXIT 216 ON INTERSTATE  38.85N 98.28W
09/17/2004  1.00 INCH        ELLSWORTH          KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

BRW

Local storm report, Sep 17, 8:59 AM CDT, 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
859 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0858 AM     HAIL             5 S BEVERLY             38.94N 97.98W
09/17/2004  0.88 INCH        LINCOLN            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

BRW

Local storm report, Sep 17, 9:16 AM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
916 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0915 AM     HAIL             3 E EXIT 216 ON INTERST 38.85N 98.23W
09/17/2004  1.50 INCH        ELLSWORTH          KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

BRW

Local storm report, Sep 17, 9:23 AM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
923 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0920 AM     HAIL             5 SSW EXIT 233 ON INTER 38.81N 98.00W
09/17/2004  1.25 INCH        ELLSWORTH          KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BRW

Local storm report, Sep 17, 9:33 AM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
933 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0933 AM     HAIL             5 NNE BROOKVILLE        38.84N 97.85W
09/17/2004  0.88 INCH        SALINE             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BRW

Local storm report, Sep 17, 9:40 AM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
940 AM CDT FRI SEP 17 2004

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

0939 AM     HAIL             2 NNW BROOKVILLE        38.79N 97.87W
09/17/2004  0.75 INCH        SALINE             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BRW

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 17, 7:28 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Russell	62 min
Sep 17, 8:08 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Ellsworth	67 min
Sep 17, 8:39 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Lincoln	66 min
Sep 17, 9:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Ellsworth	35 min
Sep 17, 9:18 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Saline	57 min
Sep 17, 11:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	McPherson	59 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2004 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.