Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 7, NWS Topeka, KS

February 29, 2004Osage County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 29, 2004, 7:09 PM CST for Osage County, Kansas. It was in force for 36 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
Feb 29, 2004, 7:09 PM CST (01:09 UTC)
Expired
Feb 29, 2004, 7:45 PM CST
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Osage County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 50 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:11 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

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 39 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 2004-03-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 245 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 2004-03-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 126 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
245 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
847 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
126 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

926 
WUUS53 KTOP 010109
SVRTOP
KSC139-010145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
709 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN OSAGE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL KANSAS

* UNTIL 745 PM CST

* AT 706 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OSAGE CITY...OR ABOUT 18
  MILES NORTHEAST OF EMPORIA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS AFFECTED...
  OSAGE CITY
  BURLINGAME
  SCRANTON
  CARBONDALE

QUARTER SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM AT READING AT 
705 PM.

LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN 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 3859 9596 3852 9581 3885 9557 3885 9584

$$

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 Feb 29, 3:10 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 29, 3:10 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KANSAS
3 PM SUN FEB 29 2004

.DISCUSSION...

LATEST SATELLITE SHOWING STRONG NEGATIVE TILT SHORTWAVE ROTATING
OUT TO THE NORTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN OK/SOUTHERN KS PROGGED TO LIFT
ACROSS THE CWA BY EARLY THIS EVENING AS UPPER LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST
ACROSS WESTCENTRAL KANSAS AND INTO SOUTHERN NEBRASKA MONDAY MORNING.
CURRENT LARGE SHIELD OF SHOWERS AND A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA SHOULD DECREASE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE
AREA THROUGH THE EVENING AS DRY SLOT NOSES NORTHWARD. ALTHOUGH THE
MAIN AREA OF PRECIP WILL LIFT NORTH OF THE CWA BY LATER THIS
EVENING...A NEW AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER
NORTHWEST OK MAY ALSO DEVELOP AND SPREAD NORTHEAST WITH THE COLD
POOL INTO THE SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE CWA THIS EVENING...THEN THE
THREAT FOR WRAPAROUND SHOWERS MOVES BACK ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AREAS
OF THE CWA AFTER MIDNIGHT AS UPPER LOW LIFTS TO THE NORTH. ALTHOUGH
LOW LEVEL THICKNESSES APPEAR TOO WARM FOR SNOW...MID LEVEL THICKNESS
WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL AFTER MIDNIGHT
AND WITH LOWS LATER IN THE NIGHT IN THE 30S...CANT RULE OUT SOME
SNOW MAKING IT THE GROUND WITH ANY PRECIP THAT WOULD WRAP INTO THE
AREA. WILL KEEP WINDS GUSTS TO AROUND 35 MPH GOING IN STRONG
GRADIENT.

AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES EAST AND NORTHEAST OF THE CWA ON
MONDAY...STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE A RAIN/SNOW MIX POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE NORTH IN THE MORNING WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE AS FAR SOUTH AS
I-70...THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN LINGERING OVER THE FAR
NORTHEAST IN THE AFTERNOON. WILL KEEP HIGHS A LITTLE BELOW GUIDANCE
DUE TO EXPECTED LOW CLOUDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WRAPPING AROUND
THE LOW. WIND GUSTS WILL REMAIN IN THE 30-40 MPH RANGE MOST AREAS.

PRECIP THREAT ENDS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA BY MONDAY EVENING AS UPPER
LOW PULLS AWAY...ALTHOUGH CLOUDS WILL BE SLOW TO GIVE WAY INTO
TUESDAY. NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEGINS TO DIG INTO THE SOUTHWEST U.S.
AND BEGINS TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA LATE TUESDAY
NIGHT WITH A CHANCE FOR RAIN. APPEARS THICKNESSES COLD ENOUGH FOR
SNOW WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE NORTHERN CWA ONLY BY THAT TIME WITH WAA
THEN UNDERWAY THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY BEFORE COLD AIR MOVES BACK
IN BY THURSDAY MORNING AND THROUGH THE DAY. WILL THEREFORE KEEP
PRECIP AS RAIN ACROSS THE CWA LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY WITH
A CHANCE FOR A MIXTURE OF RAIN OR SNOW NORTHWEST HALF WEDNESDAY
NIGHT AND OVER THE ENTIRE AREA BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS CAA WITHIN
AREA OF HEIGHTS FALLS FROM ADVANCING TROUGH MOVES THROUGH. FOR
NOW...EXPECT PRECIP TO END BY THURSDAY EVENING...THEN DRY ON INTO
THE WEEKEND AS CENTRAL ROCKIES SHORTWAVE ON FRIDAY EXPECTED TO STAY
MAINLY SOUTH OF THE CWA. TEMPERATURES SHOULD MODERATE INTO THE UPPER
40S AND LOWER 50S BY THE WEEKEND.

&&

.TOP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 29, 4:35 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
435 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-011100-
ANDERSON-BROWN-CLAY-CLOUD-COFFEY-DICKINSON-DOUGLAS-FRANKLIN-GEARY-
JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LYON-MARSHALL-MORRIS-NEMAHA-OSAGE-OTTAWA-
POTTAWATOMIE-REPUBLIC-RILEY-SHAWNEE-WABAUNSEE-WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABILENE...CLAY CENTER...CONCORDIA...
EMPORIA...HIAWATHA...JUNCTION CITY...LAWRENCE...MANHATTAN...
MARYSVILLE...OTTAWA AND TOPEKA
435 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH
THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BRIEFLY
BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL. ANY STORMS THAT
OCCUR SHOULD WEAKEN BY 8 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

SOME SNOW MAY FALL OVER PARTS OF THE AREA...MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF
INTERSTATE 70...FROM ANOTHER WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE PLAINS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. HOWEVER, IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY JUST
HOW MUCH SNOW THIS NEXT SYSTEM MAY BRING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS MAY STILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

&&

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, Feb 29, 5:18 PM CST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
518 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

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

0330 PM     TSTM WND DMG     3 SE JUNCTION CITY      39.00N 96.79W
02/29/2004                   GEARY              KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            2 OUTBUILDINGS DESTROYED.

&&

DS
Local storm report, Feb 29, 5:54 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
554 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

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

0552 PM     HAIL             1 NW TESCOTT            39.02N 97.89W
02/29/2004  0.75 INCH        OTTAWA             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

DS
Local storm report, Feb 29, 6:07 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
607 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

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

0602 PM     HAIL             ADA                     39.15N 97.89W
02/29/2004  1.00 INCH        OTTAWA             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

DS
Local storm report, Feb 29, 6:37 PM CST, 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
637 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

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

0630 PM     HAIL             7 SE GLASCO             39.28N 97.75W
02/29/2004  1.00 INCH        OTTAWA             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

0625 PM     HAIL             5 SE GLASCO             39.31N 97.77W
02/29/2004  0.88 INCH        CLOUD              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

0602 PM     HAIL             ADA                     39.15N 97.89W
02/29/2004  1.00 INCH        OTTAWA             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

0552 PM     HAIL             1 NW TESCOTT            39.02N 97.89W
02/29/2004  0.75 INCH        OTTAWA             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

DS
Local storm report, Feb 29, 7:07 PM CST, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
707 PM CST SUN FEB 29 2004

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

0705 PM     HAIL             READING                 38.52N 95.95W
02/29/2004  1.00 INCH        LYON               KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

DS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 29, 6:20 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic40 min
Feb 29, 6:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Ottawa47 min
Feb 29, 6:31 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Wabaunsee44 min
Feb 29, 6:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMorris30 min
Feb 29, 6:52 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Shawnee23 min
Feb 29, 7:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJackson, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Wabaunsee44 min
Feb 29, 7:52 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPBrown23 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2004Every 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.