Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 106, NWS Wichita, KS

May 23, 2008Butler County, Cowley County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 2008, 12:07 AM CDT for Butler County, Cowley County, Kansas. It was in force for 53 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 23, 2008, 12:07 AM CDT (05:07 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 2008, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Butler County, KS, Cowley County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 56 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:09 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 22, 9:11 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lamont, OK (KLMN), launched 00:00Z, 5.1 hours before the alert went out and 114 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, Lamont, OK at 00:00Z on 2008-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3001 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Lamont, OK at 00:00Z on 2008-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
3001 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1125 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
203 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.0
Supercell composite
11.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 May 22, 10:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 22, 10:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1018 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

.UPDATE...

WE HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL CALLS AROUND HARPER COUNTY AND THEY ARE
REPORTING 50 MPH WINDS NEAR ATTICA. IT APPEARS LIKE THESE WINDS ARE
OCCURING IN BETWEEN TWO MESO HIGH COUPLETS. THESE WINDS SHOULD BE
FAIRLY SHORTLIVED. WE WILL BE ISSUING SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS
TO COVER THESE WINDS FOR NOW...BUT WE MAY ISSUE A HIGH WIND
WARNING IF THE WINDS INCREASE OR THEY LAST LONGER THAN EXPECTED.

COX
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 758 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/

UPDATE...

WE ARE SENDING OUT A QUICK UPDATE TO LET THE WIND ADVISORY
EXPIRE.

LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS WAS SHOWING THE GRADIENT WINDS DECREASING
ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. AS A RESULT...WE ARE PLANNING ON LETTING THE
WIND ADVISORY EXPIRE AT 8 PM.

COX

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 701 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/

UPDATE...

AVIATION...00Z TAFS RSL/SLN/HUT/ICT/CNU
SCATTERED SEVERE CONVECTION FROM WRN KS INTO WRN OK MAY SURVIVE
EWD INTO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL/SOUTH-CENTRAL KS BY LATE THIS
EVE/OVERNIGHT AIDED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 50 KT LOW-LEVEL JET.
GIVEN ISOLD-SCATTERED NATURE OF STORMS...WILL UTILIZE VCTS GROUPS
FOR NOW AND ADJUST AS NECESSARY VIA RADAR TRENDS...ETC. MVFR CIGS
ALSO LIKELY BY LATE TONIGHT/EARLY FRI AM GIVEN MOIST SERLY UPSLOPE
FLOW UNDERNEATH LOW-LEVEL JET AXIS. MODELS INDICATE THE STRATIFORM
CLOUDS WILL BREAK OUT BY MIDDAY FRIDAY. ADDITIONAL SEVERE STORMS
MAY DEVELOP OVER WRN KS LATE FRI PM/EVE WHICH MAY MOVE INTO THE
AREA WEST OF I-135 EARLY BY FRI EVE. LATER TAFS WILL ADDRESS THIS.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 543 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/

UPDATE...

THE MAIN CONCERN THIS EVENING WILL BE HIGH WIND POTENTIAL IN CENTRAL
KANSAS AND THE STORMS MOVING OUT OF OKLAHOMA.

LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS WAS SHOWING A FAIRLY STRONG PRESSURE
GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA. LATEST PROFILERS WERE SHOWING AROUND
35-40KTS ON THE HAVILAND PROFILER WHICH IS STARTING TO MIX DOWN
ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. WE ARE GOING AHEAD AND ISSUE A SHORT TERM
WIND ADVISORY FOR ABOUT FIVE COUNTIES WHERE THEY MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE
LOCAL EFFECTS OF STORM RELATIVE FLOW. LATER THIS EVENING...WE WILL
HAVE TO WATCH THE EVOLUTION OF THE STORMS COMING OUT OF OKLAHOMA FOR
OUR MAIN SHOW. THESE STORMS MAY BE ABLE TAP INTO BETTER LOW LEVEL
HELICITY AS THE LOW LEVEL FLOW BACKS AROUND SUNSET. BASED ON
EXTRAPOLATION...IT APPEARS LIKE THE RIGHT MOVERS COULD GRAZE OUR
AREAS MAINLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 14 BETWEEN 02Z-04Z.

COX

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 314 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008/

DISCUSSION...

MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL INTO THE WEEKEND.

TONIGHT-SATURDAY:
AS OF 19Z...WARM FRONT STRETCHED FROM NWRN KS THRU CENTRAL AND
EAST-CENTRAL KS WITH LITTLE NEWD MOVEMENT ON THIS BOUNDARY
ANTICIPATED INTO FRIDAY. DRYLINE STRETCHED FROM THE WARM FRONT JUST
S OF GOODLAND TO LIBERAL THRU THE EASTERN PANHANDLES. SEVERE STORMS
ALREADY HAVE FIRED NEAR/E OF DRYLINE IN WESTERN KS...AND EXPECT THIS
TREND OF DEVELOPMENT FURTHER SWD ALONG/E OF DRYLINE INTO THIS EVE AS
STRONG POTENTIAL VORTICITY MAX CONTINUES TO EJECT NEWD INTO ERN
CO/WRN KS. BASED ON PROGGED STORM MOTION TRAJECTORIES
(220/30KT)...THE BRUNT OF THE SEVERE STORMS WILL STAY JUST W OF OUR
CWA...BUT SOME OF THE STORMS COULD GET INTO OUR WESTERN-MOST
COUNTIES TONIGHT (WEST OF HIGHWAY 14). BASED ON STRONG INSTABILITY
AND STRONG LOW-LEVEL SHEAR...ANY SUPERCELLS THAT MANAGE TO MAKE IT
AS FAR EAST AS OUR WESTERN-MOST COUNTIES WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT
SEVERE POTENTIAL INCLUDING STRONG TORNADOES. FOR FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY...DRYLINE PROGGED TO BE SLIGHTLY FURTHER EAST TO JUST W OF
CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL KS. UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT GETS SLIGHTLY LESS BY
SATURDAY...HOWEVER VERY STRONG INSTABILITY AND RESPECTABLE DEEP
LAYER SHEAR WILL EXIST ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL KS E OF THE DRYLINE.
SO WILL MAINTAIN A CHANCE OF T-STORMS IN CENTRAL SECTIONS MAINLY FOR
THE LATER PM/EVE. SUPERCELL TYPE STORMS WITH SIGNIFICANT SEVERE
WEATHER REMAIN POSSIBLE IN THOSE AREAS. SERN KS MAY NOT SEE MUCH
ACTIVITY TIL SAT NIGHT. LOW CLOUDS MAY DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF OUR AREA
EARLY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING FOR SEVERAL HOURS GIVEN UPSLOPE
FLOW AND LOW-LEVEL JET AXIS POSITIONING.

SUNDAY-THURSDAY:
PATTERN LOOKS TO REMAIN PRETTY ACTIVE FOR THUNDERSTORMS DURING THIS
PERIOD AS MEAN UPPER TROFFING REMAINS OVER THE WESTERN CONUS.
GFS/ECMWF SHOW A COLD FRONT TRYING TO DROP SWD ACROSS OUR AREA
SOMETIME TUES INTO EARLY WED WHICH IS A BIT SLOWER THAN PREVIOUS
RUNS. FOR SUN-MON...BETTER T-STORM CHANCES WILL BE IN OUR NWRN
COUNTIES (MAINLY EVENING/OVERNIGHT)...THEN AREAWIDE AS THE FRONT MOVES THRU
TUES INTO EARLY WED. THERE COULD BE SOME LULL IN CONVECTION CHANCES
WED-THURS AS THE MODELS SUGGEST UPPER RIDGING MAY POKE UP ACROSS THE
CENTRAL CONUS. THEN PRECIPITATION CHANCES COULD INCREASE AGAIN
TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK AS AN UPPER TROF TOPS THE RIDGE OVER THE
NRN/CNTRL PLAINS. CONFIDENCE FAIRLY HIGH THAT TEMPERATURES WILL BE
ABOVE NORMAL SUN-MON...THEN CLOSER TO NORMAL TUES-WED.

JMC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    67  86  69  89 /  50  30  40  20
HUTCHINSON      66  86  69  88 /  50  30  50  30
NEWTON          66  85  69  87 /  50  30  40  20
ELDORADO        67  85  69  87 /  40  20  30  20
WINFIELD-KWLD   69  86  69  90 /  40  20  30  20
RUSSELL         65  85  68  89 /  60  40  50  30
GREAT BEND      66  86  67  87 /  60  40  50  30
SALINA          66  84  68  89 /  50  30  50  30
MCPHERSON       66  85  68  88 /  50  30  50  30
COFFEYVILLE     68  85  69  88 /  30  20  20  20
CHANUTE         67  84  69  86 /  30  20  20  20
IOLA            67  83  69  86 /  30  20  20  20
PARSONS-KPPF    68  84  69  87 /  30  20  20  20

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 23, 12:06 AM CDT, 1 minute before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, May 22, 11:27 PM CDT, 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1127 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

1100 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG SPIVEY                  37.45N 98.17W
05/22/2008                   KINGMAN            KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ROOF BLOWN OFF OF A HOUSE IN SPIVEY. NO ESTIMATE OF WIND
            SPEED WAS GIVEN.

&&

CDB
Local storm report, May 22, 11:33 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1133 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

1116 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 5 SSW GODDARD           37.59N 97.61W
05/22/2008  M60 MPH          SEDGWICK           KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

CDB
Local storm report, May 22, 11:38 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1138 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

1100 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG SPIVEY                  37.45N 98.17W
05/22/2008                   KINGMAN            KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            THE OLD SPIVEY HIGH SCHOOL TIN ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF. WINDS
            ESTIMATED AT AROUND 60 MPH.

&&

CDB
Local storm report, May 22, 11:46 PM CDT, 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1146 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

1116 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BAS 37.62N 97.27W
05/22/2008  M62 MPH          SEDGWICK           KS   ASOS

            62 MPH WIND GUST MEASURED AT THE BASE.

&&

CDB
Local storm report, May 22, 11:59 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1159 PM CDT THU MAY 22 2008

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

1143 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST NORTHEAST WICHITA AND J 37.75N 97.22W
05/22/2008  M59 MPH          SEDGWICK           KS   ASOS

&&

CDB
Special weather statement, May 23, 12:00 AM CDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1200 AM CDT FRI MAY 23 2008

KSZ069-093-230545-
BUTLER-COWLEY-
1200 AM CDT FRI MAY 23 2008

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ALERT FOR BUTLER AND COWLEY COUNTIES...

AT 1157 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF BURDEN...OR 7 MILES
NORTHEAST OF WINFIELD...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 37 MPH.

PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS THUNDERSTORM. THE LIGHTNING FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS IS
FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS REFRAIN FROM USING ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND
STAY OFF THE TELEPHONE EXCEPT IF NECESSARY.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

ES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 22, 10:31 PM CDTHigh Wind WarningICTHarper, Sedgwick, Sumner2 hr
May 22, 11:40 PM CDTWind AdvisoryICTButler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Greenwood and 2 more2 hr
May 23, 12:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarper, Sumner28 min
May 23, 2:22 AM CDTWind AdvisoryICTButler, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk, Greenwood, Harper and 5 more5 hr
May 23, 2:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarper, Sumner57 min
May 23, 2:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTLabette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson66 min
May 23, 2:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTSumner67 min
May 23, 3:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTSumner45 min
May 23, 4:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTSumner58 min
May 23, 4:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTKingman, Reno, Sedgwick36 min
May 23, 5:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTRussell35 min
May 23, 9:17 AM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTLincoln4 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2008Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2008

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.