Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 378, NWS Wichita, KS

July 2, 2008Chase County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2008, 4:36 PM CDT for Chase County, Kansas. It was in force for 39 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
Jul 2, 2008, 4:36 PM CDT (21:36 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 2008, 5:15 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Chase County, KS

The nearest sounding before it

Springfield, MO (KSGF), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 291 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2008-07-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 737 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, Springfield, MO at 12:00Z on 2008-07-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 76 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
737 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-163 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1316 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
145 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

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 Jul 2, 3:46 PM CDT, 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 3:46 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
346 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

.DISCUSSION...

FORECAST CONCERNS TODAY ARE STORM CHANCES TONIGHT INTO THU AND
MAINLY TEMPS FOR THE WEEKEND.

TONIGHT:
CURRENT CONVECTION DEVELOPING ALONG DIFFERENTIAL HEATING AXIS TO THE
SOUTH OF CURRENT FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN CEN KS.  THIS IS ALSO ALONG THE
AREA WITH THE HIGHEST SBCAPE WITH 3500-4000 J/KG. STORMS CURRENTLY
NOT MAKING MUCH PROGRESS EAST AS MID LEVEL FLOW IS WEAK...BUT
OUTFLOW FROM THIS CONVECTION WILL HELP DESTABILIZE THINGS FURTHER
EAST AND NORTH OF THIS CONVECTION AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES WITH
MORE CONVECTION EPXECTED ALONG THE INSTABILITY AXIS.  EXPECT
AFTERNOON CONVECTION TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL INTO
SOUTH CENTRAL KS AS LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES CONVERGENCE ALONG THE
FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS CEN KS. FORWARD PROPAGATION OF THIS
CONVECTION WILL TAKE IT SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN KS OVERNIGHT. COULD SEE SOME STRONG STORMS WITH THIS
CONVECTION...WITH THE VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS...BUT BULK SHEAR IS
RATHER LOW FOR A SUSTAINED SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. 0-3KM SHEAR DOES
INCREASE TO 25-30 KTS OVERNIGHT IN SOUTHEAST KS...SO SOME CONCERN
ABOUT AN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND THREAT OVERNIGHT IN SOUTHEAST KS.

THU:
EXPECT SOME CONVECTION TO STILL BE AROUND DURING THE MORNING HOURS
THU...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTH CEN KS. NOT TO JAZZED ABOUT GFS
DEPICTION OF QPF OVER NORTH CENTRAL KS DURING THE MORNING/AFTERNOON
HOURS...GIVEN LOW LEVEL JET VEERING OUT INTO SWRN MO BY THIS TIME.
SO PREFER THE NAM FOR FRONTAL PLACEMENT.  SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL
AGAIN BE KEY FOR POPS ON THU. SOME CONCERN ABOUT TONIGHTS CONVECTION
PUSHING MAIN BOUNDARY FURTHER SOUTH INTO OK...BY THU AFTERNOON. BUT
WILL KEEP A SOLID CHANCE POP ACROSS SOUTHERN KS FOR THU AFTERNOON/
EVENING. COULD SEE CONVECTION REDEVELOP/CONTINUE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
KS THU NIGHT...AS LOW LEVEL JET AGAIN INCREASES CONVERGENCE ALONG
THE ELEVATED BOUNDARY. MAIN THREAT FROM THIS CONVECTION WILL BE
HEAVY RAINFALL AS SHEAR IS MARGINAL FOR SEVERE STORMS.

FRI:
AGAIN COULD SEE SOME CONVECTION LINGER OVER SOUTHERN KS FOR THE
MORNING HOURS...BUT BOTH MODELS NOW SUGGESTING THAT BOUNDARY WILL
PUSH SOUTH INTO OK FOR FRI AFTERNOON....WITH DRIER AIR MOVING INTO
MOST OF KS.  SO WILL CUT BACK OR REMOVE POPS ACROSS MOST LOCATIONS
FOR FRI AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  WILL LEAVE A LOW POP IN SOUTHEAST KS
FOR NOW...BUT COULD SEE THESE POPS REMOVED IF DRIER TREND CONTINUES
ON THU.

SAT-SUN:
REMNANTS OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY BEGINS TO WASH OUT ACROSS OK EARLY
ON SAT AS WARM ADVECTION STARTS IN EARNEST ACROSS KS.  REFLECTION OF
THIS WARM ADVECTION SHOWS UP ON THE GFS MODELS 310-315K ISENTROPIC
LAYER...WITH AN AREA OF LIFT MOVING ACROSS WESTERN AND CENTRAL KS
EARLY ON SAT.  NOT TOO SURE THIS WILL LEAD TO ANY SHRA AS IT MOVES
THROUGH AS LOW LAYERS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY DRY. SO WILL NOT INTRODUCE
ANY POPS YET...BUT WILL CERTAINLY KEEP AN EYE ON THIS.

THE REST OF THE WEEKEND WILL CONCERN TEMPS...WITH SOUTHWESTERLY LOW
LEVEL FLOW LEADING TO TEMPS WARMING UP NICELY BY SUN INTO THE MID TO
UPPER 90S IN MOST LOCATIONS. WILL KEEP TEMPS A LITTLE COOLER IN
SOUTHEAST KS GIVEN HIGHER SOIL MOISTURE IN THIS AREA.

MON-TUE:
BOTH MODELS CONTINUE BUILD THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHWEST US FOR
THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK...WITH MAINLY WEAK UPPER FLOW ACROSS MOST
OF THE PLAINS STATES.  SO THE GENERAL TREND WILL BE WARMER AND DRIER
FOR MOST LOCATIONS AS WARM AIR BUILDING IN ALOFT WILL KEEP
CONVECTION IN CHECK.  SOME MODEL DIFFERENCES ON HOW MON WILL PLAY
OUT AS THE ECMWF TRYS TO BRING A WEAK IMPULSE ACROSS THE NORTHERN
PLAINS FOR MON.  ENSEMBLES PREFER A DRIER SOLUTION....SO WITH THIS
IN MIND WILL TAKE OUT POPS FOR MON ACROSS SOUTHERN KS.  COULD ALSO
SEE LATER FORECASTS REMOVE POPS FROM CEN KS AS WELL...BUT WILL LEAVE
SLIGHTS IN THIS AREA FOR NOW. MEDIUM RANGE MOS GUIDANCE ALSO WARMS
THINGS INTO THE UPPER 90S...BUT WILL UNDERCUT THIS FOR NOW.

KETCHAM

.AVIATION...
18Z TAF UPDATE...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON
BUT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN CENTRAL KANSAS AS A
COLD FRONT SINKS SOUTHWARD INTO THE REGION. RSL/SLN/HUT TERMINALS
COULD BE IMPACTED BY SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AFTER 6PM
OTHERWISE THE ACTIVITY WILL GRADUALLY MIGRATE SOUTHWARD AND COULD
AFFECT THE ICT TERMINAL LATER TONIGHT.

JAKUB

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    70  84  66  87 /  50  40  50  20
HUTCHINSON      67  83  66  87 /  50  30  40  20
NEWTON          67  83  66  86 /  50  30  40  20
ELDORADO        66  84  66  86 /  50  40  50  20
WINFIELD-KWLD   69  86  67  87 /  40  40  50  30
RUSSELL         66  81  62  87 /  60  30  20  10
GREAT BEND      65  82  64  87 /  50  30  20  10
SALINA          69  81  63  86 /  60  30  30  10
MCPHERSON       67  82  64  87 /  60  30  30  10
COFFEYVILLE     67  87  66  87 /  40  50  60  30
CHANUTE         67  85  65  86 /  50  50  50  30
IOLA            67  84  64  86 /  50  40  50  30
PARSONS-KPPF    67  86  66  86 /  50  50  50  30

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 4:30 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
430 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-031015-
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-
430 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS...
SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT ACROSS
THE ENTIRE AREA. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOST LIKELY
DURING THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS AS STORMS THAT REDEVELOP
IN CENTRAL KANSAS BEGIN TO MOVE TO THE SOUTH OVERNIGHT.  SOME LARGE
HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH A FEW OF THE STRONGER
STORMS...BUT THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS LATE TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A FRONT WILL STALL SOMEWHERE ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS ON THURSDAY
BEFORE MOVING OUT OF THE AREA BY MIDDAY FRIDAY. A FEW OF THESE
STORMS COULD BE SEVERE ON THURSDAY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE FRONT
ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND
AND LARGE HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE ARE THE MAIN THREATS ON THURSDAY.
THE STORMS ON FRIDAY MAY BE STRONG BUT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE.

THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN ON SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY FOR
CENTRAL KANSAS.  AT THIS TIME...IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THESE STORMS
WILL BE STRONG OR SEVERE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT
ACROSS CENTRAL OR SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP

SCHRECK/KETCHAM

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 2:09 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
209 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

KSZ082-022000-
KINGMAN-
209 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ALERT FOR WESTERN KINGMAN COUNTY...

AT 207 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CUNNINGHAM...OR 16 MILES EAST OF PRATT...
AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL...WINDS TO 50 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

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

JAKUB
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 3:41 PM CDT, 55 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
341 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

KSZ083-022130-
SEDGWICK-
341 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ALERT FOR SEDGWICK COUNTY...

AT 336 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WICHITA MID CONTINENT AIRPORT...OR 6 MILES
WEST OF DOWNTOWN WICHITA...AND MOVING EAST AT 14 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL...WINDS TO 50 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

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

THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOODING WARNINGS...SHOULD
THE RISK FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT.

JAKUB
Local storm report, Jul 2, 3:45 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
345 PM CDT WED JUL 02 2008

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

0340 PM     HAIL             WEST WICHITA            37.69N 97.46W
07/02/2008  E0.50 INCH       SEDGWICK           KS   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            WINDS TO 45 MILES AN HOUR. CENTRAL AND RIDGE

&&

MJR
Local storm report, Jul 2, 3:52 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 2, 4:07 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 2, 4:31 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
431 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

KSZ053-022200-
CHASE-
431 PM CDT WED JUL 2 2008

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ALERT FOR CHASE COUNTY...

AT 427 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ELMDALE...OR 11 MILES WEST
OF COTTONWOOD FALLS...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

PENNY SIZED HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE. THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS.
LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOODING WARNINGS...SHOULD
THE RISK FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT.

ES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase64 min
Jul 2, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase, Marion63 min
Jul 2, 5:45 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTChase6 hr
Jul 2, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase, Marion55 min
Jul 2, 6:20 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningICTChase, Marion6 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.