Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2008

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 168, NWS Topeka, KS

June 12, 2008Douglas County, Jefferson County, Shawnee County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 12, 2008, 7:21 PM CDT for Douglas County, Jefferson County, Shawnee 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
Jun 12, 2008, 7:21 PM CDT (00:21 UTC)
Expired
Jun 12, 2008, 8:00 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Douglas County, KS, Jefferson County, KS, Shawnee County, KS

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 12, 3:06 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 263 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2008-06-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2008-06-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -10 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3240 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
77 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jun 12, 4:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 12, 4:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 11 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS ISSUED BY PLEASANT HILL MO
410 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

.DISCUSSION...

SEVERAL SHORT TERM CONCERNS FOR TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. INITIALLY
LATE THIS AFTERNOON...INSTABILITY FROM AFTERNOON HEATING WILL BE
INTERACTING WITH A WEAK SURFACE BOUNDARY THAT EXTENDS FROM JUST
NORTH OF KANSAS CITY TO NEAR TOPEKA...AND JUST NORTH OF WICHITA.
MOISTURE HAS POOLED IN THE VICINITY OF THIS BOUNDARY WITH DEWPOINTS
IN THE LOW 70S. EXPECT AFTERNOON CONVECTION TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
ALONG THIS BOUNDARY WITH A SLIGHT SOUTHWARD DRIFT OF THIS FRONT
AIDED BY OUTFLOW FROM THE STORMS. TONIGHT...A SHORT WAVE WILL BE
MOVING OUT OF WESTERN KANSAS WHICH SHOULD ENHANCE THE LLJ IN
SOUTHERN KANSAS...WITH HEAVIER RAINFALL EXPECTED TO BE DEVELOPING
JUST NORTH OF THE SURFACE BOUNDARY. SO MAIN AREA OF HEAVIER RAINFALL
WILL BE DEPENDENT ON WHERE THIS FRONT CAN SETTLE THIS EVENING. A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF
WHERE THE SURFACE BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO BE...BUT IF THE LLJ IS
STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED OR THE FRONT DOES NOT PROGRESS VERY FAR TO
THE SOUTH...AND CONVECTION WILL LIKELY BE FOCUSED FURTHER NORTH
OVERNIGHT...AND THE FLOOD WATCH MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED FURTHER
NORTH TO INCLUDE THE TOPEKA AREA.

WITH THE SHORT WAVE MOVING PAST BY FRIDAY MORNING...EXPECT THE
HEAVIER CONVECTION TO BE MOVING OFF TO THE EAST...HOWEVER RESIDUAL
RUN OFF MAY CAUSE FLOODING CONDITIONS TO EXIST THROUGH MIDDAY...SO
WILL KEEP THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH POSTED THROUGH 18Z.

AFTER THAT...BY SATURDAY MORNING...A WEAK AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL
BUILD IN...WITH THE SURFACE FRONT DRIVEN WELL SOUTH OF THE REGION.
THIS SURFACE RIDGING SHOULD SHIFT EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY
SATURDAY EVENING SETTING UP A RETURN FLOW. INCREASING MOISTURE
RETURN ON SUNDAY MAY SET THE STAGE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ONCE AGAIN...AS
WEAK UPPER WAVES BREAK OVER SOUTHWEST UPPER RIDGE.  TIMING A BIT OF
AN ISSUE...AS TIMING OF ANY WAVE THROUGH THIS RIDGE IS STILL
UNCERTAIN. WILL TARGET SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE PRIME TIME...AS A SURFACE
FRONT IS FORECASTED TO BE DROPPING INTO EASTERN KANSAS. IF THIS
FRONT IS SLOWER THAN CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED...RAIN CHANCE ON MONDAY
WILL HAVE TO BE INCREASED...SO SOMETHING TO BE WATCHED FOR FUTURE
FORECASTS.

BY TUESDAY...AS WESTERN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS...AND UPPER SHORT WAVE
TROUGH MOVES EAST INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES...SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE DROPS SOUTH OUT OF CANADA. AREAS TO THE WEST OF THE SURFACE
HIGH IN WESTERN KANSAS MAY SEE THUNDERSTORMS MID WEEK...WHICH MAY
NUDGE CLOSER TO WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY THURSDAY AS
THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS SLIDES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.  FOR NOW WILL
JUST PUT SLIGHT CHANCES IN WESTERN AREAS TO COVER THIS POSSIBILITY.

PC

&&

.AVIATION...
/326 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008/
OVC/BKN CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE TAF
FORECAST PERIOD WITH 4,000 TO 6,000 FT CEILINGS...LOWER NEAR
CONVECTION. COLD FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH TAF SITES WITH
VARIABLE WINDS BECOMING NORTHERLY. PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. REFER TO
SHORT TERM DISCUSSION FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM
 THURSDAY TO 1 PM FRIDAY FOR
 KSZ040-KSZ054-KSZ055-KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059.

&&

PC
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 12, 6:37 AM CDT, 12 hours 44 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
637 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-131145-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
637 AM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF A LINE
FROM HIAWATHA TO MINNEAPOLIS. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS IS BETWEEN 4 PM AND 2 AM. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS IS LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS TODAY.
THE ATMOSPHERE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME MODERATELY UNSTABLE ALONG AND
AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT BY LATE AFTERNOON. AS ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ALONG THE COLD FRONT. DUE TO FAVORABLE DEEP LAYER
SHEAR...ORGANIZED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE.
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE INTO A LARGE CLUSTER OF
THUNDERSTORMS BY LATE EVENING WHEN SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL
POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO SLOWLY PUSH SOUTH OUT
OF THE AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY
NIGHT. AT THIS TIME IT IS TO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF AND WHERE
SEVERE WEATHER WILL OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

BOUSTEAD

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:02 PM CDT, 19 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:07 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:10 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:11 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
711 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0707 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 S TOPEKA              38.99N 95.68W
06/12/2008  M77 MPH          SHAWNEE            KS   ASOS

            FORBES FIELD ASOS

&&

BN
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:15 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
715 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0707 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 S TOPEKA              38.99N 95.68W
06/12/2008  M0.00 MPH        SHAWNEE            KS   ASOS

            PREVIOUS REPORT OF 77MPH FROM FORBES FIELD WAS INCORRECT.
            THE AUTOMATED REPORT WAS FALSE.

&&

BN
Local storm report, Jun 12, 7:18 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
718 PM CDT THU JUN 12 2008

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

0717 PM     FLASH FLOOD      TOPEKA                  39.05N 95.68W
06/12/2008                   SHAWNEE            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            AREA OF 21ST AND RANDOLPH BEING EVACUATED DUE TO THE
            SHUNGANUNGA CREEK BEING OUT OF ITS BANKS.

&&

BN

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 12, 7:28 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPOsage20 min
Jun 12, 7:53 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPOsage4 hr
Jun 12, 8:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey, Lyon, Osage43 min
Jun 12, 8:14 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPDouglas4 hr
Jun 12, 9:03 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPLyon3 hr
Jun 12, 9:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCoffey27 min
Jun 12, 9:29 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPCoffey, Douglas, Franklin, Osage4 hr
Jun 13, 8:01 AM CDTRiver Flood WarningTOPFranklin, Osage13 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.