Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 15, NWS Goodland, KS

June 15, 2009Decatur County, Sheridan County, Thomas County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at Jun 15, 2009, 9:14 PM CDT for Decatur County, Sheridan County, Thomas County, Kansas. It was in force for 35 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: Jun 15, 2009, 9:14 PM CDT (02:14 UTC)
Expired: Jun 15, 2009, 9:49 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Goodland, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Decatur County, KS, Sheridan County, KS, Thomas County, KS

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:14 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 tornado 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jun 15, 3:34 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 185 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: 2193 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 757 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -1 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: -0.3
Supercell composite: -1.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KGLD 160214
TORGLD
KSC039-179-193-160300-
/O.NEW.KGLD.TO.W.0015.090616T0214Z-090616T0300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
914 PM CDT MON JUN 15 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN DECATUR COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...
  SHERIDAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...TASCO...SEGUIN...HOXIE...
  NORTHEASTERN THOMAS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF REXFORD...

* UNTIL 1000 PM CDT

* AT 912 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR REXFORD...
  MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES NORTH OF SEGUIN AROUND 940 PM CDT...
  HOXIE AND 7 MILES WEST OF TASCO AROUND 1000 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA.

&&

LAT...LON 3945 10022 3922 10034 3943 10091 3957 10084
      3957 10074 3958 10073
TIME...MOT...LOC 0214Z 291DEG 22KT 3948 10075

$$

LOCKHART

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KGLD 160235
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
835 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

KSC039-193-160245-
/O.CAN.KGLD.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-090616T0300Z/
DECATUR KS-THOMAS KS-
935 PM CDT MON JUN 15 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN THOMAS AND EXTREME
SOUTHWESTERN DECATUR COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA.

LAT...LON 3935 10062 3953 10053 3945 10022 3922 10034
TIME...MOT...LOC 0235Z 293DEG 33KT 3939 10046

$$

KSC179-160300-
/O.CON.KGLD.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-090616T0300Z/
SHERIDAN KS-
935 PM CDT MON JUN 15 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL
SHERIDAN COUNTY...

AT 934 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR HOXIE...MOVING
SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  HOXIE AROUND 940 PM CDT...
  TASCO AROUND 950 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA.

&&

LAT...LON 3935 10062 3953 10053 3945 10022 3922 10034
TIME...MOT...LOC 0235Z 293DEG 33KT 3939 10046

$$

LOCKHART

000 
WWUS53 KGLD 160249
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
949 PM CDT MON JUN 15 2009

KSC179-160259-
/O.CAN.KGLD.TO.W.0015.000000T0000Z-090616T0300Z/
SHERIDAN KS-
949 PM CDT MON JUN 15 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR CENTRAL SHERIDAN COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE WEAKENED AND NO LONGER APPEAR CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
SEVERE WEATHER.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA.

LAT...LON 3935 10062 3953 10053 3945 10022 3922 10034
TIME...MOT...LOC 0249Z 293DEG 33KT 3934 10031

$$

LOCKHART

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jun 15, 6:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 6:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 49 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
525 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

.DISCUSSION...
230 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
TONIGHT WITH LINGERING CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS.

AMAZINGLY HIGH WIDESPREAD DEWPOINTS WELL INTO THE 60S ACROSS
NORTHWEST KANSAS EXTEND INTO FAR EASTERN COLORADO AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA. THAT MOISTURE COMBINED WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES MAINLY IN
THE 80S WILL PRODUCE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE THAT WILL BE RIPE
FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT TODAY. A SHORT WAVE TROUGH LIFTS OUT
ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON TO ASSIST
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. WITH A SURFACE STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS
THE FORECAST AREA AS A FOCUS WITH PLENTY OF SHEAR ALSO
AVAILABLE...EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. THERE WILL BE LINGERING POSSIBILITIES OF
THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ADDITIONAL WEAK SHORT
WAVES LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION AS THE RIDGE AMPLIFIES
WEDNESDAY OVER THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS. TEMPERATURES
WILL WARM INTO THE 90S BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK AND WILL MODERATE
A COUPLE OF DEGREES AS THE NEXT UPPER SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVES
ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS LATE IN THE WEEK WITH
ANOTHER AMPLIFICATION OF RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. DURING THE
WEEKEND.

LOCKAHRT
&&

.AVIATION...
524 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

FOR THE 00Z TAF CYCLE...GENERAL VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR BOTH
SITES, BUT CONVECTION DEVELOPING AT THIS TIME SHOULD AFFECT BOTH
SITES AT SOME POINT THIS EVENING, AND MVFR CONDITIONS MAY ENSUE
DURING STRONGER STORMS. ALSO, POTENTIAL DOES EXIST FOR SOME FOG
AND LOW STRATUS SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS NIGHTS. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO
BE RELATIVELY LIGHT AND VARIABLE FOR TAF CYCLE...AGAIN WITH THE
EXCEPTION OF PASSING CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THIS EVENING.

GJG
&&

.GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 4 AM CDT TUESDAY FOR KSZ002>004-014>016.

NE...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 4 AM CDT TUESDAY FOR NEZ080-081.

CO...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 15, 11:30 AM CDT, 9 hours 44 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1030 AM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-161215-
YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON-
SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA-
DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW-
1030 AM MDT MON JUN 15 2009 /1130 AM CDT MON JUN 15 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ARE
EXPECTED. VERY LARGE HAIL...POSSIBLY IN EXCESS OF TENNIS BALL SIZE
ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS.

AN INCREASED THREAT FOR A FEW TORNADOES WILL ALSO DEVELOP LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING ALONG AND NORTH OF A WARM FRONT
WHICH IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A LINE FROM NEAR TRIBUNE
EASTWARD ALONG HIGHWAY 96.

AS THUNDERSTORMS MOVE EAST AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE TONIGHT...
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL REMAIN
POSSIBLE. LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAIN YESTERDAY MAY
EXPERIENCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP TUESDAY NIGHT AND LINGER INTO
EARLY WEDNESDAY. ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL ARRIVE
LATE THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT ARRIVES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS ANTICIPATED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

JRM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
642 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

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

0640 PM     TSTM WND GST     10 SW GOODLAND          39.25N 101.84W
06/15/2009  M60 MPH          SHERMAN            KS   PUBLIC

            NWS EMPLOYEE MEASURED 60MPH WIND GUSTS, ALSO REPORTED
            NICKEL-SIZED HAIL.

&&

GJG

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:50 PM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
650 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

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

0640 PM     HAIL             7 S GOODLAND            39.25N 101.71W
06/15/2009  E1.00 INCH       SHERMAN            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0645 PM     TSTM WND GST     10 S GOODLAND           39.20N 101.71W
06/15/2009  E60.00 MPH       SHERMAN            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

024

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:52 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
652 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

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

0620 PM     HAIL             10 NW ATWOOD            39.91N 101.17W
06/15/2009  E1.75 INCH       RAWLINS            KS   PUBLIC

&&

GJG

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
654 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

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

0645 PM     HAIL             1 S ATWOOD              39.80N 101.04W
06/15/2009  E1.00 INCH       RAWLINS            KS   STORM CHASER

&&

024

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
655 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

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

0630 PM     HAIL             ATWOOD                  39.81N 101.04W
06/15/2009  E1.75 INCH       RAWLINS            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

GJG

Local storm report, Jun 15, 8:29 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
729 PM MDT MON JUN 15 2009

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

0725 PM     HAIL             11 SSE BENKELMAN        39.90N 101.45W
06/15/2009  E1.00 INCH       CHEYENNE           KS   PUBLIC

&&

024

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 15, 7:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Sherman	35 min
Jun 15, 7:33 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Rawlins	57 min
Jun 15, 7:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Sherman	45 min
Jun 15, 8:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Cheyenne, Rawlins	25 min
Jun 15, 8:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Logan, Sherman, Thomas	17 min
Jun 15, 8:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Decatur, Rawlins, Sheridan, Thomas	53 min
Jun 15, 8:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Decatur, Rawlins, Sheridan, Thomas	39 min
Jun 15, 9:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Decatur, Graham, Sheridan	24 min
Jun 15, 9:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Graham, Norton	17 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2009 Every tornado warning in 2009 Tornadoes in 2009

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.