Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Goodland, KS

July 20, 2009Logan County, Wallace County, Wichita County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at Jul 20, 2009, 8:32 PM CDT for Logan County, Wallace County, Wichita County, Kansas. It was in force for 28 min. 3 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 20, 2009, 8:32 PM CDT (01:32 UTC)
Expired: Jul 20, 2009, 9:00 PM CDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Goodland, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon

Counties Logan County, KS, Wallace County, KS, Wichita County, KS

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:35 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 20, 8:50 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Lydia, KS
Jul 20, 8:59 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Sw Leoti, KS	ESTIMATED 50 MPH WIND
Jul 20, 9:01 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	Leoti, KS

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

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
Jul 20, 7:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	3 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 151 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: 3408 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2037 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 71 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 5.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KGLD 210132
TORGLD
KSC109-199-203-210230-
/O.NEW.KGLD.TO.W.0023.090721T0132Z-090721T0230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
832 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN LOGAN COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL KANSAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN WALLACE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL KANSAS...
  WICHITA COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL KANSAS...
  THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...SELKIRK...MARIENTHAL...LYDIA...
  LEOTI...

* UNTIL 930 PM CDT/830 PM MDT/

* AT 831 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 21 MILES NORTH
  OF LEOTI...OR 14 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WALLACE...MOVING SOUTH AT 50   
  MPH. SOFTBALL SIZE HAIL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  6 MILES EAST OF LEOTI AROUND 855 PM CDT...
  MARIENTHAL AROUND 900 PM CDT...
  8 MILES EAST OF LYDIA AROUND 915 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WARNING MEANS THAT A TORNADO HAS BEEN OBSERVED OR INDICATED
BY RADAR. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...SEEK SHELTER IN A
SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AND COVER UP.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY
MORNING/100 AM MDT TUESDAY MORNING/ FOR NORTHWEST KANSAS AND
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING/100 AM MDT TUESDAY MORNING/
FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3828 10153 3892 10157 3895 10127 3832 10111
      3826 10112
TIME...MOT...LOC 0132Z 338DEG 42KT 3878 10138

$$

JRM

2 follow-up statements

000 
WWUS53 KGLD 210152
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
752 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

KSC109-199-210202-
/O.CAN.KGLD.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-090721T0230Z/
LOGAN KS-WALLACE KS-
852 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN WALLACE AND SOUTHWESTERN
LOGAN COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM HAS LEFT THE AREA...THEREFORE THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY
MORNING/100 AM MDT TUESDAY MORNING/ FOR NORTHWEST KANSAS AND
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING/100 AM MDT TUESDAY MORNING/
FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS.

LAT...LON 3828 10152 3868 10153 3869 10120 3832 10111
      3826 10112
TIME...MOT...LOC 0152Z 346DEG 44KT 3853 10133

$$

KSC203-210230-
/O.CON.KGLD.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-090721T0230Z/
WICHITA KS-
852 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 930 PM CDT FOR WICHITA
COUNTY...

AT 850 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A TORNADO.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR LEOTI...MOVING
SOUTH AT 50 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  LYDIA AROUND 910 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
SOFT BALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING FOR
EAST CENTRAL COLORADO AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS.

&&

LAT...LON 3828 10152 3868 10153 3869 10120 3832 10111
      3826 10112
TIME...MOT...LOC 0152Z 346DEG 44KT 3853 10133

$$

JRM

000 
WWUS53 KGLD 210200
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
900 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009

KSC203-210208-
/O.CAN.KGLD.TO.W.0023.000000T0000Z-090721T0230Z/
WICHITA KS-
900 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WICHITA COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING NO LONGER APPEARS CAPABLE OF 
PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS REMAINS A DANGEROUS STORM HOWEVER...WINDS 
IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND HAIL LARGER THAN GOLFBALL SIZE ARE LIKELY 
WITH THIS STORM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING
FOR NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT TUESDAY MORNING FOR
EAST CENTRAL COLORADO AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS.

LAT...LON 3828 10152 3868 10153 3869 10120 3832 10111
      3826 10112
TIME...MOT...LOC 0158Z 346DEG 44KT 3845 10131

$$

JRM

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 Jul 20, 6:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 6:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
526 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

.DISCUSSION...
228 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

THE 20Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL
NEBRASKA AND AN INVERTED TROUGH EXTENDING NORTHWEST INTO NORTHEAST
COLORADO. RADAR GETTING RETURNS ALONG THE FRONT AND OVER EASTERN
COLORADO. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING A SHORTWAVE MOVING OUT OF
WYOMING INTO EASTERN COLORADO.

NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH A
RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. SHORTWAVES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN
THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIDGE INTO NORTHWEST KANSAS DURING THIS TIME.
AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE SOUTH ALLOWING HIGH PRESSURE
TO BUILD INTO NORTHWEST KANSAS TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL STAY IN
THE AREA THROUGH TUE NIGHT. ANOTHER AREA OF WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL
MOVE INTO COLORADO WED/THU.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EVERY DAY THROUGH THU. DIFFICULT TO
PROVIDE DEFINITION DUE TO TIMING ISSUES OF WAVES IN NORTHWEST FLOW.
CONSEQUENTLY ALMOST EVERY AFTERNOON/EVENING PERIOD WILL HAVE AT
LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE. FOR TONIGHT THERE IS PLENTY OF SHEAR AND CAPE
FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. STORMS SHOULD FIRE ALONG THE TROUGH AND
AHEAD OF THE SURFACE COLD FRONT AND THEN MOVE EAST OUT OF THE
FORECAST AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT. FOR TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...UPSLOPE SHOULD FOCUS ENERGY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND
THEN STORMS WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN COLORADO ZONES. STORMS SHOULD
INITIATE AGAIN WED/THU IN EASTERN COLORADO NEAR A SURFACE TROUGH AND
THEN DRIFT EAST INTO NW KANSAS DURING THE EVENING.

MAX TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER IN THE LOWER 80S BEHIND THE COLD
FRONT ON TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM BACK INTO THE UPPER
80S/LOWER 90S WITH RETURN FLOW WED/THU. MIN TEMPERATURES WILL COOL
DOWN INTO THE UPPER 50S TONIGHT/WED NIGHT AND THEN RETURN TO THE
LOW/MID 60S THU NIGHT.

IN THE EXTENDED...NORTHWEST FLOW PERSISTS THROUGH THIS PART OF THE
FORECAST. AT THE SURFACE...A TROUGH WILL BE OVER EASTERN COLORADO ON
FRI AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE SAT/SUN. ANOTHER AREA OF
WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL BE OVER WESTERN KANSAS SUN. POPS WILL BE THE
MAIN CONCERN ONCE AGAIN. IT APPEARS THAT FORCING IS AVAILABLE
THROUGH ALL THE PERIODS EXCEPT SATURDAY. HIGH PRESSURE AND NORTHERLY
SURFACE WIND SHOULD BE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. OTHERWISE WILL HAVE
SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE AFTERNOON/EVENING PERIODS.

MAX TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 80S/LOW 90S. MIN
TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM THE UPPER 50S IN THE WEST TO THE LOWER
60S ELSEWHERE.

FS
&&

.AVIATION...
524 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

FOR THE 00Z TAFS AT KGLD...SUPER CELL STORMS WILL LIKELY IMPACT THE
TERMINAL BETWEEN 00Z AND 0130Z WITH LARGE HAIL AND MVFR CIGS.
OTHERWISE...NORTHEAST TO NORTH WINDS WITH SCT MID TO HIGH LEVEL
CLOUDS. FOR KMCK CONVECTION MAY IMPACT THE TERMINAL AFTER 01Z FROM
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. SIMILAR TO KGLD ONCE CONVECTION MOVES
THROUGH SHOULD JUST HAVE A FEW MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS.

07

&&

.GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...NONE.
NE...NONE.
CO...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 20, 3:47 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
247 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-211615-
YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON-
SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA-
DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW-
247 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009 /347 PM CDT MON JUL 20 2009/

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA LATER TODAY. IT
WILL INTERACT WITH MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR TO PRODUCE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE TRI STATE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. SOME OF
THE STRONGER STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE
STORMS WILL BE EAST OF A LINE FROM YUMA TO LEOTI. THE GREATEST
THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THE CURRENT WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST OVER THE TRI STATE
REGION...BRINGING A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE TRI STATE
REGION NEARLY EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING
WINDS...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

HENDERSON

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:04 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
704 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

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

0702 PM     TSTM WND DMG     12 N GOODLAND           39.52N 101.71W
07/20/2009                   SHERMAN            KS   NWS EMPLOYEE

            14 INCH LIVE TREE LIMBS DOWN WITH 4.25 INCH HAIL AND 79
            MPH WINDS REPORTED.

&&

KJAMES

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:13 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
713 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

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

0710 PM     HAIL             11 NNW LEOTI            38.63N 101.43W
07/20/2009  E1.75 INCH       WICHITA            KS   PUBLIC

&&

HENDERSON

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:15 PM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
715 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

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

0713 PM     HAIL             11 NNW LEOTI            38.63N 101.43W
07/20/2009  E2.50 INCH       WICHITA            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

KJAMES

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:18 PM CDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
718 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

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

0707 PM     HAIL             7 S EDSON               39.23N 101.54W
07/20/2009  E1.00 INCH       SHERMAN            KS   PUBLIC

&&

HENDERSON

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:30 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
730 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

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

0729 PM     HAIL             LEOTI                   38.48N 101.36W
07/20/2009  E2.50 INCH       WICHITA            KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

KJAMES

Local storm report, Jul 20, 8:31 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
731 PM MDT MON JUL 20 2009

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

0730 PM     HAIL             SW LEOTI                38.48N 101.36W
07/20/2009  E1.75 INCH       WICHITA            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            GOFLBALL HAIL ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF TOWN.

&&

HENDERSON

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 20, 7:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Cheyenne, Sherman	56 min
Jul 20, 7:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Logan, Sherman, Thomas, Wallace	67 min
Jul 20, 7:32 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Cheyenne, Sherman, Wallace	43 min
Jul 20, 7:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Logan, Wallace, Wichita	66 min
Jul 20, 8:01 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GLD	Logan, Sherman, Thomas, Wallace	41 min
Jul 20, 8:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Greeley, Sherman, Wallace	34 min
Jul 20, 8:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Wichita	34 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.