Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2009
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 23, 2009, 5:06 PM CDT for Clay County, Geary County, Riley 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
- Mar 23, 2009, 5:06 PM CDT (22:06 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 23, 2009, 5:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 39 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
Counties Clay County, KS, Geary County, KS, Riley County, KS
The radar
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 61 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:08 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 1:03 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 110 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 3 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -529 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1190 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 19 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 332 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 505 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.0
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 Mar 23, 3:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 23, 3:35 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 335 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2009 .DISCUSSION... PRIMARY CONCERNS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE FORECAST ARE STRONG GRADIENT SURFACE WINDS AND SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. STRONG SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WITH 56 KT WIND AT 1500FT HAVE COMBINED TO PRODUCE HIGH WIND CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE WINDS SHOULD DIMINISH THIS EVENING AS SURFACE FRONT COLD FRONT RACES EASTWARD AND THE ISOALLOBARIC COUPLET MOVES OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. CURRENT HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRES AT 7 PM AND THIS LOOKS REASONABLE...HOWEVER...SOME COUNTIES IN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN CWA MAY STILL HAVE VERY STRONG WINDS EARLY THIS EVENING. MAY HAVE TO EXTEND THE WARNING FOR A COUPLE HOURS IN THE FAR SOUTHEAST...BUT THE REST OF THE AREA SHOULD SEE WINDS DIMINISH BELOW HIGH WIND CRITERIA BY THE EXPIRATION TIME. INITIAL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE CWA SHOULD MOVE NORTH INTO NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON WITH INITIATION OF ADDITIONAL STORMS EXPECTED IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING. SURFACE FRONT OVERTAKES THE DRYLINE IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE LINEAR AND THUS A DAMAGING WIND/HAIL THREAT NORTH OF I-70. FARTHER SOUTH...THE COLD FRONT WILL BE SLOWER TO OVERTAKE THE DRYLINE AND CONVECTION SHOULD REMAIN DISCRETE SUPERCELLS INTO THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE EVOLVING INTO A DAMAGING WIND THREAT LATE TONIGHT. THE FRONT HANGS UP IN SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS BEFORE SUNRISE TUESDAY. LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED IN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE CWA. IN CONTRAST...THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CWA WILL HAVE SOME CLEARING AND TEMPS FALLING BACK INTO THE MID 30S TO LOWER 40S BY SUNRISE. ON TUESDAY...UPPER TROF SHIFTS EASTWARD DURING THE AFTERNOON. COULD BE A COOL BLUSTERY DAY...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN CWA WITH HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...ZONAL FLOW ALOFT WITH WEAK SURFACE HIGH BUILDING IN WILL ALLOW FOR A BRIEF BREAK BETWEEN SYSTEMS FOR OUR CWA. FOLLOWING A COOL MORNING WEDNESDAY WITH LOWS IN THE LOW TO MID 30S...HIGHS RECOVER INTO THE MID 50S TO LOWER 60S DURING THE AFTERNOON. NEXT UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM DROPS INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION BY THURSDAY NIGHT AND GRADUALLY LIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH SATURDAY. UNSEASONABLY COOL TEMPERATURES AND SOME PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. INCLUDES A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA. STARK && .AVIATION... MAIN AVIATION FORECAST PROBLEMS RELATED TO WINDS THIS AFTERNOON...AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS EVENING. TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT RESULTING IN WINDS OF 35 GUSTING TO NEAR 45 KTS AT TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON. THIS SHOULD DECREASE AS SURFACE COLD FRONT APPROACHES THIS EVENING AND GRADIENT WEAKENS. WITH APPROACH OF FRONT...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE WITH A FEW HOURS OF STORMS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. SOME SHOWERS MAY LINGER INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS BEFORE DRIER AIR IS ADVECTED IN FROM THE WEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. WHILE THERE MAY BE POSSIBLE IFR CONDITIONS WITH THE STORMS...HAVE MAINLY KEPT WITH MVFR TEMPO GROUPS FOR A FEW HOURS AROUND FRONTAL PASSAGE. WESTERLY WINDS AT SURFACE WILL RESULT IN DRYING OUT LATER TONIGHT AND VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 18Z. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM MONDAY FOR KSZ008>012-020>024-035>040-054>056-058-059. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 23, 1:41 PM CDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 141 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2009 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-241845- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 141 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH 7 PM CDT. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA. THESE STRONG WINDS HAVE ALSO CREATED A VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER THROUGHOUT THE OUTLOOK AREA. OUTDOOR BURNING SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE DRYLINE AND MOVE EAST INTO NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING HOURS. INSTABILITY AND STRONG WIND SHEAR WILL INITIALLY SUPPORT SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES. LATER THIS AFTERNOON A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE OUTLOOK AREA CAUSING THE SUPERCELLS TO CONGEAL INTO A LINE MAINLY CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND SOME LARGE HAIL. AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 LOOK TO HAVE THE MOST PROLONGED TORNADO THREAT FROM THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS BEFORE THE COLD FRONT APPROACHES. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL KANSAS AS THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. CAVANAUGH
In the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 23, 4:51 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, Mar 23, 5:06 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
506 PM CDT MON MAR 23 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG MANHATTAN 39.18N 96.57W
03/23/2009 RILEY KS COUNTY OFFICIAL
STREET SIGNS BLOWN DOWN IN COUNTY.
&&
BYRNEThe office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 23, 10:12 AM CDT | High Wind Warning | TOP | Anderson, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson and 17 more | 9 hr |
| Mar 23, 4:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson, Geary, Morris | 44 min |
| Mar 23, 4:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Ottawa | 28 min |
| Mar 23, 4:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Pottawatomie, Riley | 39 min |
| Mar 23, 5:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Jackson, Nemaha, Pottawatomie | 44 min |
| Mar 23, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Riley | 26 min |
| Mar 23, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Marshall, Pottawatomie | 41 min |
| Mar 23, 5:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 48 min |
| Mar 23, 5:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Geary, Riley | 15 min |
| Mar 23, 6:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley | 39 min |
| Mar 23, 6:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Nemaha | 30 min |
| Mar 23, 6:33 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Nemaha | 27 min |
| Mar 23, 6:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Pottawatomie | 48 min |
| Mar 23, 6:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Brown | 23 min |
| Mar 23, 6:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Riley | 23 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2009Every severe thunderstorm warning 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.