Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2010

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Dodge City, KS

May 12, 2010Ford County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 12, 2010, 12:39 AM CDT for Ford County, Kansas. It was in force for 36 min. 4 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: May 12, 2010, 12:39 AM CDT (05:39 UTC)
Expired: May 12, 2010, 1:15 AM CDT
In force: 36 min
Issued by: NWS Dodge City, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.75 in
Wind: 70.0 mph

County Ford County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 12 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:39 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
May 12, 12:44 AM CDT	HAIL 1	3 E Dodge City, KS
May 12, 12:45 AM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	10 S Dodge City, KS	BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED. THIS REPORT WAS RELAYED BY FORD COUNTY DISPATCH
May 12, 1:00 AM CDT	HAIL 1.75	1 Nw Dodge City, KS
May 12, 1:02 AM CDT	HAIL 1.5	3 E Dodge City, KS	OBSERVED AT NWS OFFICE.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 3 storm reports to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 5 minutes after it went out.

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
May 11, 11:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 5.7 hours before the alert went out and 6 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1434 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 272 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

267 
WUUS53 KDDC 120539
SVRDDC
KSC057-120615-
/O.NEW.KDDC.SV.W.0034.100512T0539Z-100512T0615Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1239 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  FORD COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST KANSAS...

* UNTIL 115 AM CDT

* AT 1234 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND
  DESTRUCTIVE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  DODGE CITY...AND MOVING EAST-NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  HOWELL...
  DODGE CITY...
  FT. DODGE...
  WRIGHT...
  SPEARVILLE...
  BELLEFONT...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF FORD COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. IF CAUGHT OUTSIDE
SEEK A STURDY SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS
PASSED.

CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES LEADING
KILLERS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO
BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

THIS STORM IS CONSIDERED A SUPERCELL STORM...WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL 
TO CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. 
SUPERCELL STORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES...HOWEVER THE PRIMARY 
THREAT WITH THIS STORM IS DESTRUCTIVE HAIL AND STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. 
SEEK SAFE SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS!

THIS WARNING REPLACES THE PREVIOUS WARNING IN EFFECT FOR 
GRAY...NORTHWEST FORD AND HODGEMAN COUNTIES.

&&

LAT...LON 3790 9959 3756 9957 3756 10019 3790 10021
TIME...MOT...LOC 0537Z 242DEG 41KT 3773 10003
WIND...HAIL 70MPH 1.75IN

$$

12

1 follow-up statement

181 
WWUS53 KDDC 120612
SVSDDC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
112 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

KSC057-120622-
/O.EXP.KDDC.SV.W.0034.000000T0000Z-100512T0615Z/
FORD KS-
112 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FORD COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 115
AM CDT/1215 AM MDT/...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED
AREA...HOWEVER SMALL HAIL IS STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

A NEW WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHEASTERN FORD COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3790 9959 3756 9957 3756 10019 3790 10021
TIME...MOT...LOC 0612Z 242DEG 41KT 3788 9956

$$

12

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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 11, 3:36 PM CDT, 9 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 11, 3:36 PM CDT, 9 hours 3 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
336 PM CDT TUE MAY 11 2010

.DISCUSSION...

DAYS 1-2...

ISENTROPIC LIFT, WAA AND 8H FGEN ALL IMPROVE OVER SW KS EARLY
TONIGHT AS A WARM FRONT BEGINS MOVES OUT OF NW OK AND INTO
SOUTHERN KS. THIS CONTINUES TO SUPPORT KEEPING AT POPS AS IS...MAY
EVEN BUMP POPS UP SOME OVER THE NORTHERN CWA GIVEN THE IMPRESSIVE
LIFT ADVERTISED LATER TONIGHT. IN ADDITION THERE WILL BE DECENT ELEVATED
CAPES AND SHEAR PROGGED OVERNIGHT AS LLVL JET INCREASES ACROSS OUR
CWA WHICH SUPPORTS THE PREVIOUS SHIFTS IDEAS THAT SOME STORMS WILL
BE CAPABLE OF BECOMING STRONG OR EVEN SEVERE. PRIMARY HAZARD STILL
LOOKS TO BE LARGE HAIL BUT SOME STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE. WILL THEREFORE KEEP A MENTION SEVERE WORDING IN THE
GRIDS. TOWARDS DAYBREAK THE BETTER ELEVATED INSTAB EXITS THE CWA
AS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE STARTS TO CROSS SW KS. NW OF THIS LOW
BOTH MODELS INDICATED GOOD LLVL MOISTURE AND 925-85H FGEN
DEVELOPING AS COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE CWA. THIS COLD FRONT AND
ASSOCIATED LIFT/MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS
THE REMAINDER OF THE CWA ON WEDNESDAY. INITIAL THOUGHTS WILL BE TO
KEEP CLOUDS AND LOW POPS GOING ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT
WHERE BETTER LLVL MOISTURE AND FGEN WILL BE PRESENT EARLY
WEDNESDAY. ALSO BASED ON THE EXPECTED CLOUDS, POSSIBLY PCPN AND
COOLER AIR RETURNING TO OUR NRN CWA WILL FOLLOW THE COOLER NAM AS
A GUIDE FOR TEMPS ON WEDNESDAY. IN OUR S/SE CWA THE TIMING OF THE
FRONT WILL BE THE KEY BUT HAVE OPTED TO KEEP TEMPS ON THE WARM
SIDE TRENDING MORE TOWARDS THE WARMER GFS.

THE COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY PROGGED TO BE LOCATED NEAR THE OK/KS
BORDER AROUND 00Z THURSDAY. A DRY LINE IS FORECAST TO EXTEND SOUTH
OF THE FRONT (AROUND COMANCHE/BARBER). IN THIS AREA LATE DAY BL
CAPES ARE PROGGED TO RANGE FROM 2000-3500J/KG ALONG AND AHEAD OF
THIS FRONT SO GIVEN THIS WILL GO AHEAD AND RAISE POPS IN OUR SE
CWA LATE WED AFTERNOON AND EARLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

BY THURSDAY MORNING OUR FRONT IS PROGGED TO EXTEND FROM SE KS
INTO SW OK. BEHIND THIS FRONT SFC HIGH WILL BEGIN TO SETTLE INTO
THE CNTL PLAINS.

DAYS 3-7...

THE NEXT UPPER TROUGH WILL BE APPROACHING BY LATE FRIDAY AND
SATURDAY. GIVEN THE WEAK MID TO HIGH LEVEL FLOW AND LACK OF CAPPING,
CONVECTIVE EVOLUTION IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PINPOINT THIS FAR
OUT. I AM SKEPTICAL OF THE INTENSE CONVECTIVE CLUSTERS THE GFS IS
ADVERTISING SINCE ALL THE MODELS SHOW A COOL SURFACE HIGH RIDGING
INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. NEVERTHELESS, KEPT 20-30% POPS TO COVER
THE POSSIBILITY OF MCS ACTIVITY DEVELOPING ON THE FRONT RANGE OF NM
OR SOUTHERN COLORADO AND MOVING INTO OUR FCST AREA IN A WEAKENED
STATE. ALSO, NOCTURNAL ELEVATED PRECIP COULD DEVELOP AS WELL. 500MB
TEMPS ARE PROGGED TO BE FAIRLY COLD (-16C) SO IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO GET PRECIP DEVELOPMENT. HIGH-END SEVERE
WEATHER IS UNLIKELY DUE TO THE LACK OF STRONG INSTABILITY.

OTHER WEAK UPPER DISTURBANCES ARE PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. AGAIN, WITH THE WARM SECTOR SUPPRESSED
DEEP INTO TEXAS, HIGH END SEVERE WEATHER IS UNLIKELY. BUT SOME
ELEVATED SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY
GIVEN THE CONTINUATION OF FAIRLY COLD MID TO HIGH LEVEL TEMPERATURES.

TEMPS SHOULD STAY AT OR JUST BELOW CLIMO GIVEN THE LACK OF DOWNSLOPE
FLOW AND PLACEMENT OF A BRANCH OF THE WESTERLIES TO THE SOUTH OF THE
FCST AREA.

&&

.AVIATION...

UPSLOPE FLOW NORTH OF A WARM FRONT, ALONG WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE ADVECTION, WILL LEAD TO LIFR CIGS/VISBYS BETWEEN 06 AND 09Z
AND PERSISTING THROUGH 14Z. VISBYS WILL LIKELY DROP TO BELOW A
QUARTER OF A MILE BETWEEN 09 AND 14Z, ESPECIALLY AT GCK/DDC.
A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AFTER 04Z AS A LOW
LEVEL JET TRANSPORTS VERY MOIST AIR OVER THE SFC FRONT AT DDC/HYS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
DDC  57  71  34  63 /  40  20  10  10
GCK  49  66  33  64 /  40  20   0  10
EHA  53  72  33  64 /  10   0   0  10
LBL  58  73  35  65 /  20  10   0  10
HYS  49  56  34  61 /  70  50  10  10
P28  64  82  40  67 /  40  30  40  10

&&

.DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

FN18/24/24

Hazardous weather outlook, May 11, 5:25 AM CDT, 19 hours 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
525 AM CDT TUE MAY 11 2010

KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-121030-
TREGO-ELLIS-SCOTT-LANE-NESS-RUSH-HAMILTON-KEARNY-FINNEY-HODGEMAN-
PAWNEE-STAFFORD-STANTON-GRANT-HASKELL-GRAY-FORD-EDWARDS-KIOWA-
PRATT-MORTON-STEVENS-SEWARD-MEADE-CLARK-COMANCHE-BARBER-
525 AM CDT TUE MAY 11 2010 /425 AM MDT TUE MAY 11 2010/

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE
TONIGHT AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH THROUGH KANSAS. VERY ABUNDANT
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND EXCELLENT WIND SHEAR WILL FAVOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT...CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL OF AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. THE
GREATEST THREAT WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS...EXTENDING PERHAPS AS FAR WEST AS THE HIGHWAY 283
CORRIDOR. WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE
TONIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS WHICH WILL LINGER THROUGH
THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WEDNESDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.
AT THIS TIME...THE GREATEST THREAT WILL BE JUST EAST OF THE DODGE
CITY FORECAST AREA...HOWEVER THUNDERSTORMS MAY FIRST DEVELOP IN
THE STAFFORD TO PRATT TO MEDICINE LODGE AREAS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY BECOME SEVERE GIVEN THE CONTINUED VERY HIGH
AMOUNTS OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND STRONG WIND SHEAR.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED FOR REPORTS DURING THE LATE NIGHT
HOURS...CONTINUING THROUGH THE NIGHT...ESPECIALLY EAST OF HIGHWAY 283.

&&

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC

UMSCHEID

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 11, 11:39 PM CDT, 1 hour before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1139 PM CDT TUE MAY 11 2010

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

1132 PM     HAIL             4 E COPELAND            37.54N 100.56W
05/11/2010  E0.88 INCH       GRAY               KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

MB

Local storm report, May 11, 11:48 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1148 PM CDT TUE MAY 11 2010

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

1140 PM     HAIL             CIMARRON                37.81N 100.35W
05/11/2010  E0.75 INCH       GRAY               KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MB

Local storm report, May 12, 12:01 AM CDT, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1201 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

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

1152 PM     HAIL             MONTEZUMA               37.60N 100.44W
05/11/2010  E1.75 INCH       GRAY               KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

UMSCHEID

Local storm report, May 12, 12:06 AM CDT, 33 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1206 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

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

1203 AM     HAIL             4 WSW ENSIGN            37.62N 100.30W
05/12/2010  E1.75 INCH       GRAY               KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            A RANGE OF PING PONG TO GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED.

&&

MRUSSELL

Local storm report, May 12, 12:29 AM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1229 AM CDT WED MAY 12 2010

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

1228 AM     HAIL             3 E DODGE CITY          37.76N 99.96W
05/12/2010  E0.88 INCH       FORD               KS   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

MRUSSELL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 11, 11:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DDC	Gray, Haskell	52 min
May 11, 11:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DDC	Ford, Gray, Hodgeman	66 min
May 12, 1:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DDC	Edwards, Ford, Hodgeman, Pawnee	64 min
May 12, 2:13 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Stafford	47 min
May 12, 2:59 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Stafford	31 min
May 12, 6:57 AM CDT	Dense Fog Advisory	DDC	Finney, Ford, Gray	4 hr
May 12, 3:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DDC	Barber	47 min
May 12, 3:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	DDC	Barber	50 min
May 12, 4:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	DDC	Barber	27 min
May 12, 4:42 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	DDC	Barber	3 hr
May 12, 5:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Barber	64 min
May 12, 6:26 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	DDC	Barber	9 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2010 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2010

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.