Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2011

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 356, NWS Wichita, KS

July 31, 2011Sedgwick County, Sumner County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 31, 2011, 3:36 PM CDT for Sedgwick County, Sumner County, Kansas. It was in force for 24 min. 2 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 31, 2011, 3:36 PM CDT (20:36 UTC)
Expired: Jul 31, 2011, 4:00 PM CDT
In force: 24 min
Issued by: NWS Wichita, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Sedgwick County, KS, Sumner County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 19 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:39 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
Jul 31, 3:36 PM CDT	TSTM WND GST 51	4 Nne Clearwater, KS
Jul 31, 3:40 PM CDT	TSTM WND GST 56	4 Nne Clearwater, 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 severe thunderstorm 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 nearest sounding before it

Lamont, OK (KLMN), launched 12:00Z, 8.6 hours before the alert went out and 115 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: 209 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -343 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1994 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

268 
WUUS53 KICT 312036
SVRICT
KSC173-191-312100-
/O.NEW.KICT.SV.W.0356.110731T2036Z-110731T2100Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
336 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHWESTERN SEDGWICK COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
  NORTH CENTRAL SUMNER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 400 PM CDT

* AT 334 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS
  IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CLEARWATER...OR
  13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN WICHITA...AND MOVING NORTH AT 5 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CHENEY...WICHITA MID CONTINENT AIRPORT...GODDARD...WEST WICHITA...
  LAKE AFTON AND GARDEN PLAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER
HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR
YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 3750 9779 3773 9781 3774 9777 3774 9770
      3776 9770 3778 9763 3774 9744 3752 9738
      3743 9756
TIME...MOT...LOC 2037Z 192DEG 5KT 3755 9749
WIND...HAIL 60MPH <.75IN

$$

DARMOFAL

2 follow-up statements

112 
WWUS53 KICT 312051
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
351 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSC173-191-312100-
/O.CON.KICT.SV.W.0356.000000T0000Z-110731T2100Z/
SUMNER KS-SEDGWICK KS-
351 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN
SEDGWICK AND NORTH CENTRAL SUMNER COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM CDT...

AT 348 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CLEARWATER...OR 13 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN WICHITA. MOVEMENT WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

THIS STORM PRODUCED A WIND GUST TO 56 MPH JUST NORTHEAST OF 
CLEARWATER AROUND 340 PM. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CLEARWATER...VIOLA...GODDARD...CHENEY...LAKE AFTON AND GARDEN
  PLAIN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER
HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR
YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 3750 9779 3773 9781 3774 9777 3774 9770
      3776 9770 3778 9763 3774 9744 3752 9738
      3743 9756
TIME...MOT...LOC 2050Z 081DEG 1KT 3754 9750
WIND...HAIL 60MPH <.75IN

$$

DARMOFAL

456 
WWUS53 KICT 312100
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
400 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSC173-191-312110-
/O.EXP.KICT.SV.W.0356.000000T0000Z-110731T2100Z/
SUMNER KS-SEDGWICK KS-
400 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN SEDGWICK AND
NORTH CENTRAL SUMNER COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR 
PROPERTY...HOWEVER THE STORMS ACROSS WESTERN SEDGWICK COUNTY WILL 
STILL BE CAPABLE OF WINDS TO 50 MPH.

LAT...LON 3750 9779 3773 9781 3774 9777 3774 9770
      3776 9770 3778 9763 3774 9744 3752 9738
      3743 9756
TIME...MOT...LOC 2100Z 081DEG 1KT 3754 9750

$$

DARMOFAL

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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 31, 2:53 PM CDT, 43 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 2:53 PM CDT, 43 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
253 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

.DISCUSSION...

TONIGHT:
ISOLD TSRA HAVE ONCE AGAIN POPPED THIS AFTERNOON...THIS TIME FURTHER N
OVER PART OF CNTRL KS (MORE SPECIFICALLY RUSSELL & BARTON COUNTIES) AS
SFC FRONT LIFTED SLOWLY N TO ALONG I-70 AT MID-DAY. IS ALSO CONCEIVABLE
THAT ISOLD TSRA MAY POP OVER SE KS WHERE CAP IS SLIGHTLY WEAKER. BEING
DIURNAL IN NATURE ANTICIPATE TSRA TO DISSIPATE BY ~10PM.

MON-WED NGT:
HIDEOUS HEAT BECOMES EVEN MORE SO AS STRONG(!) MASSIVE MID-UPR LVL HIGH
SPREADS SLOWLY W & STRENGTHENS EVEN FURTHER AS UPR-DECK LOW MOVES SE
ACROSS SRN QUEBEC. EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING (AND OH IS IT EXCESSIVE) WILL
REACH PEAK TUE AFTERNOON WITH ALL OF SC & SE KS GET TORCHED BY ~110F
HIGHS.

THU-SUNDAY NGT:
FOCUS IS STILL ON TSRA POTENTIAL AS MID-UPR WAVE SCOOTING E OVER THE NRN
PLAINS DRAGS A COLD FRONT SE TOWARD CNTRL KS WED NGT & THU. COLD FRONT
WILL NOT ADVANCE TOO FAR SE AS PARENT WAVE SURGES E ACROSS UPR MS VALLEY
& GREAT LAKES THU & THU NGT BUT MAY BE ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO FORCE THE COLD
FRONT TOWARD SC KS THU & THU NGT. AS SUCH EXTENDED 20-25% POPS FURTHER S
OVER MOST OF SC KS FROM THU TIL FRI AROUND WHICH TIME THE FRONT SHOULD
RETREAT N ACROSS NRN HALF OF KS.

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU
AFTER ISOLATED SHOWERS THIS MORNING...DAYTIME HEATING HAS
DIMINISHED SOME OF THE CONVECTION. HOWEVER REDEVELOPMENT COULD
OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON WITH SOME INSTABILITY IN THE AREA AND
PRESENCE OF THE BOUNDARY. NOT OVERLY CONFIDENT IN CHANCES AND WITH
ISOLATED NATURE THUS HAVE LEFT OUT ANY MENTION AT THIS TIME.
BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO PERSIST IN RELATIVELY WEAK MANNER FROM
CENTRAL INTO EASTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN MISSOURI. THIS BOUNDARY
MAY PLAY GAMES WITH THE DIRECTIONAL COMPONENT TO THE WINDS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING BUT SHOULD CONTINUE TO REMAIN AROUND 5 TO
10 KTS THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE TAF PERIOD.

VP

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    79 107  80 110 /  20   0   0   0
HUTCHINSON      78 107  80 110 /  20   0   0   0
NEWTON          78 107  80 110 /  20   0   0   0
ELDORADO        78 107  80 109 /  20   0   0   0
WINFIELD-KWLD   79 107  80 109 /  20   0   0   0
RUSSELL         76 105  76 103 /  20   0   0  20
GREAT BEND      76 106  77 106 /  20   0   0  10
SALINA          77 106  79 108 /  20  10   0  10
MCPHERSON       78 107  80 109 /  20   0   0   0
COFFEYVILLE     79 107  80 109 /  20  10   0   0
CHANUTE         78 104  80 109 /  20  10   0   0
IOLA            78 102  80 109 /  20  10   0   0
PARSONS-KPPF    79 105  80 109 /  20  10   0   0

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR KSZ032-033-
047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 3:23 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
323 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-012030-
RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE-
RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER-
SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE-
323 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH EARLY
EVENING. PLEASE REFER TO LATEST HEAT WARNING FOR MORE DETAILS.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR UNTIL LATE THIS EVENING OVER
PRIMARILY CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE 50 TO 60 MPH GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES WILL PLAGUE THE ENTIRE REGION EACH AFTERNOON
AND EARLY EVENING FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. PLEASE REFER TO
THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR DETAILS.

WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER PRIMARILY CENTRAL
KANSAS LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON...THEN SPREAD SLOWLY SOUTHEAST OVER
ALL AREAS BY THURSDAY. CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY...THIS ACTIVITY
MAY PRODUCE GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT
(LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP

ES

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 2:09 PM CDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
209 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSZ032-047-311945-
BARTON-RUSSELL-
209 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BARTON AND RUSSELL COUNTIES...

AT 208 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SUSANK...OR 17 MILES NORTH OF GREAT
BEND...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. ANOTHER STRONG STORM WAS NEAR
MILBERGER.

WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

DARMOFAL

Local storm report, Jul 31, 2:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
218 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

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

0217 PM     TSTM WND GST     MILBERGER               38.72N 98.92W
07/31/2011  M66 MPH          RUSSELL            KS   MESONET

&&

KED

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 2:42 PM CDT, 54 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
242 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSZ048-312015-
ELLSWORTH-
242 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ELLSWORTH COUNTY...

AT 237 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ELLSWORTH...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10
MPH.

WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.

DARMOFAL

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 3:07 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
307 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSZ033-048-312030-
ELLSWORTH-LINCOLN-
307 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN ELLSWORTH AND SOUTHERN LINCOLN
COUNTIES...

AT 301 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF ELLSWORTH...AND MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT
TRAVELERS ALONG I-70.

DARMOFAL

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 3:12 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
312 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSZ083-092-312045-
SEDGWICK-SUMNER-
312 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWEST SEDGWICK AND NORTHWEST SUMNER
COUNTIES...

AT 305 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR VIOLA...OR 22 MILES NORTHWEST OF
WELLINGTON...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

DARMOFAL

Special weather statement, Jul 31, 3:26 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
326 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

KSZ032-033-047-048-312100-
BARTON-ELLSWORTH-LINCOLN-RUSSELL-
326 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2011

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BARTON...ELLSWORTH...LINCOLN AND RUSSELL
COUNTIES...

AT 324 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES
NORTHEAST OF HOISINGTON TO 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF ELLSWORTH...AND
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH.

GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

DARMOFAL

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 30, 8:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Butler	37 min
Jul 31, 2:34 AM CDT	Excessive Heat Warning	ICT	Allen, Barton, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley and 20 more	5 days
Jul 31, 2:15 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Barton, Russell	60 min
Jul 31, 3:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Sedgwick, Sumner	14 min
Jul 31, 4:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Wilson, Woodson	34 min
Jul 31, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Allen, Neosho, Wilson, Woodson	48 min
Jul 31, 5:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Barton, Ellsworth, Russell	41 min
Jul 31, 5:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Neosho, Wilson	51 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2011 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2011

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.