Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2011

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Topeka, KS

April 14, 2011Clay County, Dickinson County, Ottawa County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 14, 2011, 5:33 PM CDT for Clay County, Dickinson County, Ottawa County, Kansas. It was in force for 27 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
Apr 14, 2011, 5:33 PM CDT (22:33 UTC)
Expired
Apr 14, 2011, 6:00 PM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Clay County, KS, Dickinson County, KS, Ottawa County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 14, 5:33 PM CDTHAIL 1Abilene, KSQUARTER SIZED HAIL IN ABILENE
Apr 14, 5:40 PM CDTHAIL 13 Wsw Abilene, KS
Apr 14, 5:44 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD5 N Abilene, KSSPOTTER REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD NORTH OF ABILENE

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 14, 2:10 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KFOE), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 148 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2011-04-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2011-04-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 167 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
1539 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
167 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
97 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.

319 
WFUS53 KTOP 142233
TORTOP
KSC027-041-143-142300-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0003.110414T2233Z-110414T2300Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
533 PM CDT THU APR 14 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN DICKINSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...
  SOUTHWESTERN CLAY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN OTTAWA COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 600 PM CDT

* AT 530 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO.  THIS SEVERE STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  ABILENE...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ABILENE...
  SOLOMON...
  TALMAGE...
  MANCHESTER...
  LONGFORD...

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 266 AND 277.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

LARGE DESTRUCTIVE HAIL IS ALSO LIKELY ALONG AND NORTH OF THE EXPECTED
TORNADO TRACK.

STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST
SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3917 9745 3918 9716 3882 9718 3880 9736
      3891 9737 3892 9739 3893 9739 3894 9737
      3895 9737 3895 9741
TIME...MOT...LOC 2233Z 175DEG 37KT 3888 9728
HAIL 1.25IN

$$

LEIGHTON
2 follow-up statements
754 
WWUS53 KTOP 142248
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
548 PM CDT THU APR 14 2011

KSC027-041-143-142300-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110414T2300Z/
CLAY-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-
548 PM CDT THU APR 14 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN DICKINSON...SOUTHEASTERN OTTAWA AND SOUTHWESTERN CLAY
COUNTIES...

AT 544 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING A TORNADO.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 4 MILES SOUTH OF
TALMAGE...OR 4 MILES NORTHWEST OF ABILENE...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
TALMAGE...MANCHESTER AND LONGFORD.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 273 AND 277.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR SAFETY...GO TO A STORM SHELTER OR BASEMENT NOW!

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3917 9745 3918 9716 3894 9717 3893 9728
      3895 9737 3895 9741
TIME...MOT...LOC 2248Z 185DEG 33KT 3900 9725
HAIL 1.25IN

$$

LEIGHTON
781 
WWUS53 KTOP 142255
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
555 PM CDT THU APR 14 2011

KSC143-142305-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110414T2300Z/
OTTAWA-
555 PM CDT THU APR 14 2011

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL OTTAWA COUNTY HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A POSSIBLE TORNADO HAS MOVED NORTH OF 
THE COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3902 9731 3909 9736 3910 9736 3917 9736
      3918 9716 3909 9717 3909 9716 3902 9717
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 185DEG 33KT 3906 9724

$$

KSC027-041-142300-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-110414T2300Z/
CLAY-DICKINSON-
555 PM CDT THU APR 14 2011

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN DICKINSON AND SOUTHWESTERN CLAY COUNTIES...

AT 553 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD. 
THIS FUNNEL CLOUD WAS LOCATED NEAR TALMAGE...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF
ABILENE...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MANCHESTER AND LONGFORD.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR SAFETY...GO TO A STORM SHELTER OR BASEMENT NOW!

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3902 9731 3909 9736 3910 9736 3917 9736
      3918 9716 3909 9717 3909 9716 3902 9717
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 185DEG 33KT 3906 9724
HAIL 1.25IN

$$

LEIGHTON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 2:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic53 min
Apr 14, 2:43 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPWashington32 min
Apr 14, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson34 min
Apr 14, 5:34 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPCloud, Ottawa26 min
Apr 14, 5:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPGeary, Morris28 min
Apr 14, 5:58 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPClay, Dickinson32 min
Apr 14, 6:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPClay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley42 min
Apr 14, 6:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPMorris, Wabaunsee36 min
Apr 14, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon46 min
Apr 14, 6:21 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPClay, Washington24 min
Apr 14, 6:43 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPWashington32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2011Every tornado warning in 2011Tornadoes 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.