Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 127, NWS Wichita, KS

May 30, 2012Rice County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 30, 2012, 5:47 PM CDT for Rice County, Kansas. It was in force for 43 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: May 30, 2012, 5:47 PM CDT (22:47 UTC)
Expired: May 30, 2012, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 43 min
Issued by: NWS Wichita, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.25 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Rice County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:46 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.

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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 30, 3:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 176 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: 214 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -484 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1567 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 121 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 78 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

424 
WUUS53 KICT 302247
SVRICT
KSC159-302330-
/O.NEW.KICT.SV.W.0127.120530T2247Z-120530T2330Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
547 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN RICE COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 542 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LYONS...AND
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

  HAZARD...HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

  IMPACT...MINOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLES...ROOFS AND WINDOWS. MINOR TREE
           DAMAGE...WITH LIMBS UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER BROKEN.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  GENESEO AND LITTLE RIVER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

THIS STORM IS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL. SEEK SHELTER NOW INSIDE A STURDY
STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&&

LAT...LON 3852 9815 3852 9800 3852 9792 3833 9792
      3826 9813 3839 9829
TIME...MOT...LOC 2247Z 230DEG 17KT 3838 9814

HAIL...1.25IN
WIND...60 MPH

$$

JAKUB

1 follow-up statement

220 
WWUS53 KICT 302301
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
601 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

KSC159-302330-
/O.CON.KICT.SV.W.0127.000000T0000Z-120530T2330Z/
RICE KS-
601 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR EASTERN RICE
COUNTY UNTIL 630 PM CDT...

AT 600 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LITTLE
RIVER...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

HAZARD...HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

IMPACT...MINOR DAMAGE TO VEHICLES...ROOFS AND WINDOWS. MINOR TREE
         DAMAGE...WITH LIMBS UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER BROKEN.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LITTLE RIVER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

&&

LAT...LON 3852 9815 3852 9800 3852 9792 3833 9792
      3826 9813 3839 9829
TIME...MOT...LOC 2301Z 243DEG 15KT 3839 9807

HAIL...1.25IN
WIND...60 MPH

$$

ES

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 May 30, 3:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 3:43 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
343 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

.DISCUSSION...

FORECAST CONCERNS ARE SEVERE STORM CHANCES THIS EVENING/TONIGHT.
THEN COOLER TEMPS FOR THU/FRI.

THIS EVENING-TONIGHT:
A RATHER COMPLICATED SEVERE THREAT IS DEVELOPING ACROSS KANSAS LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. AXIS OF UNSTABLE AIR CURRENTLY IS
OVER THE HIGH PLAINS FROM KDDC TO KGLD. JUST TO THE NORTH OF THIS
AXIS IS A FAIRLY POTENT SHORTWAVE AND COLD FRONT OVER SW NEB.  THE
COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE SYSTEMS WILL COMBINE FOR A POTENTIAL ONE-
TWO PUNCH OF SEVERE WEATHER FOR THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING AND
TONIGHT.

EXPECT INITIAL STORM DEVELOPMENT OVER THE HIGH PLAINS...POSSIBLY
INTO CEN KS...AS THIS AREA BECOMES UNCAPPED. BULK SHEAR OF 60 KTS
AND VERY UNSTABLE AIR SUGGESTS THAT SOME DISCRETE SUPERCELLS WILL
DEVELOP IN THE HIGH PLAINS WITH SBCAPES OF 3500-4000 J/KG. ONCE THE
SUPERCELLS GET GOING...PREVAILING FLOW...SUGGESTS THAT A FEW
SUPERCELLS WILL MOVE EAST-SOUTHEAST TOWARDS CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KS LATER THIS EVENING. THIS COMBINATION OF SHEAR/INSTABILITY
SUGGESTS VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE FIRST THREAT
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL KS.

NEXT CONCERN WILL BE A STRONG COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH INTO
CEN KS LATE THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT.  EXPECTING ANOTHER ROUND OF
CONVECTION TO DEVELOP ACROSS NRN/CEN KS ALONG THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY
AS IT DROPS SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...AS CONVERGENCE
INCREASES.  THIS CONVECTION WILL THEN RAPIDLY DROP SOUTH ALONG OR
JUST WEST OF INTERSTATE 135...PRODUCING A POSSIBLE DAMAGING WIND
THREAT AS IT TURNS INTO A COMPLEX OF STORMS.  COLD POOL ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS SYSTEM...WILL BE KEY TO HOW STRONG THE DOWNBURST WINDS ARE
WITH THIS CONVECTION. CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE STRONG POSSIBLY SEVERE
STORMS AND GOOD SOAKING RAINS FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE AREA AS IT
DIVES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.

THU-FRI:
COULD SEE SOME CONVECTION LINGER OVER SOUTHEAST KS FOR THE EARLY
PORTION OF THE DAY...AS CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WILL PROBABLY BE EITHER
MOVING STRAIGHT EAST OR SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA. SO WILL HOLD ONTO
SOME MORNING POPS IN ERN KS FOR THE MORNING HOURS.

THE MAIN DIFFERENCE FOR THU-FRI WILL BE THE NOTICEABLY COOLER AND
DRIER AIR TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA.  COULD ACTUALLY SEE SOME GUSTY
NORTHEAST WINDS FOR THU AFTERNOON ACROSS ERN KS AS MAIN SHORTWAVE
STILL MOVES ACROSS THIS AREA.  COULD ALSO SEE SOME DIURNALLY DRIVEN
SHOWERS ACROSS NERN KS AS WELL WITH THE STEEP LAPSE RATES...BUT
THINK MOST OF THIS WILL REMAIN NORTH OF SOUTHEAST KS.

A WEAK MID LEVEL FEATURE LOOKS TO DIVE SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA BY FRI
AFTERNOON...AS MID LEVEL WARM ADVECTION INCREASES.  THIS LOOKS TO
INCREASE MID LEVEL MOISTURE AS IT DROPS SOUTH...WITH 305-310K
ISENTROPIC LIFT INCREASING.  NOT SURE IF MOST OF THIS WILL BE VIRGA
OR SPRINKLES AS IT MOVES ACROSS AS LOW LAYERS REMAIN VERY DRY...BUT
WILL KEEP A SLIGHT POP IN FOR THIS CHANCE.

SAT-SUN:
RETURN SFC FLOW LOOKS TO CONTINUE FOR SAT INTO SUN...ESPECIALLY FOR
AREAS ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS.  SOME UNCERTAINLY ON POPS FOR THIS
TIME FRAME...AS GFS TRYS TO DEVELOP CONVECTION OVER THE HIGH
PLAINS....WITH THIS CONVECTION PROPAGATING EAST INTO THE AREA BOTH
SAT INTO SUN.

REST OF THE EXTENDED:
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SUGGEST THAT THE MID LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER
THE ROCKIES OR INTO THE NRN PLAINS FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK
WEEK.  SOME DIFFERENCES ON HOW THE SFC FEATURES WILL PLAY OUT...WITH
PLACEMENT OF THE RIDGE AFFECTING THIS SOMEWHAT.  BUT CURRENT
CONSENSUS SUGGESTS THAT SOME DIURNAL STORM CHANCES FOR MON NIGHT
THROUGH WED.

KETCHAM

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU

MAINTAINED VFR THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD ACROSS THE AREA WITH VCTS
MENTIONED ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY
EVENING HOURS GRADUALLY SPREADING SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS TOWARD MORNING. ALTHOUGH WITH MORE
WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...MVFR CIGS MAY
BE MORE PREVALENT TOWARD MORNING ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST
KANSAS.

MWM

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    59  71  50  74 /  70  10  10  20
HUTCHINSON      56  71  49  75 /  70  10  10  20
NEWTON          56  68  48  72 /  70  10  10  20
ELDORADO        58  70  48  73 /  70  10  10  20
WINFIELD-KWLD   61  73  49  75 /  70  10  10  20
RUSSELL         52  70  48  77 /  70  10  10  20
GREAT BEND      53  71  49  78 /  70  10  10  20
SALINA          55  71  48  75 /  70  10  10  20
MCPHERSON       55  69  49  74 /  70  10  10  20
COFFEYVILLE     64  73  50  73 /  70  30  10  20
CHANUTE         61  70  48  73 /  70  30  10  20
IOLA            61  68  48  73 /  70  30  10  20
PARSONS-KPPF    63  72  49  72 /  70  30  10  20

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 4:24 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
424 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-312130-
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-
424 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING OVER CENTRAL AND
SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. WHILE MOST OF THE AREA WILL HAVE A CHANCE
TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE STORMS TONIGHT...LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF
A LINE FROM HOISINGTON TO ELDORADO TO SEDAN WILL HAVE A CHANCE FOR
A MORE SIGNIFICANT SEVERE THREAT. IN THESE LOCATIONS THE STRONGER
STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL ALONG
WITH 70 MPH WINDS. IN ADDITION AN ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT WIDESPREAD STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT
ANTICIPATED. CHANCES FOR ISOLATED...HIT AND MISS THUNDERSTORMS
WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY.
WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS UNLIKELY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING ACROSS THE REGION...ESPECIALLY OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS.

&&

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

ADK/LAWSON/MWM/KETCHAM

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 5:35 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
535 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

0535 PM     HAIL             DOWNTOWN WICHITA        37.69N 97.34W
05/30/2012  E1.00 INCH       SEDGWICK           KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            1 INCH HAIL AT THE EOC DOWNTOWN

&&

SGS

Local storm report, May 30, 5:37 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
537 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

0536 PM     HAIL             3 NNW DOWNTOWN WICHITA  37.72N 97.36W
05/30/2012  E1.50 INCH       SEDGWICK           KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SGS

Local storm report, May 30, 5:38 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
538 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

0537 PM     HAIL             3 W WHITEWATER          37.96N 97.20W
05/30/2012  E0.88 INCH       HARVEY             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SGS

Local storm report, May 30, 5:40 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
540 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

0540 PM     HAIL             1 W WHITEWATER          37.96N 97.17W
05/30/2012  E1.00 INCH       HARVEY             KS   NWS EMPLOYEE

            OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE.

&&

BDK

Local storm report, May 30, 5:41 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
541 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

0540 PM     HAIL             LYONS                   38.35N 98.20W
05/30/2012  E0.88 INCH       RICE               KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

BDK

Local storm report, May 30, 5:46 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
546 PM CDT WED MAY 30 2012

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

0544 PM     LIGHTNING        3 SSE ASSARIA           38.64N 97.58W
05/30/2012                   SALINE             KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            CAUSED A GRASS FIRE...AT LAPSEY AND WOODWARD.

&&

BDK

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 29, 7:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Sumner	24 min
May 29, 7:43 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Butler	32 min
May 29, 7:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Butler	28 min
May 29, 8:16 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Greenwood	29 min
May 29, 10:15 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Sedgwick	30 min
May 29, 10:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Sedgwick	26 min
May 29, 10:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Kingman	36 min
May 29, 10:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Kingman	30 min
May 29, 11:03 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Sedgwick	27 min
May 29, 11:06 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Marion	24 min
May 29, 11:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Chase, Marion	26 min
May 29, 11:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Butler	28 min
May 30, 1:21 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Elk	24 min
May 30, 3:43 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Lincoln, Russell	32 min
May 30, 3:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Ellsworth, Lincoln, Russell	44 min
May 30, 4:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Barton	45 min
May 30, 4:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Ellsworth, Lincoln, Russell	65 min
May 30, 4:29 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Sedgwick	46 min
May 30, 4:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Harvey, Sedgwick	65 min
May 30, 4:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Barton	64 min
May 30, 5:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	McPherson, Saline	56 min
May 30, 5:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Barton, Ellsworth, Russell	48 min
May 30, 5:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick	54 min
May 30, 5:37 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	ICT	Barton, Russell	6 hr
May 30, 5:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Saline	28 min
May 30, 5:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	McPherson	64 min
May 30, 6:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Barton, Russell	51 min
May 30, 6:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Harvey, Reno	59 min
May 30, 6:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Rice	34 min
May 30, 6:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Butler	57 min
May 30, 6:36 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	ICT	Butler, Sedgwick	3 hr
May 30, 6:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	McPherson	34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2012 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

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.