Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 25, NWS Wichita, KS

March 29, 2012Marion County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 29, 2012, 5:53 PM CDT for Marion County, Kansas. It was in force for 35 min. 1 report 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: Mar 29, 2012, 5:53 PM CDT (22:53 UTC)
Expired: Mar 29, 2012, 6:28 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Wichita, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Marion County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:55 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
Mar 29, 6:01 PM CDT	HAIL 0.88	4 Sse Tampa, 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 watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 29, 5:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 138 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: 1633 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -59 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 545 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 131 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 215 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 5.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

526 
WUUS53 KICT 292253
SVRICT
KSC115-300000-
/O.NEW.KICT.SV.W.0025.120329T2253Z-120330T0000Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
553 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN MARION COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 551 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
  TRACKING A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE
  HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS
  LOCATED NEAR DURHAM...OR 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF MARION...AND MOVING
  EAST AT 30 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  TAMPA...LINCOLNVILLE...PILSEN...RAMONA AND LOST SPRINGS.

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 3861 9693 3850 9693 3833 9737 3849 9737
      3861 9714
TIME...MOT...LOC 2253Z 252DEG 27KT 3850 9715
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.00IN

$$

KETCHAM

2 follow-up statements

730 
WWUS53 KICT 292314
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
614 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

KSC115-300000-
/O.CON.KICT.SV.W.0025.000000T0000Z-120330T0000Z/
MARION KS-
614 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN
MARION COUNTY UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 610 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS REPORTED...PRODUCING 
QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LINCOLNVILLE...OR 12 MILES NORTH OF MARION...
MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  LINCOLNVILLE AND LOST SPRINGS.

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 3861 9693 3850 9693 3836 9730 3849 9723
      3860 9709
TIME...MOT...LOC 2314Z 262DEG 21KT 3853 9699
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.00IN

$$

SMITH

055 
WWUS53 KICT 292328
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
628 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

KSC115-292338-
/O.CAN.KICT.SV.W.0025.000000T0000Z-120330T0000Z/
MARION KS-
628 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHERN MARION COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED ACROSS AND MOVED 
OUT OF THE WARNED AREA.

LAT...LON 3861 9693 3850 9693 3836 9730 3849 9723
      3860 9709
TIME...MOT...LOC 2328Z 262DEG 21KT 3854 9689

$$

SMITH

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 Mar 29, 3:15 PM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 29, 3:15 PM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
315 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

.DISCUSSION...

LATE THIS AFTERNOON-TONIGHT...
SURFACE-BASED CONVECTIVE INHIBITION SHOULD GRADUALLY DIMINISH WITH
PEAK HEATING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WITH THE AID OF MID-LEVEL
COOLING WITH SHORTWAVE TROF COMING OUT OF THE ROCKIES. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LOOKS TO OCCUR IN THE 22Z-01Z TIME FRAME ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL KS ALONG FRONTAL CONVERGENCE ZONE. SBCAPE OF 3000 J/KG
AND 25 KT OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR COULD RESULT IN A FEW SEVERE STORMS.
LARGE HAIL/GUSTY WINDS APPEAR TO BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. ACTIVITY
MAY DIMINISH IN INTENSITY/COVERAGE LATER TONIGHT AS THE LOW-LEVEL
JET VEERS TO WEST-NORTHWESTERLY DECREASING LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE.
SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TONIGHT IN CENTRAL KS BEHIND
FRONTAL PASSAGE. -JMC

FRIDAY-SUNDAY...A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING OVER THE NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL PLAINS STATES TODAY IS PROGGED TO MOVE EAST OVER THE UPPER
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES AREA ON FRIDAY. A STABLE
POST-FRONTAL AIRMASS IS ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON
FRIDAY AND PULLED LOW POPS ANCHORED IN THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST ZONES.
PREFER THE GFS DEPICTION WITH A STRONG CAPPING INVERSION AND NO
FOCUS FOR DEEP MOIST CONVECTION AS THE DIFFUSE FRONT WEAKENS AND IS
FORCED SOUTH INTO OKLAHOMA. LOW LEVEL SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL RETURN TO
THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON SATURDAY AS THE MID/UPPER RIDGE AMPLIFIES
ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS AND ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH DIGS INTO THE
WEST COAST OF CALIFORNIA. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN CONTINUED MILD
SPRING WEATHER ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH HIGHS REMAINING WELL
ABOVE NORMAL CLIMBING INTO THE LOW 80S SAT. THE H85 THERMAL RIDGE
WILL BUILD OVER THE GREAT PLAINS ON SUNDAY LEADING TO THE WARMEST
DAY OF THE WEEK WITH HIGHS CLIMBING INTO THE UPPER 80S ACROSS MUCH
OF THE AREA. SOME CONCERN FOR AN ISOLATED DIURNALLY DRIVEN LATE
AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORM BUT GIVEN THE LACK OF ANY FOCUS
MAINTAINED A DRY FORECAST FOR NOW. THIS PROGRESSIVE SHORTWAVE TROUGH
WILL HELP DRIVE A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA LATE SUNDAY-EARLY
MONDAY AND THE PAST COUPLE OF GFS SOLUTIONS HAVE SHOWED A LESS
PROGRESSIVE SOLUTION WHEN COMPARED TO THE ECMWF. GIVEN THE LACK OF
RUN-TO-RUN CONSISTENCY WILL LEAN TOWARDS THE ECMWF AND CONTINUE WITH
THE MORE PROGRESSIVE FROPA AND LIMITED CHANCES FOR DEEP MOIST
CONVECTION.

MON-THU...MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES ARE ON TAP FOR EARLY NEXT
WEEK BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT. MAINTAINED LOW POPS THROUGH EARLY
MON EVENING GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF BUT A MORE
PROGRESSIVE SCENARIO WOULD RESULT IN MORE RAPID CLEARING MON NIGHT.
MID/UPPER RIDGING IS PROGGED TO RETURN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEK WITH DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND A RETURN TO WELL ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES TOWARD MIDWEEK. -MWM

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
MINIMAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY IN THE
WEEKEND BEFORE RISING TEMPERATURES AND INCREASING SOUTHWEST WINDS
ARRIVE ON SUNDAY.  ALTHOUGH GREENUP IS WELL UNDERWAY...CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS SUN-MON.

MWM

&&

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

EXPECTING ISOLATED-SCATTERED STORM DEVELOPMENT OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KS
IN THE 22Z-03Z TIME PERIOD...ALONG TRAILING COLD FRONT AND
FRONT/DRYLINE INTERSECTION WHERE LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE IS PROGGED.
WILL INCLUDE VCTS AT HUT AND ICT...WITH ONLY CB CLOUD DECK AT SLN
AND CNU. CONVERGENCE WEAKENS LATER OVERNIGHT AS THE LOW-LEVEL JET
VEERS TO WEST-NORTHWESTERLY. THIS SHOULD ALLOW CONVECTION TO
DIMINISH EAST OF THE KS TURNPIKE. WINDS WILL SWITCH TO NORTHWEST BEHIND
FRONT IN CENTRAL KS THIS AFTERNOON...AND IN SOUTHEAST KS LATE
TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

JMC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    57  80  57  82 /  40  10  10  10
HUTCHINSON      54  79  56  83 /  40  10  10   0
NEWTON          57  79  56  81 /  30  10  10   0
ELDORADO        59  80  56  81 /  30  10  10  10
WINFIELD-KWLD   58  80  57  82 /  30  10  10  10
RUSSELL         48  80  53  83 /  10  10   0   0
GREAT BEND      50  80  53  83 /  10  10   0   0
SALINA          52  80  58  85 /  30  10  10   0
MCPHERSON       54  79  57  83 /  30  10  10   0
COFFEYVILLE     60  82  58  84 /  30  10  10  10
CHANUTE         59  80  56  82 /  30  10  10  10
IOLA            59  79  56  82 /  30  10  10  10
PARSONS-KPPF    60  80  56  83 /  30  10  10  10

&&

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

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 29, 4:42 PM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
442 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-302145-
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-
442 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A FEW SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...BEFORE PUSHING INTO
SOUTHEAST KANSAS OVERNIGHT. ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL BE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE AND WIND GUSTS
OF 60 TO 70 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE AREA. STRONG STORMS WILL
BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS ACTIVITY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM KINGMAN TO MCPHERSON.

&&

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

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 29, 5:32 PM CDT, 21 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
532 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

KSZ051-068-292300-
HARVEY-MCPHERSON-
532 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HARVEY AND MCPHERSON COUNTIES...

AT 527 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES EAST OF BUHLER...OR 14 MILES EAST OF
HUTCHINSON...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.

PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3832 9737 3817 9737 3817 9717 3805 9717
      3802 9770 3822 9770 3835 9738
TIME...MOT...LOC 2233Z 262DEG 21KT 3812 9762

KETCHAM

Special weather statement, Mar 29, 5:46 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
546 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

KSZ052-292330-
MARION-
546 PM CDT THU MAR 29 2012

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

AT 542 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR DURHAM...OR 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF
MARION...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

DIME SIZE HAIL...AND 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.

&&

LAT...LON 3861 9693 3849 9694 3833 9737 3853 9737
      3862 9718
TIME...MOT...LOC 2246Z 242DEG 21KT 3850 9719

KETCHAM

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 28, 7:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Greenwood	30 min
Mar 28, 7:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Greenwood	30 min
Mar 28, 7:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ICT	Greenwood	22 min
Mar 28, 8:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ICT	Greenwood	30 min
Mar 28, 8:18 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	ICT	Greenwood	12 hr
Mar 28, 8:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ICT	Greenwood	46 min
Mar 28, 9:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Greenwood, Woodson	62 min
Mar 28, 10:31 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Greenwood	29 min
Mar 28, 11:03 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Greenwood	27 min
Mar 29, 5:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Harvey	28 min
Mar 29, 5:40 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Harvey, McPherson	50 min
Mar 29, 5:46 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Marion	44 min
Mar 29, 5:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Harvey	61 min
Mar 29, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Marion	30 min
Mar 29, 6:51 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Sedgwick	39 min
Mar 29, 6:57 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Harvey	63 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.