Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 96, NWS Wichita, KS

May 19, 2012Sumner County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 19, 2012, 7:41 PM CDT for Sumner County, Kansas. It was in force for 49 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 19, 2012, 7:41 PM CDT (00:41 UTC)
Expired: May 19, 2012, 8:30 PM CDT
In force: 49 min
Issued by: NWS Wichita, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.5 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Sumner County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:42 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

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 45 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 19, 3:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lamont, OK (KLMN), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 68 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: 1730 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1706 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 49 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 16 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

134 
WUUS53 KICT 200041
SVRICT
KSC191-200130-
/O.NEW.KICT.SV.W.0096.120520T0041Z-120520T0130Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
741 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 737 PM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ALONG A
  LINE EXTENDING FROM VIOLA TO BLUFF CITY...AND MOVING EAST AT 30
  MPH.

  HAZARD...PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

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

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  WELLINGTON...CALDWELL...BELLE PLAINE...SOUTH HAVEN...OXFORD...
  MAYFIELD...RIVERDALE...WELLINGTON AIRPORT...PERTH AND HUNNEWELL.

THIS INCLUDES THE KANSAS TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 33.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3722 9771 3748 9745 3747 9715 3700 9715
      3700 9780
TIME...MOT...LOC 0041Z 270DEG 25KT 3746 9758 3711 9783

HAIL...1.50IN
WIND...60 MPH

$$

LAWSON

1 follow-up statement

534 
WWUS53 KICT 200108
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
808 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

KSC191-200130-
/O.CON.KICT.SV.W.0096.000000T0000Z-120520T0130Z/
SUMNER KS-
808 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SUMNER COUNTY
UNTIL 830 PM CDT...

AT 804 PM CDT...A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED ALONG A
LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES SOUTH OF CLEARWATER TO 7 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WELLINGTON...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD...PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL AND 60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

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

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WELLINGTON...SOUTH HAVEN...BELLE PLAINE...OXFORD...HUNNEWELL...
RIVERDALE AND WELLINGTON AIRPORT.

THIS INCLUDES THE KANSAS TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 33.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3722 9771 3748 9745 3747 9715 3700 9715
      3700 9780
TIME...MOT...LOC 0108Z 270DEG 25KT 3743 9747 3721 9747

HAIL...1.50IN
WIND...60 MPH

$$

COOK

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 19, 6:59 PM CDT, 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 6:59 PM CDT, 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
659 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

.AVIATION...00Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU

SCATTERED STRONG/SEVERE STORMS ALONG AN EASTWARD ADVANCING COLD
FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST/NORTHEAST THIS
EVENING...AFFECTING KSLN-KICT WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS AND
POSSIBLY KHUT. VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL CAN BE
EXPECTED. THREAT SHOULD PASS KHUT-KICT-KSLN BY 02-03Z OR SO...WITH
THUNDERSTORMS MAYBE NOT EVEN MAKING IT TO KCNU. WILL CONTINUE TO
MONITOR.

ADK

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 314 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012/

DISCUSSION...

SYNOPSIS...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS CENTERED NEAR GREAT BEND AT
18Z.  THIS LOW WAS PART OF A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDED FROM CENTRAL
MINNESOTA /AND AREAS FURTHER NORTH/...TO THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WAS ADVANCING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA.  THIS WILL BRING DESTABILIZING COOLER AIR IN THE
MID LEVELS TO THE REGION...CAUSING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO
DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT.  THESE ARE ALSO A BIG PART OF THE STORMS
ONGOING ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS AND WESTERN NEBRASKA. AS OF
1945Z...THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS CAN BE SEEN WELL ON WATER VAPOR
MOVING ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS.

TONIGHT...
THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING.  RUC SHOWING
SIGNIFICANT COLD ADVECTION ONGOING WITH THE APPROACHING
DISTURBANCE.  DURING THE DAY...THE CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT HAS HAD A
HARD TIME GETTING GOING AS THE WINDS HAVE VEERED AHEAD OF THE
FRONT.  THIS HAS ADDED TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHEN CONVECTION IS
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP...BUT SHOULD BE BY 23Z.  0-6KM SHEAR IS MARGINAL
FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION...WITH VALUES RANGING FROM 30-35 KNOTS.
THAT SAID...THERE IS ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR SOME OF THE STORMS TO
BECOME SEVERE.

SUNDAY...THE FRONT SHOULD MAKE IT WELL INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS.  WITH
THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FAR REMOVED FROM THE FRONT...ORGANIZED
SEVERE STORMS LOOK UNLIKELY AT THIS TIME...THOUGH SOME SCATTERED
STORMS EXPECTED.

MONDAY-SATURDAY...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH TUESDAY. THE
FRONT THAT JUST MOVED THROUGH WILL RETREAT NORTHWARD AS A WARM
FRONT. LEE CYCLOGENESIS TAKES PLACE AND BY WEDNESDAY...STRONG
SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS DEVELOP AGAIN AT THE SURFACE.  THIS WILL ALL
RESULT IN A WARMING TREND IN THE MIDDLE AND LATTER PORTION OF THE
WEEK.  BY FRIDAY...A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER THE
PACIFIC COAST WITH RIDGING OVER THE SOUTHEAST.  THIS WILL KEEP ALL
OF THE SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION WELL TO THE NORTH.

COOK

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

MAIN HAZARDS: WINDS AHEAD OF/BEHIND COLD FRONT...AND THUNDERSTORMS.

S-SWRLY GUSTS 25-35KT WILL PERSIST AHEAD OF FRONT THIS PM/EARLY
EVE. COLD FRONT SHOULD REACH RSL AROUND 20-21Z...SLN/HUT
01-02Z...AND ICT ~03-04Z. SCATTERED-BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
SHOULD DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT LATE THIS PM/EVE WHICH COULD
PRODUCE OUTFLOW AHEAD OF ACTUAL FRONT. WIND GUSTS 40-50 KT AND
HAIL WOULD BE THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE STORMS. WILL CARRY TEMPO
TS AT HUT/SLN SITES WITH HIGHEST CONFIDENCE OF STORMS AFFECTING
THOSE SITES...AND VCTS AT ICT. WIND SHIFT TO NW WITH SOME GUSTS
20-25 KT THIS EVE IN CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL KS.

JMC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    58  79  57  80 /  50  20  10   0
HUTCHINSON      56  78  54  80 /  50  10   0   0
NEWTON          57  77  53  78 /  50  20  10   0
ELDORADO        59  78  54  79 /  40  20  10   0
WINFIELD-KWLD   61  79  58  80 /  40  30  20  10
RUSSELL         52  77  51  81 /  20  10   0   0
GREAT BEND      53  78  52  81 /  20  10   0   0
SALINA          56  78  51  80 /  50  10   0   0
MCPHERSON       57  77  52  79 /  50  10   0   0
COFFEYVILLE     65  81  59  79 /  30  40  30  10
CHANUTE         64  79  57  78 /  40  40  10  10
IOLA            64  78  57  77 /  30  40  10  10
PARSONS-KPPF    65  80  58  78 /  30  40  20  10

&&

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

Hazardous weather outlook, May 19, 3:36 PM CDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
336 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-202045-
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-
336 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH
CENTRAL KANSAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT
MOVES OVER THE AREA. THE PRIMARY THREATS FROM ANY STORMS THAT
BECOME SEVERE WILL BE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PING PONG BALLS AND
WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS SUNDAY
EVENING...AS WELL AS LATE IN THE WEEK. AT THIS TIME...ORGANIZED
SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS
PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS AND DURING THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN KANSAS.

&&

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

COOK

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 19, 7:06 PM CDT, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
706 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

0640 PM     TORNADO          1 S RAGO                37.44N 98.08W
05/19/2012                   KINGMAN            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            WIND TURBINE BLADE DAMAGED AND POWER LINES DOWN.

&&

SGS

Local storm report, May 19, 7:17 PM CDT, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
717 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

0640 PM     TORNADO          1 S RAGO                37.44N 98.08W
05/19/2012                   KINGMAN            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTED OIL TANKS AND WELLS DAMAGED IN THE AREA
            WITH MULTIPLE TREE DAMAGE NEAR THE KINGMAN AND HARPER
            COUNTY LINE

&&

SGS

Local storm report, May 19, 7:18 PM CDT, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
718 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

0645 PM     TORNADO          5 W HARPER              37.29N 98.12W
05/19/2012                   HARPER             KS   NWS EMPLOYEE

            FARMSTEAD WAS HIT BY TORNADO. EXTENT OF DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN
            AT THIS TIME.

&&

ADK

Local storm report, May 19, 7:22 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
722 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

0658 PM     TORNADO          2 WNW HARPER            37.30N 98.06W
05/19/2012                   HARPER             KS   STORM CHASER

            TORNADO DAMAGE PATH IS 300 YARDS WIDE. SOME HOMES WERE
            DAMAGED. POWERLINES WERE DOWN.

&&

ADK

Local storm report, May 19, 7:25 PM CDT, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
725 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

0645 PM     TORNADO          5 W HARPER              37.30N 98.12W
05/19/2012                   HARPER             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TWO HOMES DAMAGED WITH ONE HAVING ROOF RIPPED OFF. HEAVY
            TREE DAMAGE WITH UPROOTED TREES.

&&

SGS

Local storm report, May 19, 7:33 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
733 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012

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

0732 PM     HAIL             5 WNW ARGONIA           37.28N 97.86W
05/19/2012  E1.50 INCH       HARPER             KS   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

SGS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 19, 7:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Harper, Kingman, Sumner	46 min
May 19, 8:08 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Butler	37 min
May 19, 8:11 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Butler	34 min
May 19, 8:20 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Sedgwick	25 min
May 19, 8:25 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Butler	35 min
May 19, 8:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Cowley, Sumner	46 min
May 19, 8:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Butler, Sedgwick	39 min
May 19, 9:17 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Cowley	28 min
May 19, 9:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Greenwood	28 min
May 19, 9:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Cowley	34 min
May 19, 9:47 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ICT	Greenwood	28 min
May 19, 10:02 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Sumner	28 min
May 19, 10:11 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Woodson	34 min
May 19, 10:21 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Cowley	24 min
May 19, 11:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Cowley	27 min
May 20, 12:01 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Labette	29 min
May 20, 12:30 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Labette	60 min
May 20, 12:31 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Neosho	59 min
May 20, 1:30 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	ICT	Labette	30 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.