Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 20, NWS Wichita, KS

April 14, 2012Saline County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 14, 2012, 6:57 PM CDT for Saline County, Kansas. It was in force for 13 min. 4 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, 2012, 6:57 PM CDT (23:57 UTC)
Expired
Apr 14, 2012, 7:10 PM CDT
In force
13 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Observed
Damage threat
Significant
Hail
1.75 in

County Saline County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:56 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, 7:01 PM CDTTORNADO4 N New Cambria, KS
Apr 14, 7:05 PM CDTTORNADO3 N New Cambria, KSTRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED ROAD SIGNS FOLDED OVER AND SOME BLOWN 100 YARDS AWAY AND MULTIPLE TREES DOWN AT I-70 AND NILES ROAD.
Apr 14, 7:05 PM CDTTORNADO5 Ne New Cambria, KSTORNADO MOVING EAST AND IS TO THE NORTH OF I70 MILE MARKER 263 AND APPROACHING THE REST AREA AT THE SALINE AND DICKINSON COUTNY LINE
Apr 14, 7:08 PM CDTTORNADO4 Nw Solomon, KSLARGE BOWL FUNNEL WITH SWIRLS ON THE GROUND REPORTED BY CHASER.

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, 5:24 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 154 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 2012-04-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1122 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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 2012-04-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 185 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1122 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
508 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
185 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.1
Supercell composite
6.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

385 
WFUS53 KICT 142357
TORICT
KSC169-150030-
/O.NEW.KICT.TO.W.0020.120414T2357Z-120415T0030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
657 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN SALINE COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 730 PM CDT

* AT 653 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO
  WAS LOCATED NEAR NEW CAMBRIA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

  THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

  HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO.

  SOURCE...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFIRMED TORNADO.

  IMPACT...MAJOR HOUSE AND BUILDING DAMAGE LIKELY AND COMPLETE
           DESTRUCTION POSSIBLE. NUMEROUS TREES SNAPPED. MAJOR POWER
           OUTAGES IN PATH OF TORNADO HIGHLY LIKELY. SOME ROADS
           POSSIBLY BLOCKED BY TORNADO DEBRIS. COMPLETE DESTRUCTION
           OF VEHICLES LIKELY.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN SALINE COUNTY.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 257 AND 266.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE PREVIOUS TORNADO WARNING THAT WAS 
IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEAST SALINE COUNTY.

TO REPEAT...A LARGE...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY
TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE...TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE
TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A STURDY BUILDING. AVOID
WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE
CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT...PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT.

&&

LAT...LON 3896 9736 3893 9736 3892 9738 3891 9737
      3888 9737 3882 9747 3895 9760 3897 9758
      3897 9737
TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 231DEG 27KT 3892 9748

TORNADO...OBSERVED
TORNADO DAMAGE THREAT...SIGNIFICANT
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

BILLINGS
1 follow-up statement
667 
WWUS53 KICT 150010
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
710 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

KSC169-150020-
/O.CAN.KICT.TO.W.0020.000000T0000Z-120415T0030Z/
SALINE KS-
710 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN SALINE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

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

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM CDT SUNDAY.

LAT...LON 3896 9736 3893 9736 3892 9738 3891 9737
      3888 9737 3882 9747 3895 9760 3897 9758
      3897 9737
TIME...MOT...LOC 0010Z 231DEG 27KT 3898 9738

$$

BILLINGS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 13, 7:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTElk45 min
Apr 13, 7:10 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTWilson50 min
Apr 13, 7:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTSumner52 min
Apr 13, 7:58 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTSedgwick47 min
Apr 13, 9:26 PM CDTWind AdvisoryICTBarton, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley, Elk and 14 more25 hr
Apr 13, 9:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTCowley31 min
Apr 13, 10:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTElk34 min
Apr 13, 11:14 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTElk31 min
Apr 14, 12:09 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTWoodson36 min
Apr 14, 12:23 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTGreenwood52 min
Apr 14, 12:39 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTElk, Greenwood, Wilson, Woodson37 min
Apr 14, 4:58 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTLabette47 min
Apr 14, 10:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton, Russell50 min
Apr 14, 12:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton, Russell45 min
Apr 14, 1:15 PM CDTTornado WarningICTRussell30 min
Apr 14, 1:23 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTRussell2 hr
Apr 14, 1:43 PM CDTTornado WarningICTLincoln, Russell21 min
Apr 14, 4:11 PM CDTTornado WarningICTBarton, Russell17 min
Apr 14, 4:34 PM CDTTornado WarningICTBarton, Rice41 min
Apr 14, 4:59 PM CDTTornado WarningICTKingman, Reno46 min
Apr 14, 5:13 PM CDTTornado WarningICTRice32 min
Apr 14, 5:26 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTEllsworth34 min
Apr 14, 5:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTEllsworth, Saline42 min
Apr 14, 5:36 PM CDTTornado WarningICTReno39 min
Apr 14, 5:43 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTEllsworth, McPherson, Rice, Saline47 min
Apr 14, 5:58 PM CDTTornado WarningICTKingman47 min
Apr 14, 6:19 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTSaline41 min
Apr 14, 6:31 PM CDTTornado WarningICTKingman, Reno44 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes 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.