Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 33, NWS Wichita, KS

April 14, 2012Ellsworth County, McPherson County, Rice County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 14, 2012, 10:10 PM CDT for Ellsworth County, McPherson County, Rice County, Kansas. It was in force for 32 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
Apr 14, 2012, 10:10 PM CDT (03:10 UTC)
Expired
Apr 14, 2012, 10:42 PM CDT
In force
32 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Observed
Damage threat
Significant
Hail
1.75 in

Counties Ellsworth County, KS, McPherson County, KS, Rice County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:10 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.

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

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 180 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, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2012-04-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2712 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2012-04-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 369 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
2712 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-59 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1140 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
84 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
369 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
445 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
6.0
Supercell composite
30.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

138 
WFUS53 KICT 150310
TORICT
KSC053-113-159-150400-
/O.NEW.KICT.TO.W.0033.120415T0310Z-120415T0400Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1010 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN ELLSWORTH COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...
  NORTHWESTERN MCPHERSON COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...
  NORTHERN RICE COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 1100 PM CDT

* AT 1005 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED LARGE AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TORNADO
  WAS LOCATED NEAR LYONS...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 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...
  GENESEO...LITTLE RIVER...LYONS AND KANOPOLIS STATE PARK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE TORNADOES! TAKE COVER IN 
A BASEMENT OR STORM SHELTER NOW!

TORNADOES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE AND CONFIRM AT NIGHT. TAKE COVER NOW.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THEY WILL SEND YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
WICHITA.

&&

LAT...LON 3868 9802 3849 9777 3826 9819 3840 9834
TIME...MOT...LOC 0310Z 228DEG 37KT 3841 9816

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

$$

SCHMINKE
1 follow-up statement
157 
WWUS53 KICT 150342
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
1042 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

KSC053-113-159-150352-
/O.CAN.KICT.TO.W.0033.000000T0000Z-120415T0400Z/
RICE KS-MCPHERSON KS-ELLSWORTH KS-
1042 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN ELLSWORTH...NORTHWESTERN
MCPHERSON AND NORTHERN RICE COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

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

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH...NUMBER 170...REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM CDT.

LAT...LON 3868 9802 3849 9777 3826 9819 3840 9834
TIME...MOT...LOC 0342Z 228DEG 37KT 3863 9785

$$

SCHMINKE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 14, 7:12 PM CDTTornado WarningICTReno37 min
Apr 14, 7:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey, McPherson, Marion, Reno41 min
Apr 14, 7:43 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTRussell32 min
Apr 14, 7:45 PM CDTTornado WarningICTHarper28 min
Apr 14, 7:47 PM CDTTornado WarningICTHarvey, McPherson, Marion28 min
Apr 14, 7:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTRussell20 min
Apr 14, 7:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton36 min
Apr 14, 8:10 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedICTMcPherson, Marion50 min
Apr 14, 8:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton, Ellsworth, Lincoln, Russell46 min
Apr 14, 8:22 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedICTHarper38 min
Apr 14, 8:32 PM CDTTornado WarningICTLincoln, Russell28 min
Apr 14, 8:40 PM CDTTornado WarningICTMarion31 min
Apr 14, 8:47 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTHarper, Sumner43 min
Apr 14, 9:19 PM CDTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedSignificant damage threatICTSumner41 min
Apr 14, 9:30 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTSedgwick45 min
Apr 14, 9:32 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedICTBarton, Reno, Rice43 min
Apr 14, 10:09 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTSedgwick51 min
Apr 14, 10:13 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedICTEllsworth, McPherson, Rice, Saline37 min
Apr 14, 10:27 PM CDTTornado Warning EmergencyTornado observedCatastrophic damage threatICTButler, Sedgwick33 min
Apr 14, 10:38 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTSedgwick3 hr
Apr 14, 10:40 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTMcPherson, Saline50 min
Apr 14, 10:41 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedSignificant damage threatICTButler49 min
Apr 14, 10:47 PM CDTTornado WarningICTEllsworth, Rice43 min
Apr 14, 11:03 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTButler3 hr
Apr 14, 11:12 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTBarton, Ellsworth, Rice, Saline4 hr
Apr 14, 11:24 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedICTButler, Chase, Greenwood51 min
Apr 14, 11:27 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedICTEllsworth, Lincoln, Saline48 min
Apr 15, 12:11 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTEllsworth, Rice34 min
Apr 15, 12:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTRice27 min
Apr 15, 12:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarper42 min
Apr 15, 1:02 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTKingman43 min
Apr 15, 1:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey, Reno, Sedgwick, Sumner46 min
Apr 15, 2:36 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTButler39 min
Apr 15, 3:40 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTCowley35 min
Apr 15, 4:03 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTChautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Montgomery, Wilson, Woodson27 min
Apr 15, 4:03 AM CDTWind AdvisoryICTAllen, Barton, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cowley and 20 more16 hr
Apr 15, 5:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTAllen, Labette, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson, Woodson59 min
Apr 15, 6:03 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTLabette, Montgomery42 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.