Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Wichita, KS

March 28, 2012Greenwood County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this tornado warning at Mar 28, 2012, 8:44 PM CDT for Greenwood County, Kansas. It was in force for 46 min. 5 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
Mar 28, 2012, 8:44 PM CDT (01:44 UTC)
Expired
Mar 28, 2012, 9:30 PM CDT
In force
46 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Greenwood County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:44 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
Mar 28, 8:47 PM CDTHAIL 1Madison, KS
Mar 28, 8:50 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD6 Se Madison, KSLARGE WELL DEVELOPED FUNNEL CLOUD.
Mar 28, 8:57 PM CDTHAIL 4.25Madison, KS
Mar 28, 9:11 PM CDTHAIL 2.52 E Madison, KSGOLFBALL TO TENNIS BALL SIZE HAIL.
Mar 28, 9:15 PM CDTHAIL 1.754 E Madison, KSA PLETHORA OF GOLFBALL-SIZED HAIL OCCURRING 2 MILES NORTH OF HILLTOP.

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
Mar 28, 8:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC4 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 106 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 00:00Z on 2012-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1317 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2012-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1317 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1400 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
180 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
6.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

391 
WFUS53 KICT 290144
TORICT
KSC073-290230-
/O.NEW.KICT.TO.W.0008.120329T0144Z-120329T0230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
844 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN GREENWOOD COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST KANSAS...

* UNTIL 930 PM CDT

* AT 840 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A WELL DEFINED 
WALL CLOUD 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MADISON. A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT 
ANY TIME. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED THIS DANGEROUS STORM MOVING EAST AT 5 
MPH. THIS STORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING BASEBALL SIZED HAIL.

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

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3817 9596 3802 9596 3799 9616 3817 9625
TIME...MOT...LOC 0142Z 252DEG 3KT 3810 9609
HAIL 2.75IN

$$

SMITH
2 follow-up statements
190 
WWUS53 KICT 290154
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
854 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012

KSC073-290230-
/O.CON.KICT.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120329T0230Z/
GREENWOOD KS-
854 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN GREENWOOD
COUNTY UNTIL 930 PM CDT...

AT 849 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A LARGE FUNNEL 
CLOUD NEAR HILLTOP OR 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MADISON.  A TORNADO MAY 
DEVELOP AT ANY TIME. THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR 
MADISON...OR 22 MILES NORTHEAST OF EUREKA...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. 
THIS STORM ALSO HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL TO BASEBALL 
SIZE.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN GREENWOOD COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3817 9596 3802 9596 3803 9618 3817 9624
TIME...MOT...LOC 0153Z 248DEG 9KT 3810 9607
HAIL 2.75IN

$$

SMITH
415 
WWUS53 KICT 290202
SVSICT

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
902 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012

KSC073-290230-
/O.CON.KICT.TO.W.0008.000000T0000Z-120329T0230Z/
GREENWOOD KS-
902 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHEASTERN GREENWOOD
COUNTY UNTIL 930 PM CDT...

AT 857 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A LARGE FUNNEL 
CLOUD NEAR HILLTOP.  TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS ALSO REPORTED SOFTBALL 
SIZED HAIL OCCURRING IN MADISON. A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME. 
THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MADISON...OR 22 MILES SOUTH OF 
EMPORIA...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHEASTERN GREENWOOD COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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.

&&

LAT...LON 3817 9596 3802 9596 3803 9616 3817 9619
TIME...MOT...LOC 0200Z 248DEG 9KT 3811 9605
HAIL 4.25IN

$$

SMITH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 28, 7:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTGreenwood30 min
Mar 28, 7:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTGreenwood30 min
Mar 28, 7:53 PM CDTTornado WarningICTGreenwood22 min
Mar 28, 8:15 PM CDTTornado WarningICTGreenwood30 min
Mar 28, 8:18 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTGreenwood12 hr
Mar 28, 9:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTGreenwood, Woodson62 min
Mar 28, 10:31 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTGreenwood29 min
Mar 28, 11:03 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTGreenwood27 min
Mar 29, 5:32 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTHarvey28 min
Mar 29, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey, McPherson50 min
Mar 29, 5:46 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTMarion44 min
Mar 29, 5:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTMarion35 min
Mar 29, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey61 min
Mar 29, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTMarion30 min
Mar 29, 6:51 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTSedgwick39 min
Mar 29, 6:57 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTHarvey63 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.