Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Topeka, KS

February 20, 2012Cloud County, Ottawa County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Feb 20, 2012, 4:55 PM CST for Cloud County, Ottawa County, Kansas. It was in force for 24 min. 6 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
Feb 20, 2012, 4:55 PM CST (22:55 UTC)
Expired
Feb 20, 2012, 5:19 PM CST
In force
24 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Cloud County, KS, Ottawa County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 126 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
Feb 20, 4:55 PM CSTHAIL 0.881 N Minneapolis, KSLARGEST STONE WAS NICKEL SIZED. HIGHWAY 81 NORTH OF MINNEAPOLIS HAD HAIL 1 INCH DEEP ON THE ROADWAY.
Feb 20, 4:58 PM CSTHAIL 0.55 E Delphos, KSHAIL COVERING CROUND ABOUT 2 INCHES DEEP OF PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL. ALSO REPORTED SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC ON 81 HWY DUE TO THE DEEP HAIL.
Feb 20, 4:58 PM CSTHAIL 0.88Minneapolis, KSHAIL NEARLY COVERING THE GROUND
Feb 20, 5:00 PM CSTHAIL 15 Ene Delphos, KSQUARTER SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND. HAIL WAS STILL PRESENT ON THE GROUND FOR 3 HOURS AFTER THE EVENT OCCURRED.
Feb 20, 5:05 PM CSTHAIL 15 Ne Delphos, KSCOVERING GROUND
Feb 20, 5:18 PM CSTHAIL 0.255 Sse Concordia, KSHAIL IS COVERING THE GROUND ALMOST AN INCH DEEP.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 hours before the alert went out and 175 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 2012-02-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 2012-02-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 210 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
852 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
210 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
295 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

593 
WUUS53 KTOP 202255
SVRTOP
KSC029-143-202330-
/O.NEW.KTOP.SV.W.0001.120220T2255Z-120220T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
455 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN CLOUD COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
  NORTH CENTRAL OTTAWA COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 530 PM CST

* AT 450 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND
  DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF DELPHOS...OR 6 MILES NORTH OF MINNEAPOLIS...MOVING
  NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  AURORA...
  DELPHOS...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...PREPARE FOR LARGE HAIL AS WELL
AS DEADLY CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING.

STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE LATEST
SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3953 9768 3952 9736 3926 9749 3907 9769
      3924 9783
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 216DEG 38KT 3925 9768
WIND...HAIL 60MPH 1.00IN

$$

BLAIR
2 follow-up statements
085 
WWUS53 KTOP 202310
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
510 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012

KSC029-143-202330-
/O.CON.KTOP.SV.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120220T2330Z/
OTTAWA-CLOUD-
510 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CST
FOR SOUTHEASTERN CLOUD AND NORTH CENTRAL OTTAWA COUNTIES...

AT 504 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR AND STORM 
SPOTTERS CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF 
PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 11 MILES 
SOUTHWEST OF AURORA...OR 15 MILES NORTH OF MINNEAPOLIS...MOVING 
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
AURORA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3953 9768 3952 9737 3951 9737 3923 9751
      3923 9764 3931 9775
TIME...MOT...LOC 2309Z 208DEG 36KT 3938 9764
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

BLAIR
371 
WWUS53 KTOP 202319
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
519 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012

KSC029-143-202330-
/O.CAN.KTOP.SV.W.0001.000000T0000Z-120220T2330Z/
OTTAWA-CLOUD-
519 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CLOUD AND NORTH
CENTRAL OTTAWA COUNTIES HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

AT 520 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT THE
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAD WEAKENED AND WAS NO
LONGER SEVERE...THUS THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

RADAR INDICATED THAT HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS WERE
STILL POSSIBLE FROM THE THUNDERSTORM.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION.

&&

LAT...LON 3953 9768 3952 9737 3951 9737 3923 9751
      3923 9764 3931 9775
TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 208DEG 36KT 3948 9757

$$

BLAIR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 20, 4:45 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementTOPOttawa30 min
Feb 20, 5:18 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementTOPLyon42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2012Every 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.