Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 42, NWS Topeka, KS

April 15, 2012Marshall County, Pottawatomie County, Riley County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 15, 2012, 2:13 AM CDT for Marshall County, Pottawatomie County, Riley County, Kansas. It was in force for 24 min. 1 report 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 15, 2012, 2:13 AM CDT (07:13 UTC)
Expired: Apr 15, 2012, 2:37 AM CDT
In force: 24 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Marshall County, KS, Pottawatomie County, KS, Riley County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 67 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:12 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Apr 15, 2:30 AM CDT	HAIL 1.75	1 Wsw Olsburg, KS	GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL WEST OF TOWN. NICKEL SIZED IN OLSBURG. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this severe thunderstorm warning; the first came 17 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
Apr 15, 1:37 AM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 7.2 hours before the alert went out and 102 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: 1788 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 665 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 58 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 401 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 443 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 5.2
Supercell composite: 17.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

452 
WUUS53 KTOP 150713
SVRTOP
KSC117-149-161-150800-
/O.NEW.KTOP.SV.W.0042.120415T0713Z-120415T0800Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
213 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL MARSHALL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...
  WESTERN POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...
  NORTH CENTRAL RILEY COUNTY IN NORTHEAST KANSAS...

* UNTIL 300 AM CDT

* AT 208 AM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR
  LEONARDVILLE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

  HAZARD...GOLF 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...
  RANDOLPH...BLAINE AND OLSBURG.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA. TORNADOES CAN
DEVELOP QUICKLY FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. ALTHOUGH ONE IS NOT
IMMEDIATELY LIKELY...IF A TORNADO IS SPOTTED...ACT QUICKLY AND MOVE
TO A PLACE OF SAFETY INSIDE A STURDY STRUCTURE...SUCH AS A BASEMENT
OR SMALL INTERIOR ROOM.

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

&&

LAT...LON 3970 9647 3946 9633 3928 9685 3948 9692
TIME...MOT...LOC 0713Z 235DEG 50KT 3941 9676

HAIL...1.75IN
WIND...60 MPH

$$

1 follow-up statement

003 
WWUS53 KTOP 150737
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
237 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

KSC117-149-161-150747-
/O.CAN.KTOP.SV.W.0042.000000T0000Z-120415T0800Z/
RILEY KS-POTTAWATOMIE KS-MARSHALL KS-
237 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MARSHALL...
WESTERN POTTAWATOMIE AND NORTH CENTRAL RILEY COUNTIES IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

ADDITIONAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM.

LAT...LON 3970 9647 3946 9633 3928 9685 3948 9692
TIME...MOT...LOC 0737Z 235DEG 50KT 3960 9641

$$

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 15, 12:33 AM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 15, 12:33 AM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1233 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

...UPDATE TO AVIATION...

.DISCUSSION...

AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER NORTHERN AZ WILL LIFT NORTHEAST
INTO THE PLAINS TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALREADY DEVELOPING ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH
CENTRAL KS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE LOW-LEVEL VERTICAL WIND SHEAR
AND INSTABILITY ARE FORECASTED TO INCREASE ACROSS THE CWA THIS
AFTERNOON. DISCRETE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES. SOME OF MORE
INTENSE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LONG
TRACK VIOLENT TORNADOES. THE BETTER CHANCE FOR DISCRETE SUPERCELLS
WILL BE ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. SBCAPE IS FORECASTED TO INCREASE
BETWEEN 2500-3500 J/KG BY LATE AFTERNOON. 0-1 KM SRH WILL ALSO
INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS FROM AROUND 200 J/KG TO 400
J/KG BY 3Z SUN.

DURING THE MID AND LATE EVENING HOURS...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
SUPERCELLS SHOULD CONGEAL INTO SEGMENTED SQUALL LINES OR A QLCS.
0-1KM SRH IS FORECASTED TO INCREASE OVER 400 J/KG AFTER 3Z ACROSS
MUCH OF THE CWA. THUS...EVEN IF A QLCS DEVELOPS THERE WILL BE A GOOD
CHANCE FOR EMBEDDED SUPERCELLS AND STRONG MESO-VORTICES CAPABLE OF
PRODUCING TORNADOES.

AS THE THE UPPER TROUGH LIFTS NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE TONIGHT...THE PACIFIC COLD FRONT WILL OVER TAKE
THE DRYLINE AND PUSH THE SQUALL LINE EAST OF THE CWA AFTER 10Z SUN.
THERE MAY BE A FEW SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE MID MORNING
HOURS ACROSS THE EASTERN CWA. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 30 TO
40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND
AFTERNOON HOURS. A WIND ADVISORY WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE ISSUED FOR
SUNDAY...DURING THE NEXT SHIFT.

IN THE EXTENDED...ZONAL FLOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE PLAINS NEXT
WEEK. ANOTHER H5 TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT
AND FRIDAY PROVIDING A CHANCE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.

HIGHS ON MONDAY WILL COOL INTO THE LOWER TO MID 60S AND THEN SLOWLY
WARM INTO THE MID 70S BY THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL BACK INTO
THE MID TO UPPER 60S ON FRIDAY BEHIND A COLD FRONT. OVERNIGHT LOWS
WILL BE COOL INTO THE MID 30S ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KS SUNDAY
NIGHT...WITH LOWER TO MID 40S ACROSS NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KS.
OTHERWISE LOW TEMPS WILL BE IN THE 40S AND LOWER 50S THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

GARGAN

&&

.AVIATION...
WILL HOLD OFF OF TS MENTION AT TOP/FOE WITH STORM LEAVING
EMP...WITH WEAKENING TREND NOTED. LINE OF TSRA SHOULD ARRIVE AT
MHK AROUND 08Z AND TOP/FOE AROUND 10Z. VERY STRONG WINDS SHOULD
DEVELOP AFTER THE FRONT PASSES.

65

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 14, 8:51 PM CDT, 5 hours 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
851 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-160200-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
851 PM CDT SAT APR 14 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGH THE
NIGHT. AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES...THE COVERAGE OF STORMS IS
EXPECTED TO INCREASE. VERY LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF
BASEBALLS...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND VIOLENT TORNADOES WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ONGOING IN FAR EASTERN KANSAS
AROUND SUNRISE SUNDAY...AND WILL EXIT THE AREA PRIOR TO MIDDAY. A
FEW SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL REMAIN
TO BE POSSIBLE IN THE MORNING.

THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THE NIGHT.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:02 AM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
102 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

1258 AM     HAIL             WAKEFIELD               39.22N 97.02W
04/15/2012  E2.00 INCH       CLAY               KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MRC

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:17 AM CDT, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
117 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

0115 AM     HAIL             RANDOLPH                39.43N 96.76W
04/15/2012  E4.25 INCH       RILEY              KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

MRC

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:23 AM CDT, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
123 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

0117 AM     HAIL             RANDOLPH                39.43N 96.76W
04/15/2012  E4.50 INCH       RILEY              KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

MRC

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:47 AM CDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
147 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

0120 AM     HAIL             1 W OLSBURG             39.43N 96.63W
04/15/2012  E1.75 INCH       POTTAWATOMIE       KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MRC

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:51 AM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
151 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

0146 AM     HAIL             5 S FRANKFORT           39.63N 96.42W
04/15/2012  E1.00 INCH       MARSHALL           KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

MRC

Local storm report, Apr 15, 1:56 AM CDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
156 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012

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

0153 AM     HAIL             VERMILLION              39.72N 96.27W
04/15/2012  E1.25 INCH       MARSHALL           KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

MRC

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Apr 14, 7:24 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Clay, Dickinson	51 min
Apr 14, 8:01 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Clay, Riley	29 min
Apr 14, 8:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Dickinson, Morris	47 min
Apr 14, 9:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Geary, Morris, Wabaunsee	38 min
Apr 14, 11:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Dickinson	37 min
Apr 14, 11:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Ottawa	29 min
Apr 14, 11:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley	20 min
Apr 14, 11:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Lyon	42 min
Apr 15, 12:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Ottawa	45 min
Apr 15, 12:41 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley	49 min
Apr 15, 12:47 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley	28 min
Apr 15, 12:52 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Brown, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie	38 min
Apr 15, 1:15 AM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	TOP	Pottawatomie, Riley	15 min
Apr 15, 1:30 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie	30 min
Apr 15, 1:38 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Riley, Washington	37 min
Apr 15, 1:51 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Jackson, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie	34 min
Apr 15, 3:15 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Wabaunsee	15 min
Apr 15, 3:24 AM CDT	Wind Advisory	TOP	Anderson, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson and 17 more	17 hr
Apr 15, 3:30 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Jackson, Shawnee	30 min
Apr 15, 3:59 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Jefferson	31 min
Apr 15, 4:13 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	TOP	Nemaha	3 hr
Apr 15, 4:22 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	TOP	Riley	15 hr
Apr 15, 5:06 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Anderson, Coffey, Douglas, Franklin, Osage	54 min
Apr 15, 7:40 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Ottawa	2 hr
Apr 15, 7:53 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	TOP	Clay	7 hr
Apr 15, 8:32 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	TOP	Marshall	7 hr
Apr 15, 9:29 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	TOP	Cloud	4 hr
Apr 15, 9:45 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	TOP	Clay	3 hr

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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.