Alert archive / Kansas / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Topeka, KS

May 6, 2012Coffey County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this special weather statement at May 6, 2012, 8:40 PM CDT for Coffey County, Kansas. It was in force for 35 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
May 6, 2012, 8:40 PM CDT (01:40 UTC)
Expired
May 6, 2012, 9:15 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS

County Coffey County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:40 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 nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 66 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 2012-05-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2839 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 00:00Z on 2012-05-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 62 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
2839 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
698 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
62 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
5.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

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What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this special weather statement 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 special weather statement went out at May 6, 6:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 6:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
648 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2012

...UPDATE TO AVIATION...

.DISCUSSION...

SHORT TERM FORECAST - TODAY AND TONIGHT...

A MOIST WARM SECTOR HAS BEEN IN PLACE OVER EASTERN KANSAS FOR
SEVERAL DAYS NOW...WHICH HAS BROUGHT MUGGY CONDITIONS TO THE AREA.
SATURDAY WILL LIKELY BRING THE FINAL DAY OF THESE WARM AND MUGGY
CONDITIONS FOR AT LEAST A FEW DAYS AS A COLD FRONT WHICH IS
CURRENTLY LOCATED ON A LINE BETWEEN KLNK AND KRSL WILL SWEEP THROUGH
THE AREA ON SATURDAY. THE MAIN CHALLENGE FOR TODAY WILL BE
DETERMINING THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. SHORT RANGE
CONVECTIVE MODELS HAVE STARTED TO CONVERGE ON A SOLUTION WHICH
BREAKS OUT CONVECTION ALONG THE FRONT OVER EASTERN MISSOURI AND
UNZIPS THE NE-SW ORIENTED FRONT TO THE SW THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN
UNCERTAINTY COMES WITH THE MID LEVEL ELEVATED MIXED LAYER(~700 MB)
WHICH FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATE IS RATHER FORMIDABLE. ALTHOUGH THE
CONVECTION ALLOWING MODELS INDICATE THAT UPWARD MOVING PARCELS WILL
BE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE CAP...IT WILL BE TOUGH GIVEN THE 8-9C TEMPS
AT 700 MB...WHICH MAY ACTUALLY WARM AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES AS
WARMER AIR ADVECTS INTO THE AREA FROM SC KANSAS. ANOTHER ASPECT
REGARDING TODAYS CONVECTION IS A SUBTLE WAVE WHICH 500 MB PROFILERS
AT HILLBORO AND HAVILAND BACKED SLIGHTLY...THEN VEERED...WHICH
INDICATES A SUBTLE WAVE GOING THROUGH SC KANSAS. SOME ENHANCED
CUMULUS AND EVEN SOME LIGHT RADAR ECHOES HAVE FORMED IN CENTRAL
KANSAS...POSSIBLY IN RESPONSE TO THIS WAVE. THIS WAVE MAY ALSO GIVE
AREAS FURTHER TO THE EAST A BETTER CHANCE TO OVERCOME THE MID LEVEL
TEMP INVERSION...BY PROVIDING SOME MID LEVEL FORCING FOR ASCENT. ITS
UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME WHETHER IT WILL BE ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE WARM
MID LEVEL LAYER. SHOULD CONVECTION BE ABLE TO BREAK OUT ACROSS THE
AREA THIS AFTERNOON IT WOULD LIKELY BE IN THE 21-23Z TIME PERIOD
ONCE THE FRONT REACHES KMHK. GIVEN AMPLE INSTABILITY OF 2500-3500
J/KG THERE WILL BE ENOUGH POTENTIAL ENERGY TO GET STRONG UPDRAFTS
ALONG THE FRONT. MODEST WIND SHEAR OF 30-40 KTS IN THE 0-6 KM LAYER
WILL GIVE ANY CELLS A LITTLE EXTRA LIFE...AND MAY ENHANCE THE THREAT
FOR LARGER HAIL AND POSSIBLY A FEW DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. TIME OF
ARRIVAL TOOL AND LINEAR EXTRAPOLATION INDICATES THAT THE FRONT
SHOULD BE CLEARED OF THE FORECAST AREA BY ROUGHLY 03Z...AND WITH THE
EXIT OF THE FRONT COMES THE END OF THE STRONGEST SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS IN THE NORTHEASTERN AND EAST
CENTRAL ZONES THROUGH 12Z AS SOME TRAILING STRATIFORM LIGHT SHOWERS
MAY PERSIST POST FROPA. WITH COOLER AND DRIER AIR ADVECTING INTO THE
AREA EXPECT MONDAY TO BE DRY WITH MUCH COOLER TEMPS CHARACTERIZED BY
MAX TEMPS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S.

JL

MID TERM - MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

THIS WILL BE A QUIET PERIOD AS A RIDGE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
GRADUALLY BUILDS INTO THE AREA FROM WEST TO EAST. MONDAY MORNING MAY
START OFF WITH A FEW SHOWERS IN THE AREA AMID SOME WEAK MID LEVEL
FORCING...A SITUATION NOT UNLIKE THE MORNING SHOWERS IN NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS MORNING. ANY SHOWERS SHOULD DISSIPATE/MOVE OUT
OF THE AREA BY NOON THOUGH WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES THEREAFTER.
THERE WILL BE A PRETTY STOUT PRESSURE GRADIENT IN PLACE AND MIXING
TO AROUND 825 HPA EXPECTED WHERE LOW CLOUDS CLEAR OUT SHOULD HELP
CONTRIBUTE TO BREEZY NORTH WINDS. SOME HIGH CLOUDS AND CONTINUED
MIXING SHOULD HELP MODERATE TUESDAY MORNING LOW TEMPS A BIT...WITH
UPPER 40S AND LOWER 50S EXPECTED...WHILE WEDNESDAY MORNING MAY BE A
BIT COOLER WITH MID 40S EXPECTED UNDER THE SURFACE RIDGE AND LIMITED
CLOUD COVER. HIGH TEMPS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WILL BE SEASONAL...
GENERALLY IN THE LOWER 70S EACH DAY UNDER MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES...
STABLE 850 TEMPS AND A WELL MIXED BOUNDARY LAYER. WEDNESDAY MAY BE
JUST A SHADE COOLER WITH A BIT MORE CLOUD COVER AND SLIGHTLY COOLER
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH.

BARJENBRUCH

LONG TERM - THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL...
LOWS IN THE 50S AND HIGHS IN THE 70S...THROUGH THE LONG TERM AS THE
AREA IS DOMINATED BY A ZONAL TO NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN ALOFT. THERE
WILL BE A FEW SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MOVING THROUGH THIS UPPER LEVEL
FLOW WITH A SURFACE FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXPECTED TO MEANDER ACROSS THE
CENTRAL PLAINS FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS FRONT MAY COUPLE WITH THE
WEAK TROUGHS TO BRING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TO THE AREA FROM FRIDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON. CONFIDENCE IN THE TIMING AND
OVERALL PRECIP CHANCES THROUGH THIS PERIOD IS LOW THOUGH...AND HAVE
GONE WITH LOW END POPS AT THIS TIME.

BARJENBRUCH

&&

.AVIATION...

COLD FRONT HAS NOW MOVED SOUTH OF ALL TERMINALS WITH INCREASED
NORTHERLY WINDS...ALTHOUGH GUSTS SHOULD DECREASE NEXT COUPLE OF
HRS...BUT STAY SUSTAINED AROUND 10-15 KTS. MORE CONVECTION SHOULD
FORM THIS EVENING AS NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES MAINLY PRIOR
TO 06Z. AREA OF MVFR STRATUS SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE TAF SITES
BETWEEN 10Z AND 16Z THEN SCATTER TO VFR BEYOND THAT TIME FRAME.

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 2:34 PM CDT, 6 hours 6 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
234 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2012

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-071945-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
234 PM CDT SUN MAY 6 2012

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...MAINLY SOUTH
AND EAST OF A HIAWATHA TO ABILENE LINE. THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE AND PRODUCE QUARTER SIZED HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS AROUND 60 MPH...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO THE AREA LATE FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 6, 8:27 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 6, 8:30 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 6, 8:36 PM CDT, 4 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 6, 8:37 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 6, 8:38 PM CDT, 2 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 6, 8:40 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 6, 7:07 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryTOPDouglas113 min
May 6, 7:24 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPLyon36 min
May 6, 7:43 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPDouglas47 min
May 6, 7:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDouglas12 min
May 6, 8:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPLyon45 min
May 6, 8:01 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPFranklin29 min
May 6, 8:11 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPFranklin19 min
May 6, 8:27 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPCoffey48 min
May 6, 8:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPFranklin30 min
May 6, 9:15 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPAnderson, Coffey60 min
May 7, 12:06 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPOsage24 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Kansas, 2012Every special weather statement 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.