Alert archive / Kansas / Special Weather Statements in 2012

Special Weather Statement, NWS Topeka, KS

July 25, 2012Cloud County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this special weather statement at Jul 25, 2012, 7:34 PM CDT for Cloud County, Kansas. It was in force for 26 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: Jul 25, 2012, 7:34 PM CDT (00:34 UTC)
Expired: Jul 25, 2012, 8:00 PM CDT
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS

County Cloud County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:36 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, 0.6 hours before the alert went out and 196 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: 993 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -12 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 3081 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 109 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.

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

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 Jul 25, 6:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 6:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
621 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

...UPDATE TO AVIATION...

.DISCUSSION...

SHORT TERM FORECAST (TODAY AND THURSDAY)...

AT 19Z WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATED BROAD ANTICYCLONIC FLOW OVER
THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT OF THE CONUS. ON THE WESTERN EDGE OF THIS
BROAD MID LEVEL RIDGE S-SELY ON SHORE FLOW HAS ALLOWED DECENT
MOISTURE TO PUSH NORTHWARD FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO INTO THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS. SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE ASSOCIATED WITH A SURFACE
LOW OVER EASTERN MINNESOTA HAS ALLOWED SOME OF THAT MOISTURE FROM
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO ADVECT INTO FAR EASTERN KANSAS. GIVEN THE
SWLY ORIENTATION OF THE SURFACE FLOW MOST OF THIS MOISTURE WILL
EITHER MIX OUT DUE TO VERY HIGH MIXING LEVELS OR BE SHUNTED OFF TO
THE EAST. WITH TDS REMAINING IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S ACROSS MOST OF
THE AREA HEAT INDEX VALUES HAVE REMAINED RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THE
AMBIENT TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER TO MID 100 DEGREE RANGE. ALOFT
UPPER AIR ANALYSIS ALSO INDICATES A FAIRLY POTENT H5 TROUGH LOCATED
OVER SOUTHERN CANADA. THIS TROUGH WILL REMAIN STEADY STATE WHILE IT
DIVES SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES REGION. AS THE TROUGH
PUSHES SOUTHEAST IT WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA...AND
POSSIBLY PROVIDE ENOUGH UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FOR THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPMENT LATER TODAY.

SURFACE ANALYSIS ALSO INDICATES A WELL DEFINED COLD FRONT CURRENTLY
LOCATED ON A LINE FROM OMAHA TO HILL CITY TO LIBERAL. THIS COLD
FRONT HAS MADE FAIRLY LIMITED PROGRESS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AS THE
PARENT LOW BECOMES MORE ELONGATED FROM SW TO NE THROUGH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA AND KANSAS. NONETHELESS MODELS PROG THIS COLD FRONT TO
EVENTUALLY ENTER THE FORECAST AREA AROUND 00Z TONIGHT...WHICH WILL
BRING ADEQUATE FORCING FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...ESPECIALLY
CONSIDERING THAT CONVECTIVE INHIBITION IS VIRTUALLY ZERO ACROSS THE
AREA...DUE TO STRONG DAYTIME HEATING AHEAD OF THE FRONT. 12Z
SOUNDING AT TOP WHEN ALTERED FOR AFTERNOON CONDITIONS AT THE SURFACE
INDICATES NEARLY 2000 J/KG OF INSTABILITY...HOWEVER THE WIND PROFILE
IN THE LOWER AND MID ATMOSPHERE IS VIRTUALLY UNIDIRECTIONAL AND
LACKS SPEED SHEAR...THEREFORE EXPECT ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO BE
PULSE IN NATURE RATHER THAN LONG LIVED. GIVEN THE VERY STEEP LOW AND
MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES...AS WELL AS THE STRONG T/TD DEPRESSION AT THE
SURFACE INVERTED-V SOUNDINGS RESULT FOR THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE
ENTIRE AREA. THIS ENVIRONMENT...CHARACTERIZED BY THE DRY LOW LEVELS
AND DCAPE VALUES AROUND 1500 J/KG...WILL BE VERY CONDUCIVE TO SHORT
LIVED POP UP THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL COLLAPSE QUICKLY AND BRING
ISOLATED AREAS OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE PERIOD IN WHICH WINDS WILL
BE THE BIGGEST THREAT WILL BE FROM APPROXIMATELY 21Z (THE BEGINNING
OF THE CONVECTION WINDOW) AND 01Z...WHEN THE BOUNDARY LAYER WILL
BEGIN TO COOL AND A STABLE LAYER IN THE LOWEST FEW HUNDRED FEET WILL
HELP DISSIPATE THE DOWNWARD MOMENTUM OF ANY COLLAPSING THUNDERSTORM.
AREAL COVERAGE OF THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED...AT BEST. AS OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES INTERACT AND
BETTER FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT AND THE UPPER WAVE APPROACH
THE AREA...LIKELY AROUND SUNSET OR EVEN LATER AREAL COVERAGE OF
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY INCREASE FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ONCE THE
BOUNDARY LAYER BECOMES MORE DECOUPLED AFTER DAYTIME HEATING COMES TO
AN END THE WIND THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH AND NON-SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL BECOME THE PRIMARY
THREAT. EXPECT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO RESIDE PRETTY CLOSE TO
THE FRONT AS IT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT GRADUALLY
DIMINISHING PRECIP CHANCES FROM WEST TO EAST BY THURSDAY MORNING.

FOR THURSDAY KEPT A MENTION OF SCHC/CHC POPS FOR AREAS ALONG AND
SOUTHEAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE FOR THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. BY
NOON PRECIP SHOULD COME TO AN END ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. EXPECT A
BIT OF A LULL IN THE HOT TEMPERATURES FOR THURSDAY AS NORTHERLY FLOW
WILL ALLOW COOLER AND DRIER AIR TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. ALTHOUGH
CONDITIONS WILL BE COOLER DUE TO THE FRONTAL PASSAGE DAYTIME HIGHS
FOR THURSDAY ARE STILL EXPECTED TO BE IN THE MID 90S...WHICH IS
STILL ABOVE NORMAL...ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA. AS A RESULT OF
THE MILDER TEMPERATURES ON TAP FOR THURSDAY THE EXCESSIVE HEAT
WARNING WILL LIKELY BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 8 PM WEDNESDAY EVENING.

LEIGHTON

THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY...FRONT EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTH OF
THE CWA BY THURSDAY EVENING AS NORTHERN PLAINS SFC RIDGE PUSHES INTO
THE REGION.  H5 TROF TO PUSH SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA AND SUBSIDENCE
BEHIND THE TROF SHOULD BEGIN TO CLEAR SKIES OUT BY THURSDAY NIGHT.
NORTH TO NORTHEASTERLY WINDS EXPECTED FRIDAY ALONG WITH A WELCOME
RELIEF IN TEMPERATURES FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE.
HOWEVER...WEAK BOUNDARY STALLED OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE
WILL KEEP WINDS MORE SOUTHERLY AND THUS WILL PUSH TEMPERATURES BACK
INTO THE LOW 100'S FOR SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA.  NORTH OF I70
SHOULD SEE HIGHS MAINLY IN THE MID TO UPPER 90'S FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
SFC RIDGE PUSHES EAST FRIDAY NIGHT....AS H5 SHRTWV MOVES ACROSS
NEBRASKA.  850MB WAA BEGINS FRIDAY NIGHT AND INCREASES THROUGHOUT
THE DAY SATURDAY WITH THE DGEX DEPICTING AN 850MB THERMAL RIDGE
DIRECTLY OVER THE CWA BY SATURDAY EVENING WITH 28C TO 29C 850 TEMPS
OVER THE CWA BY SATURDAY EVENING.  CONVECTION WITH ASSOCIATED WITH
H5 SHRTWV LOOKS TO REMAIN NORTH OF THE KANSAS BORDER IN NEBRASKA AT
WHERE BETTER QG LIFT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.  THERE IS A POSSIBILITY
THAT STORMS COULD DEVELOP OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST COUNTIES...BUT LEFT
IT DRY AT THIS TIME.  EXPECT LOWS IN THE 60'S AND 70'S.

SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...FOR THE EXTENDED...CWA REMAINS ON THE
EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE DOMINANT H5 HIGH OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS
AND WESTERN STATES FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS. THIS WILL KEEP
NORTHEAST KANSAS IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALONG WITH SEVERAL SHRTWVS TO
PASS OVER THE REGION. MODELS SEEM A BIT ROBUST WITH POPCORN
CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY GIVEN RECENT TRENDS...SO DECIDED TO SCALE
BACK POPS FROM HPC WITH THE BEST CHANCE ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND
SUNDAY NORTH OF I70 WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. OTHERWISE...H5
RIDGE AXIS BUILDS INTO MUCH OF KANSAS EARLY IN THE WEEK WHICH
KEEPS THE AREA MAINLY DRY. HIGHS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE UPPER
90'S TO LOW 100'S WITH HIGHER DEWPOINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60'S.

&&

.AVIATION...

KEPT TAF SITES WITH VCTS UNTIL MIDNIGHT AT MHK AND 06Z AT TOP/FOE
WHEN TRUE FRONTAL BOUNDARY MORE LIKELY TO PASS WITH MORE CONTINUOUS
LINE OF PRECIPITATION. BASES REMAIN HIGH BUT WIND GUSTS WILL BE
STRONG. HAVE CLEARING AFTER 09/10Z THURSDAY MORNING. 67

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR
KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 3:20 PM CDT, 4 hours 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
320 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-262030-
REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY-
POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-
WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON-
320 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHEAST KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON...SPREADING ACROSS THE REMAINDER
OF THE AREA TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. SOME SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE A
POSSIBILITY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS...WITH
THE PRIMARY THREAT OF MICROBURSTS PRODUCING STRAIGHT LINE DAMAGING
WINDS.

THE HEAT WAVE WILL CONTINUE TODAY WITH MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES
IN THE 103 TO 108 DEGREE RANGE THIS AFTERNOON. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THIS
EVENING.

THE RANGELAND FIRE INDEX IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE VERY HIGH
CATEGORY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO JUNCTION
CITY
TO LAWRENCE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES OF OVER 100 DEGREES ARE FORECAST FOR
THE BULK OF THE AREA FROM SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER MUCH OF NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHEAST KANSAS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

BYRNE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 25, 5:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
558 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

KSZ008-252330-
REPUBLIC-
558 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL REPUBLIC COUNTY...

THROUGH 630 PM CDT...A SMALL CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL REPUBLIC COUNTY.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS CLUSTER OF
STORMS IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING STRONG WINDS AROUND 50 MPH. SOME
LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE BELLEVILLE AND RURAL
PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL REPUBLIC COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. THE CLUSTER OF STORMS
MAY STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES. BE READY TO TAKE
SHELTER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.

&&

LAT...LON 3987 9756 3970 9743 3965 9755 3966 9776
      3975 9777
TIME...MOT...LOC 2257Z 240DEG 12KT 3970 9766

$$ BOWEN

Special weather statement, Jul 25, 6:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
613 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

KSZ011-252345-
NEMAHA-
613 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL NEMAHA COUNTY...

THROUGH 645 PM CDT...A THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH
ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL NEMAHA COUNTY. NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
STRONG WINDS AROUND 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED
INCLUDE CENTRALIA AND RURAL PORTIONS OF NEMAHA COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. STAY ALERT TO THE
WEATHER IN CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.

&&

LAT...LON 3975 9601 3969 9620 3979 9624 3980 9624
      3986 9613
TIME...MOT...LOC 2313Z 232DEG 13KT 3975 9618

$$ BOWEN

Local storm report, Jul 25, 6:43 PM CDT, 51 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
643 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

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

0636 PM     HAIL             3 N DELPHOS             39.32N 97.77W
07/25/2012  E0.88 INCH       CLOUD              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

KS

Local storm report, Jul 25, 6:46 PM CDT, 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
646 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

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

0640 PM     TSTM WND GST     SENECA                  39.83N 96.06W
07/25/2012  E60 MPH          NEMAHA             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            BLEW A TRASH DUMPSTER 40 FT.

&&

JL

Local storm report, Jul 25, 7:31 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
731 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

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

0729 PM     TSTM WND GST     NW GREENLEAF            39.73N 96.98W
07/25/2012  E65 MPH          WASHINGTON         KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            8 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWNED.

&&

WOLTERS

Special weather statement, Jul 25, 7:34 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
734 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

KSZ020-260100-
CLOUD-
734 PM CDT WED JUL 25 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN CLOUD COUNTY...

THROUGH 800 PM CDT...A THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH
ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN CLOUD COUNTY. NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
STRONG WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. THE
THUNDERSTORM WILL OTHERWISE REMAIN OVER GLASCO AND RURAL AREAS OF
CLOUD COUNTY.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT. THE STORM MAY
STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINUTES. BE READY TO TAKE SHELTER IN
CASE A WARNING IS ISSUED.

&&

LAT...LON 3946 9793 3952 9777 3934 9767 3931 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0034Z 247DEG 13KT 3938 9786

$$ BOWEN

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 25, 7:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud	35 min
Jul 25, 7:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Washington	37 min
Jul 25, 7:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Riley, Washington	30 min
Jul 25, 8:31 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Dickinson	29 min
Jul 25, 8:57 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Nemaha	33 min
Jul 25, 9:12 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Dickinson	33 min
Jul 25, 11:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Republic	24 min

Nearby

Special Weather Statements in Kansas, 2012 Every 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.