Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 21, NWS Topeka, KS

April 27, 2012Clay County, Cloud County, Washington County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 27, 2012, 5:16 PM CDT for Clay County, Cloud County, Washington County, Kansas. It was in force for 29 min. 2 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
Apr 27, 2012, 5:16 PM CDT (22:16 UTC)
Expired
Apr 27, 2012, 5:45 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

Counties Clay County, KS, Cloud County, KS, Washington County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 120 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:17 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
Apr 27, 5:44 PM CDTHAIL 0.88Clifton, KS
Apr 27, 5:47 PM CDTHAIL 0.753 S Clifton, KS

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
Apr 27, 2:11 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 166 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 2012-04-27Temperature 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°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2012-04-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 272 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1420 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
272 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
417 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.

292 
WFUS53 KTOP 272216
TORTOP
KSC027-029-201-272245-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0021.120427T2216Z-120427T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
516 PM CDT FRI APR 27 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TOPEKA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN CLAY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
  NORTHEASTERN CLOUD COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
  SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT

* AT 512 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR AURORA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

  HAZARD...DEVELOPING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

  IMPACT...SIGNIFICANT HOUSE AND BUILDING DAMAGE POSSIBLE. MOBILE
           HOMES COMPLETELY DESTROYED IF HIT. SOME TREES UPROOTED OR
           SNAPPED. VEHICLES WILL LIKELY BE THROWN BY TORNADIC WINDS.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  CLYDE...VINING AND CLIFTON.

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 3949 9762 3965 9748 3966 9729 3957 9718
      3938 9746
TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 221DEG 32KT 3947 9751

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

PHILLIPS
2 follow-up statements
782 
WWUS53 KTOP 272236
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
536 PM CDT FRI APR 27 2012

KSC029-272246-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-120427T2245Z/
CLOUD KS-
536 PM CDT FRI APR 27 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN CLOUD COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE WARNED 
AREA.

LAT...LON 3957 9718 3947 9736 3952 9737 3966 9737
      3966 9729
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 233DEG 35KT 3959 9730

$$

KSC027-201-272245-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-120427T2245Z/
CLAY KS-WASHINGTON KS-
536 PM CDT FRI APR 27 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON
AND NORTHWESTERN CLAY COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CDT...

AT 533 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR VINING...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...DEVELOPING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.

IMPACT...SIGNIFICANT HOUSE AND BUILDING DAMAGE POSSIBLE. MOBILE HOMES
         COMPLETELY DESTROYED IF HIT. SOME TREES UPROOTED OR SNAPPED.
         VEHICLES WILL LIKELY BE THROWN BY TORNADIC WINDS.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON 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 3957 9718 3947 9736 3952 9737 3966 9737
      3966 9729
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 233DEG 35KT 3959 9730

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

PHILLIPS
455 
WWUS53 KTOP 272239
SVSTOP

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
539 PM CDT FRI APR 27 2012

KSC027-201-272248-
/O.EXP.KTOP.TO.W.0021.000000T0000Z-120427T2245Z/
CLAY KS-WASHINGTON KS-
539 PM CDT FRI APR 27 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTHWESTERN
CLAY COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 545 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.
 HOWEVER SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS
THUNDERSTORM.

IN ADDITION...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP...AND A TORNADO 
WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT.

LAT...LON 3957 9718 3947 9736 3952 9737 3966 9737
      3966 9729
TIME...MOT...LOC 2238Z 233DEG 35KT 3960 9728

$$

PHILLIPS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 27, 4:55 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPDouglas35 min
Apr 27, 10:39 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPShawnee36 min
Apr 27, 3:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic46 min
Apr 27, 4:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Ottawa39 min
Apr 27, 4:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPClay, Dickinson, Ottawa42 min
Apr 27, 4:23 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPCloud37 min
Apr 27, 4:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPClay21 min
Apr 27, 4:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPDickinson, Geary56 min
Apr 27, 4:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Republic, Washington17 min
Apr 27, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPGeary, Riley18 min
Apr 27, 5:40 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPGeary, Morris, Wabaunsee50 min
Apr 27, 5:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPRiley34 min
Apr 27, 6:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPLyon, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee33 min
Apr 27, 6:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPJefferson, Shawnee43 min
Apr 27, 6:51 PM CDTTornado WarningTOPOsage, Shawnee24 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.