Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 50, NWS Dodge City, KS

November 16, 20154 counties in Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this tornado warning at Nov 16, 2015, 3:52 PM CST for 4 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 38 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
Nov 16, 2015, 3:52 PM CST (21:52 UTC)
Expired
Nov 16, 2015, 4:30 PM CST
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Dodge City, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.5 in

Counties Grant County, KS, Haskell County, KS, Kearny County, KS, Stevens County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:52 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
Nov 16, 3:54 PM CSTTORNADO8 S Ulysses, KS
Nov 16, 4:00 PM CSTHAIL 15 S Ulysses, KSDIME TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL COVERING THE GROUND.

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
Nov 16, 1:00 PM CSTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 118 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2015-11-16Temperature 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2015-11-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 230 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
1361 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
230 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
148 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.

786 
WFUS53 KDDC 162152
TORDDC
KSC067-081-093-189-162230-
/O.NEW.KDDC.TO.W.0050.151116T2152Z-151116T2230Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
352 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DODGE CITY HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL STEVENS COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS...
  SOUTHEASTERN KEARNY COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS...
  GRANT COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS...
  NORTHWESTERN HASKELL COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS...

* UNTIL 430 PM CST
    
* AT 352 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 10 MILES SOUTH OF ULYSSES...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
  55 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO AND PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL. 

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED ROTATION. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE 
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* THIS DANGEROUS STORM WILL BE NEAR...
  ULYSSES AROUND 400 PM CST.
  HICKOK AROUND 405 PM CST.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A BASEMENT OR 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 3744 10151 3783 10135 3779 10111 3777 10109
      3774 10109 3774 10106 3761 10093 3735 10140
TIME...MOT...LOC 2152Z 219DEG 62KT 3742 10139 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.50IN

$$

FINCH
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS53 KDDC 162206
SVSDDC

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
406 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

KSC189-162214-
/O.CAN.KDDC.TO.W.0050.000000T0000Z-151116T2230Z/
STEVENS KS-

406 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL STEVENS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
    
THE TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT
OF THE WARNED AREA. THEREFORE THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CST FOR SOUTHWESTERN
KANSAS.

LAT...LON 3753 10138 3774 10125 3779 10111 3777 10109
      3774 10109 3774 10106 3763 10098 3746 10132
TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 219DEG 62KT 3759 10122 

$$

KSC067-081-093-162230-
/O.CON.KDDC.TO.W.0050.000000T0000Z-151116T2230Z/
KEARNY KS-GRANT KS-HASKELL KS-
406 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 430 PM CST FOR
SOUTHEASTERN KEARNY...EASTERN GRANT AND NORTHWESTERN HASKELL
COUNTIES...
        
AT 404 PM CST...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
HICKOK... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...RADAR CONFIRMED TORNADO. A TORNADO HAS ALSO BEEN CONFIRMED 
BY STORM SPOTTERS.

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

THIS TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
SOUTHEASTERN KEARNY...EASTERN GRANT AND NORTHWESTERN HASKELL
COUNTIES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. TAKE COVER NOW! MOVE TO A
BASEMENT OR 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 3753 10138 3774 10125 3779 10111 3777 10109
      3774 10109 3774 10106 3763 10098 3746 10132
TIME...MOT...LOC 2204Z 219DEG 62KT 3759 10122 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.50IN

$$

FINCH

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 16, 2:53 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCGrant, Morton, Stanton, Stevens67 min
Nov 16, 2:57 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementDDCKearny48 min
Nov 16, 3:11 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCMorton, Stevens34 min
Nov 16, 3:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCFinney, Kearny, Scott51 min
Nov 16, 3:26 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCHamilton32 min
Nov 16, 3:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCFinney, Grant, Haskell, Kearny, Stevens60 min
Nov 16, 3:48 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCLane29 min
Nov 16, 3:57 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCScott48 min
Nov 16, 4:24 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCFinney, Grant, Haskell, Kearny51 min
Nov 16, 4:29 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCScott16 min
Nov 16, 4:59 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCFinney, Gray, Lane46 min
Nov 16, 5:04 PM CSTSpecial Weather StatementDDCSeward41 min
Nov 16, 5:23 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCSeward, Stevens37 min
Nov 16, 5:34 PM CSTTornado WarningDDCFinney, Hodgeman, Lane, Ness41 min
Nov 16, 5:52 PM CSTTornado Warning Tornado observedConsiderable damage threatDDCGray, Meade, Seward38 min
Nov 16, 5:54 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCLane, Scott35 min
Nov 16, 5:59 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDCFinney, Kearny, Scott61 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2015Every tornado warning in 2015Tornadoes in 2015

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.