Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2015

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 52, NWS Hastings, NE

April 24, 2015Rooks County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 24, 2015, 4:55 PM CDT for Rooks 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 counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 24, 2015, 4:55 PM CDT (21:55 UTC)
Expired
Apr 24, 2015, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Possible
Hail
2.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

County Rooks County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:59 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 24, 3:41 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 183 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 2015-04-24Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 411 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, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2015-04-24The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 181 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
411 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-169 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
608 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
181 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.1
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 24, 3:08 PM CDT, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 3:08 PM CDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
308 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY)
ISSUED AT 307 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

UPPER LEVEL SWRLY FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE
REGION THIS AFTERNOON...SET UP BETWEEN A DISTURBANCE TO OUR W/SW
AND RIDGING EXTENDING NORTH FROM THE GULF COAST REGION.
SATELLITE IMAGERY CURRENTLY SHOWS THE SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE OF
INTEREST SLIDING THROUGH NEW MEXICO...WITH CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY
STARTING TO PICK UP ACROSS WRN PORTIONS OF KS. AT THE SFC...LOW
PRESSURE SITS OVER WRN KS...WITH A WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING
E/SE THROUGH SRN/CENTRAL KS. WE ARE SITTING NORTH OF THIS
BOUNDARY...WHICH S/SERLY WINDS AND PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL STRATUS.

LOOKING TO THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT...EXPECTING
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY TO INCREASE WITH TIME AS LIFT VIA THIS
SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE MOVES FURTHER INTO THE AREA...WITH THE
DRYLINE OVER THE WRN SRN PLAINS AND THE WARM FRONT OVER KS
PROVIDING ADDED FOCUS. SPC MESO PAGE SHOWING MLCAPE VALUES OF
500-1500 J/KG...WITH THE HIGHEST VALUES JUST S OF THE CWA WHERE
CLOUD COVER HASNT BEEN AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE. SHORT TERM/HI RES
MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW ROUGHLY THE I70 AREA AS A STARTING
POINT...POTENTIALLY CLIPPING FAR SRN PORTIONS OF OUR CWA AS
ACTIVITY PUSHES E/NE. HAIL/WINDS CONTINUE TO BE THE PRIMARY
CONCERN...BUT ANYTIME THERE IS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN THE AREA
AIDING IN MORE SERLY WINDS THERE IS ALSO CONCERN ABOUT AN ISOLATED
TORNADO...AND WILL KEEP ALL THOSE MENTIONS GOING IN THE HWO.

THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY REMAINS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THE ENTIRE
OVERNIGHT PERIOD AS THAT MAIN SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH
THE REGION...BUT THE BETTER CHANCES OF SEVERE WEATHER LOOK TO BE
LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY/MID EVENING HOURS. AS THIS AND
THE SFC LOW PUSH EAST...WINDS WILL START TO TURN MORE
N/NERLY...MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

OUTSIDE OF SOME LINGERING LOW POPS ACROSS ERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA
IN THE EARLY/MID MORNING HOURS...THE FORECAST FOR SATURDAY IS
DRY. WINDS REMAIN E/NERLY...AND CLOUD COVER ESP ACROSS THE NERN
HALF OR SO OF THE CWA MAY BE SLOW TO DIMINISH. NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES WERE MADE TO HIGHS...WHICH RANGE FROM THE LOWER 60S TO
LOWER 70S.

.LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)
ISSUED AT 307 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

GUIDANCE SUGGESTS WEAK UPPER TROPOSPHERIC RIDGING WILL EXIST OVER
THE CENTRAL CONUS TO START THE LONG-TERM FORECAST PERIOD AT 00Z
SUNDAY...WITH TROUGHING OVER THE WEST. THE TROUGH OVER THE WEST IS
EXPECTED ADVANCE EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS THROUGH THE MIDDLE
PART OF NEXT WEEK...WITH UPPER TROPOSPHERIC RIDGING THEN EXPECTED
OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS TO FINISH THE FORECAST PERIOD.

GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION WILL BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS AND SOUTHERN PLAINS
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT AS THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER
TROPOSPHERIC TROUGH ADVANCES EAST ACROSS THE CONUS. SOME OF THIS
ACTIVITY COULD POTENTIALLY IMPACT FAR WESTERN AND SOUTHERN
PORTIONS OF THE CWA AND AS A RESULT...WENT AHEAD WITH ~20% POPS
ACROSS VARIOUS PORTIONS OF OUR EXTREME WEST AND SOUTH SATURDAY
NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. GUIDANCE THEN SUGGESTS UPPER
TROPOSPHERIC RIDGING AND A RESULTANT LACK IN OMEGA WILL PROMOTE
DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS OUR AREA TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...AND SUCH
HAS BEEN PRESENTED IN THE OFFICIAL FORECAST.

SUBTLE BUT PERSISTENT THERMAL ADVECTION THROUGH THE BOUNDARY-LAYER
IS EXPECTED TO PROMOTE A SUBTLE WARMING TREND DURING THE LONG-
TERM FORECAST PERIOD. AT THIS TIME GUIDANCE SUGGESTS AFTERNOON
HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S AND LOW 60S ON SUNDAY WILL EVENTUALLY BE
REPLACED WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S BY THE MIDDLE TO LATE PART OF NEXT
WEEK. OVERNIGHT LOWS GENERALLY IN THE 40S ARE ALSO EXPECTED DURING
MUCH OF THE LONG- TERM FORECAST PERIOD...WITH LOW 50S POSSIBLE BY
THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 1237 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

LOW LEVEL STRATUS CONTINUES TO LINGER AT BOTH TERMINAL
SITES...BRINGING MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS. THERE IS UNCERTAINTY WITH
HOW LONG THE SUB-1000FT CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE...BUT HAVE THEM
GOING FOR THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. CONFIDENCE IN THE CEILING
FORECAST THROUGH THIS ENTIRE TAF PERIOD IS LOW...KEPT THE SUB VFR
CONDITIONS GOING. SRLY WINDS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THIS AFTERNOON
INTO THE EVENING...BEFORE MORE N/NWRLY WINDS BUILD IN AS THE SFC
LOW SLIDES OFF TO THE EAST TONIGHT. BACKED OFF TIMING OF VCTS
MENTION A BIT...BUT MOST MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST ACTIVITY WILL
REMAIN S/SE OF THE TERMINAL AREAS.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...ADP
LONG TERM...BRYANT
AVIATION...ADP
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 24, 8:16 AM CDT, 8 hours 39 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
816 AM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
251200-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-
SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-
GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-
WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
816 AM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING GENERALLY
BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 5 PM AND 11 PM. THE MAIN RISK AREA FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS FAVOR LOCATIONS IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND FAR
SOUTHERN NEBRASKA. WHILE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE
PRIMARY HAZARD...AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...BUT SEVERE
WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING...PRIMARILY ACROSS
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 24, 4:23 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
423 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

KSZ017-242200-
ROOKS KS-
423 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN ROOKS COUNTY UNTIL 500
PM CDT...

AT 423 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
ZURICH...OR 18 MILES SOUTHEAST OF NICODEMUS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35
MPH.

NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
PLAINVILLE...ZURICH AND CODELL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.

THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS.

LAT...LON 3934 9943 3934 9905 3933 9905 3913 9914
      3913 9956
TIME...MOT...LOC 2123Z 219DEG 29KT 3920 9938

ADP
Local storm report, Apr 24, 4:48 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 24, 4:52 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
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        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
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        Please try again in a few minutes.
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The office that day

Everything else NWS Hastings, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 24, 4:23 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDRooks37 min
Apr 24, 4:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDRooks32 min
Apr 24, 4:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDOsborne, Rooks35 min
Apr 24, 5:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDOsborne31 min
Apr 24, 5:30 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDPhillips30 min
Apr 24, 5:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPhillips, Rooks24 min
Apr 24, 5:59 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDPhillips31 min
Apr 24, 6:31 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDMitchell44 min
Apr 24, 6:55 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementGIDPhillips35 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2015Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.