Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 16, NWS Hastings, NE

May 6, 2015Mitchell County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2015, 5:17 PM CDT for Mitchell County, Kansas. It was in force for 28 min. 1 report 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: May 6, 2015, 5:17 PM CDT (22:17 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 2015, 5:45 PM CDT
In force: 28 min
Issued by: NWS Hastings, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.0 in

County Mitchell County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 101 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:20 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 6, 5:44 PM CDT	HAIL 1.75	5 Nne Tipton, KS

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

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

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 6, 1:41 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 226 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: 16 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -155 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 821 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 178 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.

150 
WFUS53 KGID 062217
TORGID
KSC123-062245-
/O.NEW.KGID.TO.W.0016.150506T2217Z-150506T2245Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
517 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN MITCHELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 545 PM CDT
    
* AT 517 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR TIPTON...OR 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
  BELOIT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

  HAZARD...TORNADO AND QUARTER 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...
  GLEN ELDER AROUND 535 PM CDT.

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 YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3934 9849 3941 9849 3957 9836 3957 9807
      3925 9835
TIME...MOT...LOC 2217Z 217DEG 33KT 3937 9839 

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

$$

ROSSI

1 follow-up statement

725 
WWUS53 KGID 062226
SVSGID

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
526 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSC123-062245-
/O.CON.KGID.TO.W.0016.000000T0000Z-150506T2245Z/
MITCHELL KS-
526 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN MITCHELL COUNTY...
    
AT 526 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR GLEN ELDER...OR 11 MILES WEST OF BELOIT...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO AND QUARTER 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...
  GLEN ELDER AROUND 535 PM CDT.

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 YOU ARE OUTDOORS...IN A
MOBILE HOME...OR IN A VEHICLE...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL
SHELTER AND PROTECT YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 3938 9840 3944 9842 3957 9836 3957 9807
      3937 9828
TIME...MOT...LOC 2226Z 217DEG 33KT 3944 9832 

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

$$

ROSSI

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at May 6, 2:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 2:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 38 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
239 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

PLENTY OF INSTABILITY AND SHEAR TO WORK WITH THIS AFTERNOON...SO
RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND SEVERE WEATHER IS
EXPECTED...WITH ROUGHLY THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA
NOW IN A TORNADO WATCH THROUGH 9 PM. LARGE HAIL...WINDS GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH...AND TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE.

EXPECT CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERE WEATHER TO DIMINISH
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS THE RESPONSIBLE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
TRACKS NORTHEASTWARD. COULD SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TOMORROW
AFTERNOON...BUT FOCUS OF THE STRONGER ACTIVITY TOMORROW SHOULD BE
MORE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND NOT ENCOMPASS AS MUCH OF THE
LOCAL AREA AS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENINGS ACTIVITY.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

WILL BE BRIEF DUE TO ONGOING CONVECTION...BUT PRIMARY FORECAST
CONCERN WILL CONTINUE TO REVOLVE AROUND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS
WEEKEND.

MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AT THE START OF THE PERIOD SHOWING SWRLY
FLOW IN PLACE IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
HAS SHIFTED SOUTH ALONG THE WEST COAST INTO SRN CALIFORNIA.

THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT ARE DRIVEN
PRIMARILY BY SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCES EJECTED OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN
UPPER LOW...WHICH BY SUNRISE SATURDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE
FOUR CORNERS REGION.

MAIN CONCERN INTO THIS WEEKEND WILL BE AS THAT LOW CONTINUES TO PUSH
EAST...EVENTUALLY ONTO THE PLAINS...WITH THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF TAKING
THE LOW ON A N/NE PATH THROUGH WRN NEBRASKA ON SUNDAY. INCREASED
LARGER SCALE LIFT...SFC BOUNDARIES AND OTHER PARAMETERS CONTINUE TO
SUGGEST THAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT WILL BRING ANOTHER SHOT AT
SEVERE WEATHER. SUNDAY...THE MAIN INSTABILITY AXIS/SFC FRONT LOOKS
TO PUSH E/SE...BUT THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BE IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY TO THE CWA. LOT OF DETAILS YET TO WORK OUT.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY
AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

MVFR OR LOWER CIGS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. SOME OF
THESE STORMS COULD HAVE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 35KTS...ESPECIALLY
NEAR KGRI WHERE THE SEVERE PROBABILITIES ARE HIGHER. EXPECT
THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL TO DIMINISH DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
THURSDAY...WITH VFR CONDITIONS RETURNING TO BOTH TERMINALS BY
DAYBREAK.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...ROSSI
LONG TERM...ADP
AVIATION...ROSSI

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 2:25 PM CDT, 2 hours 52 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
225 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
071930-
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-
225 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT...SOME
OF WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF
GOLFBALLS...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH OR GREATER AS WELL AS
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE THROUGH 9 PM CDT.

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

THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THERE WILL BE THE CHANCE FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOCAL
AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT.

&&

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

ROSSI

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 5:04 PM CDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
504 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0456 PM     TORNADO          3 SW HARDY              39.98N 97.96W
05/06/2015                   JEWELL             KS   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TORNADO ON GROUND NEAR 300 ROAD AND BIRCH ROAD IN FAR
            NORTHEAST JEWELL COUNTY.

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 5:06 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
506 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0503 PM     TORNADO          3 E FORMOSO             39.78N 97.94W
05/06/2015                   JEWELL             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            TORNADO STILL ON GROUND.

&&

ADP

Local storm report, May 6, 5:08 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
508 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0456 PM     TORNADO          3 SW HARDY              39.98N 97.96W
05/06/2015                   JEWELL             KS   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TORNADO ON GROUND NEAR 300 ROAD AND BIRCH ROAD IN FAR
            NORTHEAST JEWELL COUNTY. ROOF OFF OF HOUSE AND GRAIN BINS
            DESTROYED.

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 5:11 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
511 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0507 PM     TORNADO          1 N SCOTTSVILLE         39.56N 97.95W
05/06/2015                   MITCHELL           KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

ADP

Local storm report, May 6, 5:12 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
512 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0507 PM     HAIL             7 NNE LURAY             39.20N 98.63W
05/06/2015  E0.88 INCH       OSBORNE            KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 5:16 PM CDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
516 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0512 PM     TORNADO          2 SE RUSKIN             40.12N 97.84W
05/06/2015                   NUCKOLLS           NE   STORM CHASER

            LARGE TORNADO ON GROUND...POWER FLASHES

&&

PFANNKUCH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 1:42 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Osborne	33 min
May 6, 2:08 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Osborne	37 min
May 6, 2:35 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Mitchell	25 min
May 6, 2:47 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Osborne, Rooks, Smith	43 min
May 6, 2:48 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	GID	Mitchell	27 min
May 6, 3:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Osborne, Smith	23 min
May 6, 3:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Smith	30 min
May 6, 3:34 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GID	Osborne, Smith	6 hr
May 6, 3:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	GID	Jewell	12 min
May 6, 3:37 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	GID	Jewell	23 min
May 6, 3:43 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Osborne	32 min
May 6, 3:52 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Osborne, Rooks	38 min
May 6, 3:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Smith	49 min
May 6, 3:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	32 min
May 6, 4:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	26 min
May 6, 4:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell	34 min
May 6, 4:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Osborne	48 min
May 6, 4:34 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	26 min
May 6, 4:49 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	41 min
May 6, 4:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell, Osborne	36 min
May 6, 4:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	33 min
May 6, 5:03 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell	27 min
May 6, 5:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Mitchell, Osborne	35 min
May 6, 5:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Osborne, Smith	51 min
May 6, 5:28 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GID	Jewell, Smith	3 hr
May 6, 5:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	46 min
May 6, 5:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell	32 min
May 6, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell, Osborne, Smith	45 min
May 6, 6:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell, Mitchell	31 min
May 6, 6:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell, Smith	44 min
May 6, 6:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	46 min

Nearby

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