Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 26, NWS Hastings, NE

May 6, 2015Jewell County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2015, 8:38 PM CDT for Jewell County, Kansas. It was in force for 37 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: May 6, 2015, 8:38 PM CDT (01:38 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 2015, 9:15 PM CDT
In force: 37 min
Issued by: NWS Hastings, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.5 in

County Jewell County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 65 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:38 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.

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
May 6, 8:31 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 221 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: 395 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 875 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 204 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 265 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.4
Supercell composite: 4.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

827 
WFUS53 KGID 070138
TORGID
KSC089-070215-
/O.NEW.KGID.TO.W.0026.150507T0138Z-150507T0215Z/

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN JEWELL COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT
    
* AT 838 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER MONTROSE...OR 24 MILES NORTH OF BELOIT...
  MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 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...
  FORMOSO AROUND 845 PM CDT.
  LOVEWELL STATE PARK AROUND 850 PM CDT.
  WEBBER AROUND 855 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 3973 9815 3981 9822 4000 9793 3978 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0138Z 234DEG 25KT 3982 9809 

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

$$

ROSSI

1 follow-up statement

415 
WWUS53 KGID 070148
SVSGID

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

KSC089-070215-
/O.CON.KGID.TO.W.0026.000000T0000Z-150507T0215Z/
JEWELL KS-
848 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN JEWELL COUNTY...
    
AT 848 PM CDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED OVER LOVEWELL STATE PARK...OR 20 MILES WEST OF
BELLEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 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 TORNADIC THUNDERSTORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF
NORTHEASTERN JEWELL COUNTY.

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 3975 9807 3985 9816 4000 9793 3978 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0148Z 234DEG 25KT 3986 9801 

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

$$

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, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 6:45 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
645 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 00Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS THROUGH 00Z THU EVENING)
ISSUED AT 645 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

TONIGHT: VFR. THE TSTM THREAT HAS DIMINISHED SIGNIFICANTLY. WHILE
AN ISOLATED SHWR REMAINS POSSIBLE...GENERALLY EXPECT VARIABLE SCT-
BKN CLOUDS AT OR ABOVE 5K FT. SE WINDS DIMINISH TO NEAR 10 KTS AND
THEN SHIFT TO SW. CONFIDENCE: MEDIUM

WED: VFR. SCT-BKN CLOUDS AT OR ABOVE 10K FT THRU MIDDAY...THEN
DECREASING CLOUDS WITH SCT CU DEVELOPING AROUND 4K FT. W WINDS
AROUND 10 KTS BECOME NW. CONFIDENCE: MEDIUM

&&

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

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

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 8:36 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
836 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
080145-
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-
836 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING...PRIMARILY FROM OSBORNE
KANSAS NORTHEAST TO NEAR NELSON AND HEBRON NEBRASKA. WHILE SOME
OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE THE
POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING. IF ANY STORMS BECOME SEVERE...
HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS TO AROUND 60 MPH
WOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. WHILE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THREAT
FOR TORNADOES HAS DIMINISHED...A TORNADO CANNOT BE ENTIRELY RULED
OUT.

.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)

HALBLAUB

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 7:23 PM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before

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

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

0723 PM     HEAVY RAIN       ESBON                   39.82N 98.43W
05/06/2015  M3.70 INCH       JEWELL             KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            UNOFFICIAL HOME RAIN GAUGE

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 7:51 PM CDT, 47 minutes before

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

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

0747 PM     FLOOD            7 S LEBANON             39.71N 98.56W
05/06/2015                   SMITH              KS   EMERGENCY MNGR

            WATER AFFECTING ROADWAYS APPROXIMATELY 7 AND 10 MILES
            SOUTH OF LEBANON...SPECIFICALLY 220 ROAD JUST EAST OF
            HIGHWAY 181 AS WELL AS 250 ROAD AND CC LANE.

&&

ADP

Local storm report, May 6, 8:01 PM CDT, 37 minutes before

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

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

0724 PM     HAIL             3 W OSBORNE             39.44N 98.75W
05/06/2015  E0.88 INCH       OSBORNE            KS   PUBLIC

            A FEW STONES TO AROUND NICKEL SIZE

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 8:04 PM CDT, 34 minutes before

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

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

0804 PM     HEAVY RAIN       HEBRON AIRPORT          40.15N 97.59W
05/06/2015  M3.32 INCH       THAYER             NE   AWOS

            3.32 INCHES IN THE PAST 2 HOURS...STILL RAINING

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 8:07 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

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

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

0745 PM     HEAVY RAIN       4 NE BURR OAK           39.91N 98.25W
05/06/2015  M3.88 INCH       JEWELL             KS   MESONET

&&

HALBLAUB

Local storm report, May 6, 8:29 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

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

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

0828 PM     HEAVY RAIN       8 S LEBANON             39.69N 98.56W
05/06/2015  E5.00 INCH       SMITH              KS   PUBLIC

&&

ADP

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 7:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Osborne, Smith	22 min
May 6, 7:38 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	GID	Jewell	3 hr
May 6, 7:50 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	GID	Jewell, Osborne, Smith	18 hr
May 6, 7:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	22 min
May 6, 8:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	52 min
May 6, 9:13 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	32 min
May 6, 9:24 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Jewell	36 min
May 6, 9:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	40 min
May 6, 9:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	32 min
May 6, 10:08 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Jewell	23 min
May 6, 10:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Jewell	48 min
May 7, 1:51 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	GID	Jewell	24 hr
May 7, 6:50 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Mitchell	25 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.