Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 86, NWS Goodland, KS

November 16, 2015Norton County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at Nov 16, 2015, 7:11 PM CST for Norton County, Kansas. It was in force for 34 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, 7:11 PM CST (01:11 UTC)
Expired: Nov 16, 2015, 7:45 PM CST
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Goodland, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.5 in

County Norton County, KS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:14 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
Nov 16, 7:12 PM CST	HAIL 1	Norton, KS
Nov 16, 7:30 PM CST	HAIL 0.75	Norton, 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Nov 16, 3:34 PM CST	Tornado Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 157 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: 206 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -42 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1374 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 237 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 257 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

717 
WFUS53 KGLD 170111
TORGLD
KSC137-170145-
/O.NEW.KGLD.TO.W.0086.151117T0111Z-151117T0145Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
711 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHEASTERN NORTON COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN KANSAS...

* UNTIL 745 PM CST
    
* AT 711 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 4 MILES EAST OF NORTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40
  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. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  NORTON...ALMENA AND CALVERT. 

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 3974 9982 3981 9994 4000 9985 4000 9962
      3989 9963
TIME...MOT...LOC 0111Z 215DEG 35KT 3985 9982 

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

$$

HUSTED

2 follow-up statements

566 
WWUS53 KGLD 170123
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
723 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

KSC137-170145-
/O.CON.KGLD.TO.W.0086.000000T0000Z-151117T0145Z/
NORTON KS-
723 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM CST FOR
NORTHEASTERN NORTON COUNTY...
    
AT 723 PM CST...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR ALMENA...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF NORTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

HAZARD...TORNADO AND HALF DOLLAR 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. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ALMENA.

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 3985 9976 3988 9987 4000 9981 4000 9962
      3991 9965
TIME...MOT...LOC 0123Z 216DEG 33KT 3994 9973 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

HUSTED

949 
WWUS53 KGLD 170139
SVSGLD

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
739 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

KSC137-170149-
/O.EXP.KGLD.TO.W.0086.000000T0000Z-151117T0145Z/
NORTON KS-
739 PM CST MON NOV 16 2015

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR NORTHEASTERN NORTON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
745 PM CST...
        
THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.  HOWEVER SMALL HAIL
AND GUSTY WINDS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CST FOR NORTHWESTERN
KANSAS.

LAT...LON 3985 9976 3988 9987 4000 9981 4000 9962
      3991 9965
TIME...MOT...LOC 0138Z 215DEG 35KT 3994 9973 

$$

HUSTED

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Nov 16, 6:08 PM CST	Tornado Warning	GLD	Graham, Norton, Sheridan	37 min
Nov 16, 6:20 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Decatur, Norton, Sheridan	40 min
Nov 16, 6:26 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	GLD	Logan	19 min
Nov 16, 6:30 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Decatur	32 min
Nov 16, 6:38 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Gove, Logan	52 min
Nov 16, 6:38 PM CST	Tornado Warning	GLD	Norton	37 min
Nov 16, 6:48 PM CST	Tornado Warning	GLD	Gove	42 min
Nov 16, 6:57 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	GLD	Rawlins, Thomas	33 min
Nov 16, 6:59 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Decatur, Graham, Norton, Sheridan	31 min
Nov 16, 7:08 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Gove, Logan, Sheridan	52 min
Nov 16, 7:10 PM CST	Tornado Warning	GLD	Gove, Sheridan	35 min
Nov 16, 7:26 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	GLD	Norton	34 min
Nov 16, 7:36 PM CST	Tornado Warning	GLD	Gove, Sheridan	27 min
Nov 16, 7:50 PM CST	Tornado Warning	GLD	Decatur, Graham, Norton, Sheridan	25 min
Nov 16, 7:52 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Gove	30 min
Nov 16, 8:00 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Graham, Sheridan	30 min
Nov 16, 8:10 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GLD	Decatur, Graham, Norton, Sheridan	20 min
Nov 16, 8:26 PM CST	Special Weather Statement	GLD	Graham, Norton	49 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.