Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2017

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Topeka, KS

May 18, 20174 counties in Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at May 18, 2017, 6:37 PM CDT for 4 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 23 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 18, 2017, 6:37 PM CDT (23:37 UTC)
Expired: May 18, 2017, 7:00 PM CDT
In force: 23 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 1.75 in

Counties Clay County, KS, Dickinson County, KS, Geary County, KS, Riley County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:39 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 18, 6:52 PM CDT	FUNNEL CLOUD	5 S Milford, KS	SPOTTER REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE DAM.

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
May 18, 3:00 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KFOE), launched 12:00Z, 11.6 hours before the alert went out and 115 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1033 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 45 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 204 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 335 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

700 
WFUS53 KTOP 182337
TORTOP
KSC027-041-061-161-190000-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0012.170518T2337Z-170519T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Topeka KS
637 PM CDT THU MAY 18 2017

The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northeastern Dickinson County in central Kansas...
  Northwestern Geary County in east central Kansas...
  Southwestern Riley County in northeastern Kansas...
  Southeastern Clay County in north central Kansas...

* Until 700 PM CDT

* At 636 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located 5 miles north of
  Chapman, moving northeast at 30 mph.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado and golf ball size hail. 

  SOURCE...Public confirmed tornado. 

  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. 

* The tornado will be near...
  Milford Lake around 650 PM CDT. 
  Milford around 655 PM CDT. 

This includes Interstate 70 between mile markers 283 and 295, and
between mile markers 297 and 304.
 
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 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 3927 9696 3905 9670 3894 9704 3904 9716
TIME...MOT...LOC 2336Z 226DEG 27KT 3904 9701 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

1 follow-up statement

917 
WWUS53 KTOP 182347
SVSTOP

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
647 PM CDT THU MAY 18 2017

KSC027-182356-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-170519T0000Z/
Clay-
647 PM CDT THU MAY 18 2017

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN CLAY 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 1000 PM CDT for central,
northeastern and east central Kansas.

LAT...LON 3913 9700 3913 9696 3919 9696 3923 9693
      3905 9670 3897 9697 3910 9702
TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 234DEG 26KT 3908 9693 

$$

KSC041-061-161-190000-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0012.000000T0000Z-170519T0000Z/
Dickinson-Geary-Riley-
647 PM CDT THU MAY 18 2017

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM CDT FOR
NORTHEASTERN DICKINSON...NORTHWESTERN GEARY AND SOUTHWESTERN RILEY
COUNTIES...
    
At 646 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located 4 miles south of Milford Lake, moving northeast at 30
mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and golf 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...
  Junction City around 650 PM CDT. 
  Grandview Plaza, Milford and Milford Lake around 655 PM CDT. 

This includes Interstate 70 between mile markers 289 and 294, and
between mile markers 298 and 304.
 
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Heavy rainfall may hide this tornado. Do not wait to see or hear the
tornado. TAKE COVER NOW!

&&

LAT...LON 3913 9700 3913 9696 3919 9696 3923 9693
      3905 9670 3897 9697 3910 9702
TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 234DEG 26KT 3908 9693 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.75IN

$$

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 18, 1:35 PM CDT	Flash Flood Watch	TOP	Anderson, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Dickinson and 17 more	38 hr
May 18, 4:18 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Morris	27 min
May 18, 4:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Morris	29 min
May 18, 4:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Morris	37 min
May 18, 4:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Dickinson	36 min
May 18, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary	33 min
May 18, 5:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Morris, Wabaunsee	51 min
May 18, 5:13 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Riley	31 min
May 18, 5:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Morris, Wabaunsee	30 min
May 18, 5:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Douglas, Shawnee	28 min
May 18, 5:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Ottawa	45 min
May 18, 5:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Morris, Riley, Wabaunsee	49 min
May 18, 6:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Ottawa	33 min
May 18, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley	46 min
May 18, 6:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Wabaunsee	51 min
May 18, 6:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Jackson, Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Wabaunsee	49 min
May 18, 6:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Jackson, Jefferson, Shawnee	40 min
May 18, 6:54 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	TOP	Dickinson	4 hr
May 18, 6:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Ottawa	32 min
May 18, 6:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	TOP	Geary, Riley	32 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2017 Every tornado warning in 2017 Tornadoes in 2017

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.