Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2020

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 127, NWS Topeka, KS

July 2, 20206 counties in Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 2, 2020, 11:21 PM CDT for 6 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 39 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
Jul 2, 2020, 11:21 PM CDT (04:21 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 2020, 12:00 AM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Topeka, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Clay County, KS, Cloud County, KS, Dickinson County, KS, Ottawa County, KS, Republic County, KS, Washington County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 110 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:23 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
Jul 2, 9:19 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 4.4 hours before the alert went out and 158 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2020-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2120 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, Topeka, KS at 00:00Z on 2020-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 16 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
2120 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-104 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1272 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jul 2, 5:54 PM CDT, 5 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 5:54 PM CDT, 5 hours 27 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Topeka KS
554 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

...AVIATION UPDATE...

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday)
Issued at 302 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

Convection earlier this morning kept skies cloudy across eastern
Kansas for much of the day, before clearing out this afternoon.
Thunderstorms are firing up across the high plains of Colorado,
while additional storms have begun to redevelop just southeast of
the forecast area, likely related to earlier outflow and energy from
earlier decayed convection over southern Kansas. Mesoanalysis would
indicate the cap is gone across the far southern counties, and
outflow from this convection may be able to generate new activity in
our area over the next few hours.  Plenty of CAPE across the area
for updrafts to work with, but shear is minimal, and robust initial
updrafts may not maintain themselves very long. Will also need to
watch westward convection, although most guidance keeps it north of
the area up into Nebraska, and lack of a strong LLJ decreases the
chances of it making it this far overnight tonight. Kept some
overnight chances but backed off on coverage a bit.

.LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday)
Issued at 302 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

Low level easterly flow continues through the holiday weekend,
diminishing chances for rain to the east but keeping a boundary in
the western areas that could increase chances for afternoon storms
to develop. Heat indicies come down a few degrees thanks to the
easterly flow and intermittent cloud cover from convection, with
heat indicies generally back down into the 90s.

Upper pattern starts to shift early next week, with the upper ridge
flattening into Monday before the southwestern high noses over the
central plains into mid and late week. Temperatures climb into the
middle and upper 90s Wednesday and Thursday.  Scattered rain chances
from nocturnal convection and weaker waves moving through the flow
diminish later in the week as the heat builds.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday evening)
Issued at 554 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

Main question is whether storms off the high plains make it as far
east as the terminals. At this point much of the CAM guidance
shows this activity falling apart before reaching MHK. So will
maintain a VFR forecast without a mention of TS for now. But will
continue to monitor trends this evening.

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...67
LONG TERM...67
AVIATION...Wolters
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 2, 3:45 PM CDT, 7 hours 36 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Topeka KS
345 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-032045-
Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley-
Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris-
Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson-
345 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

This hazardous weather outlook is for east central...north
central and northeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and tonight.

A few thunderstorms are possible in east central Kansas, with
additional chances into the overnight hours as storms approach the
area from the south and west. These storms could produce locally
heavy rainfall, as well as damaging wind gusts.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight.

&&

More detailed information can be accessed at...
http://www.weather.gov/top/sitrep

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 10:14 PM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
1014 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

KSZ008-020-034-030415-
Republic-Cloud-Ottawa-
1014 PM CDT Thu Jul 2 2020

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN OTTAWA...WESTERN REPUBLIC
AND WESTERN CLOUD COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 PM CDT...

At 1012 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from Bostwick to Beloit to 4 miles northeast of
Ellsworth. Movement was east at 30 mph.

Wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these storms. The
strong wind gusts will precede any rainfall.

Locations impacted include...
Minneapolis, Glasco, Scandia, Delphos, Tescott, Jamestown, Courtland,
Norway, Culver, Republic and Ada.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

Persons in campgrounds should consider seeking sturdy shelter until
these storms pass.

&&

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 200 AM CDT for
north central Kansas.

LAT...LON 4000 9773 3945 9767 3896 9773 3896 9793
      4000 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0312Z 272DEG 24KT 4005 9818 3947 9811 3879 9819

Baerg
Special weather statement, Jul 2, 11:08 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 2, 11:10 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
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</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
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        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 10:14 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPCloud61 min
Jul 2, 10:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud, Ottawa48 min
Jul 2, 10:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPRepublic38 min
Jul 2, 11:08 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPClay52 min
Jul 2, 11:41 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPDickinson64 min
Jul 3, 12:36 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPGeary, Morris, Riley24 min
Jul 3, 1:01 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPGeary, Lyon, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wabaunsee44 min
Jul 3, 12:54 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementTOPJackson36 min
Jul 3, 1:58 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryTOPShawnee3 hr
Jul 3, 2:29 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryTOPDouglas, Jefferson, Shawnee3 hr
Jul 3, 3:11 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningTOPDouglas, Jefferson94 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2020Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2020

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.