Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 87, NWS Wichita, KS

May 20, 2025Chase County, Greenwood County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 20, 2025, 12:27 AM CDT for Chase County, Greenwood County, Kansas. It was in force for 33 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
May 20, 2025, 12:27 AM CDT (05:27 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2025, 1:00 AM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
0.75 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Chase County, KS, Greenwood County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 05:27 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 nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 00:00Z, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 122 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 2025-05-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1171 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 2025-05-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 69 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
1171 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-99 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
867 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
69 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
3.3

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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 19, 6:56 PM CDT, 5 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 6:56 PM CDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, May 19, 10:26 PM CDT, 2 hours 1 minute before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1026 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-210330-
Russell-Lincoln-Barton-Ellsworth-Saline-Rice-McPherson-Marion-Chase-
Reno-Harvey-Butler-Greenwood-Woodson-Allen-Kingman-Sedgwick-Harper-
Sumner-Cowley-Elk-Wilson-Neosho-Chautauqua-Montgomery-Labette-
1026 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas,
South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Scattered to numerous thunderstorms will move slowly eastward across
the region tonight. A few of the stronger storms could produce hail
up to quarter size, gusty winds up to 50 mph, and pockets of heavy
rainfall.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

Periodic thunderstorm chances return by Thursday night, and
continue through early next week. There will be some chances for
strong to marginally severe storms through this period.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight.

&&

For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at:
https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 19, 11:45 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1145 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

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

1133 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 NW Wichita Eisenhower 37.69N 97.48W
05/19/2025  E60 MPH          Sedgwick           KS   Trained Spotter

&&
Local storm report, May 19, 11:51 PM CDT, 36 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1151 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

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

1139 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 WNW East Wichita      37.69N 97.29W
05/19/2025                   Sedgwick           KS   Emergency Mngr

            Tree fell on house causing damage.

&&
Local storm report, May 19, 11:59 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1159 PM CDT Mon May 19 2025

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

1140 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 WNW East Wichita      37.69N 97.28W
05/19/2025                   Sedgwick           KS   Emergency Mngr

            Large tree fell on a house.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 12:00 AM CDT, 27 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1200 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025

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

1154 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     3 ESE Bel Aire          37.75N 97.22W
05/19/2025  M63 MPH          Sedgwick           KS   AWOS

            AWOS station KAAO 2 ESE Bel Aire.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 12:02 AM CDT, 25 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1202 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025

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

1149 PM     Hail             1 NW Mcpherson          38.39N 97.67W
05/19/2025  E1.25 Inch       McPherson          KS   Public

            Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.).

&&
Special weather statement, May 20, 12:14 AM CDT, 13 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1214 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025

KSZ067-082-083-200615-
Reno KS-Sedgwick KS-Kingman KS-
1214 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025

...STRONG WINDS WILL IMPACT RENO...SEDGWICK... AND KINGMAN COUNTIES
THROUGH 115 AM CDT...

At 1211 AM CDT, a large area of showers behind a cluster of
thunderstorms was producing strong winds across a large area of
south-central Kansas.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph.

SOURCE...Multiple weather station.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Wichita, Hutchinson, Derby, Andover, Haysville, Park City, Valley
Center, Bel Aire, Mulvane, Goddard, Rose Hill, Maize, Kingman,
Clearwater, South Hutchinson, Cheney, Sedgwick, Colwich, Buhler, and
Haven.

This includes the following highways...
 Interstate 135 between Mile Markers 0 and 22.
 Interstate 35 between Mile Markers 34 and 54.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3739 9846 3817 9847 3817 9770 3791 9770
      3791 9715 3748 9715 3747 9781 3739 9781
TIME...MOT...LOC 0511Z 193DEG 4KT 3781 9771

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

CUELLAR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 19, 7:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase68 min
May 19, 7:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTChase, Marion55 min
May 19, 7:47 PM CDTAreal Flood WarningICTChase4 hr
May 19, 7:52 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler, Chase, Greenwood38 min
May 19, 9:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton, Russell60 min
May 19, 10:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTReno45 min
May 19, 10:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTEllsworth, McPherson, Saline40 min
May 19, 11:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTHarvey, Kingman, Reno, Sedgwick59 min
May 19, 11:22 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTMcPherson, Saline38 min
May 19, 11:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler, Harvey, Sedgwick47 min
May 19, 11:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTButler, Chase, Harvey, McPherson, Marion, Saline63 min
May 20, 12:14 AM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTKingman, Reno, Sedgwick61 min
May 20, 12:39 AM CDTHigh Wind WarningICTButler, Harvey, Kingman, Reno, Sedgwick2 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2025Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

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.