Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 96, NWS Wichita, KS
NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 2025, 4:00 AM CDT for Cowley County, Sumner County, Kansas. It was in force for 60 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 24, 2025, 4:00 AM CDT (09:00 UTC)
- Expired
- May 24, 2025, 5:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wichita, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 0.75 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Cowley County, KS, Sumner County, KS
The radar
The Wichita radar (KICT), 53 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:01 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 10:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 7 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Norman, OK (KOUN), launched 00:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 225 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2248 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -66 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1207 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 57 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 339 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 3.4
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 24, 3:11 AM CDT, 49 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Scattered storms ongoing across south-central and southeastern Kansas this morning.
- Wet pattern for southeast Kansas will persist through the weekend.
- Drier weather expected by mid next week, but overall active pattern will continue through the forecast period.
Area forecast discussion, May 24, 3:11 AM CDT, 49 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 311 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered storms ongoing across south-central and southeastern Kansas this morning. - Wet pattern for southeast Kansas will persist through the weekend. - Drier weather expected by mid next week, but overall active pattern will continue through the forecast period. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 311 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 As of 3am, a broad area of sub-severe, elevated thunderstorms are located across central Kansas and extending into eastern and southeastern Kansas. This activity is located along and just north of the instability gradient. More surface based convection is located in south-central Kansas and surging southeastward as a bowing line segment. This activity will continue to shift southeastward during the early morning hours bringing high winds and large hail to southern portions of the forecast area. Convection looks to finally exit the area between 12-15Z. This morning's activity is a reflection of the broader pattern we're currently in and that will remain in place through the weekend. The mid-level ridge axis is situated over the Rockies placing much of the Central Plains in northwest flow. Portions of eastern Kansas are located under the right entrance region of the upper-level jet leading to broad scale lift across the area. This setup will continue to lead to on and off rain and thunderstorms over the next few days. After storms clear out of the area this morning and the WAA axis shifts south and east, the environment will then recover during the day. While the better environment for severe storm activity will remain to our south across the Southern Plains during the day, a mid-level disturbance will pass over the area tonight into Sunday morning. This disturbance, along with the LLJ, will lead to additional storm chances across southern and especially southeastern Kansas during the nighttime hours. Going forward into Sunday and Monday, the ridge will slowly shift eastward, shifting the higher rain chances along with it. The ongoing threat through this weekend and into the day on Monday will be excessive rainfall across southeastern Kansas. Locations south and east of the Turnpike could see rainfall amounts in excess of 3 inches. Far southeast Kansas remains in a Flood Watch that includes Allen, Wilson, Neosho, Chautauqua, Montgomery, and Labette counties through 7 PM Monday. A brief reprieve from rain and storm activity may occur mid week, but an overall active pattern will continue through the end of the week with on and off rain and storm chances persisting. Rainfall totals will be more sporadic as storm mode and coverage will be more variable. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1208 AM CDT Sat May 24 2025 Showers and storms developing over portions of western and central Kansas early this morning will gradually overspread the area and progress to the south/southeast. Initial wave of storms is expected to be south of the Kansas-Oklahoma border by around 10Z, though lingering activity could persist later into the morning. After a brief lull, coverage is once again expected to pick back up sometime after 00Z tonight. Will continue to monitor sites and AMD as this activity has initially proven difficult to forecast as it develops. In addition to showers and storms, cigs are expected to come down to MVFR at all sites for a majority of the period, with some IFR possible in central KS before sunrise. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through Monday evening for KSZ072-095-096-098>100. && DISCUSSION...AMD AVIATION...JWK
Hazardous weather outlook, May 23, 9:55 PM CDT, 6 hours 5 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 955 PM CDT Fri May 23 2025 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-241930- 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- 955 PM CDT Fri May 23 2025 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Thunderstorms are expected to impact much of the area late tonight. Some of these storms could become severe with golf ball size hail and heavy rain. There may also be a threat for damaging winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday An active weather pattern is expected to bring multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms to the region for this weekend through Monday. There is a risk for severe weather Saturday night with the primary hazards being large hail and damaging winds. In addition, the prolonged period of showers and thunderstorms could bring heavy rainfall to the region and cause some flooding problems to occur. Please refer to the Flood Watch for additional details. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated this afternoon or 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 24, 3:58 AM CDT, 2 minutes before
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</html>The office that day
Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 1:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick | 46 min |
| May 24, 2:16 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harper, Kingman | 59 min |
| May 24, 2:27 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | McPherson, Saline | 29 min |
| May 24, 2:34 AM CDT | Areal Flood Warning | ICT | Chase, Marion | 8 hr |
| May 24, 2:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick | 46 min |
| May 24, 2:51 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harper, Kingman | 54 min |
| May 24, 2:57 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Elk | 20 min |
| May 24, 3:02 AM CDT | Areal Flood Warning | ICT | Butler, Harvey, Sedgwick | 8 hr |
| May 24, 3:28 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler, Elk, Greenwood | 47 min |
| May 24, 4:48 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Chautauqua, Montgomery | 57 min |
| May 24, 5:05 AM CDT | Areal Flood Warning | ICT | Montgomery | 6 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.