High Wind in Kansas, April 11, 2001

Name: High Wind in Kansas, April 11, 2001
Start: 2001-04-11T09:00
End: 2001-04-11T17:00
Location: Kansas

April 11, 2001 · NWS GLD · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Strong spring storm resulted in damaging winds across northwest Kansas. The winds especially affected travel as blowing dust closed down roads.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $500,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.

Strong spring storm resulted in damaging winds across northwest Kansas. The winds especially affected travel as blowing dust closed down roads. Damage unknown, but damaging winds occurred most of the day.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 11, 8:02 AM MST, 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 11, 8:02 AM MST, 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED BLIZZARD WARNING TIME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
902 AM MDT WED APR 11 2001

UPDATE TO ZONES SHORTLY TO CHANGE HIGH WIND WARNING IN FAR EASTERN
COLORADO COUNTIES TO A BLIZZARD WARNING. SNOW IS ACCUMULATING
ALREADY WITH 40 MPH AND GREATER WINDS...AND CONDITIONS UPSTREAM ARE
EVEN WORSE.

.GLD...BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL NOON MDT FOR FAR EASTERN COLORADO.
HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TODAY FOR DUNDY NE...CHEYENNE KS...SHERMAN...
WALLACE...GREELEY. WIND ADVISORY FOR HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW OF
NE...RAWLINS...DECATUR...NORTON...THOMAS...SHERIDAN...GRAHAM...LOGAN
...GOVE...AND WICHITA IN KS.

BULLER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 11, 8:56 AM MST, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
956 AM MDT WED APR 11 2001

TIME(MDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0845 AM    FLAGLER                   CO   NON TSTM WINDS
04/11/01   KIT CARSON                     72 MPH NON TSTM WINDS.
                                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Cheyenne

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Cheyenne forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.786, -101.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Decatur

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Decatur forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.785, -100.460 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Gove

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Gove forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.916, -100.483 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Graham

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Graham forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.350, -99.883 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Higher gusts likely occurred.

High Wind, Greeley

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Greeley forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.481, -101.806 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Many trees and fences damaged along with approximately 40 car windows shattered due to the winds. Also took off roof of one home in Greeley County.

High Wind, Logan

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.917, -101.148 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind took down numerous street signs in Oakley.

High Wind, Norton

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Norton forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.784, -99.903 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Rawlins

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Rawlins forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.785, -101.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Higher gusts likely occurred.

High Wind, Sheridan

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.350, -100.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sherman

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 39.351, -101.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Unofficial wind gust to 83 mph west of Goodland. Minor tree damage reported across Sherman County.

High Wind, Thomas

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Thomas forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 39.351, -101.055 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wallace

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Wallace forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.917, -101.764 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wichita

When: April 11, 9:00 AM MST to 5:00 PM MST
Where: Wichita forecast zone
Measured: 72 kt (83 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 38.482, -101.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, April 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5242772, 5242773, 5242774, 5242775, 5242776, 5242777, 5242778, 5242779, 5242780, 5242781, 5242782, 5242783, 5242784.