Drought in Kansas, November 1 to 30, 2002

Name: Drought in Kansas, November 1 to 30, 2002
Start: 2002-11-01T00:01
End: 2002-11-30T23:59
Location: Kansas

November 1 to 30, 2002 · NWS TOP · 23 events in 23 counties and zones

After a brief respite from an unusually wet October the dry weather of this past Summer returned in November. 5 to 2 inches below normal.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 23 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 23

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 TOP wrote it up.

After a brief respite from an unusually wet October the dry weather of this past Summer returned in November. Although temperatures averaged near normal over the area, precipitation amounts averaged 1.5 to 2 inches below normal. Only 0.03 of an inch was recorded all month at Concordia while only 0.27 of an inch fell at Topeka.

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 31, 2:14 PM CST, 9 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 2:14 PM CST, 9 hours 47 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KANSAS
214 PM CST THU OCT 31 2002

CONCERNS ARE FREEZE WARNING FOR TONIGHT AND TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT
THE PERIOD...

ALL GUIDANCE, CURRENT FORECAST, AND COORDINATION WITH SURROUNDING
OFFICES HAS LED TO THE DECISION TO GO WITH A FREEZE WARNING FOR THE
WHOLE CWA TONIGHT...EXCEPT FOR 3 COUNTIES IN THE NORTHWEST TO BLEND
IN WITH OMAHA AND HASTINGS OFFICES WHOSE CWAS HAVE ALREADY MET THE
WARNING CRITERIA.

CURRENT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE OUT OF THE CWA BY ZFP
ISSUANCE TIME ACCORDING TO 88-D LOOP.  ANOTHER UPPER SYSTEM IS
PROGGED TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA MAINLY TO THE WEST AND SOUTH OF OUR
CWA LATER TONIGHT.  THIS MAY PROVIDE ENOUGH FORCING TO RESULT IN
SOME LIGHT SNOW OVER THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN COUNTIES OF THE
CWA...BUT NOTHING SIGNIFICANT IS EXPECTED.  UEX 88-D RADAR ALREADY
SHOWS SOME ECHOES IN NORTHWEST AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...BUT
NOTHING REPORTED AT GROUND LEVEL YET SO WILL CONFINE TO MAINLY AFTER
MIDNIGHT WHEN BEST FORCING AND MOISTURE SKIRT THE AREA.

BEYOND TONIGHT...TEMPERATURES ARE THE MAIN CONCERN THROUGH DAY 7.
FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY HAVE FOLLOWED A BLEND OF LATEST GUIDANCE
TEMPERATURES WITH GOING FORECAST.  SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT
WEDNESDAY HAVE LEFT ALONE FOR CONSISTENCY SAKE.  NEXT THURSDAY (DAY
7) HAVE FOLLOWED CLOSE TO NCEP SUBJECTIVE GUIDANCE FOR THE OFFICIAL
FORECAST.

.TOP...FREEZE WARNING ALL AREAS EXCEPT CLOUD...REPUBLIC...WASHINGTON
COUNTIES.

LWS

Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 31, 2:13 PM CST, 9 hours 48 minutes before

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-011100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
213 PM CST THU OCT 31 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL, NORTHEAST AND
EAST CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...
LIGHT SNOW OVER NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS WILL COME TO AN
END LATE THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH LITTLE IF ANY SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE
ON THE GROUND, AREA MOTORISTS SHOULD TAKE CAUTION WHEN CROSSING
BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES AS TEMPERATURES ARE NEAR THE FREEZING POINT
OVER MUCH OF THE REGION.

A HARD FREEZE IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES DIP INTO THE MID
TO UPPER 20S.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED.

65

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

23 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Anderson

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Anderson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.214, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Brown

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Brown forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.827, -95.564 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Clay

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.350, -97.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Cloud

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Cloud forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.480, -97.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Coffey

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Coffey forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.237, -95.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dickinson

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.867, -97.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Douglas

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.885, -95.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Franklin

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.565, -95.286 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Geary

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Geary forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.002, -96.752 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jackson

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.417, -95.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jefferson

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.236, -95.383 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lyon

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lyon forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.456, -96.153 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marshall

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.784, -96.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Morris

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Morris forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.687, -96.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Nemaha

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Nemaha forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.784, -96.014 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Osage

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Osage forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.652, -95.727 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ottawa

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ottawa forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.133, -97.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Pottawatomie

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Pottawatomie forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.379, -96.342 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Republic

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Republic forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.828, -97.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Riley

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Riley forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.297, -96.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Shawnee

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Shawnee forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.042, -95.756 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Wabaunsee

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Wabaunsee forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.953, -96.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Washington

When: November 1, 12:01 AM CST to November 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.784, -97.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, November 2002

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: 5323315, 5323316, 5323317, 5323318, 5323319, 5323320, 5323321, 5323322, 5323323, 5323324, 5323325, 5323326, 5323327, 5323328, 5323329, 5323330, 5323388, 5323389, 5323390, 5323391, 5323392, 5323393, 5323394.