Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, August 8, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, August 8, 2004
Start: 2004-08-08T18:29
End: 2004-08-08T19:16
Location: Kansas

August 8, 2004 · NWS TOP · 7 events in 5 counties and zones

5 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $100
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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 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 Aug 8, 2:45 PM CST, 3 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 8, 2:45 PM CST, 3 hours 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
345 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004

.DISCUSSION...

TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH MID WEEK ARE THE MAIN
FORECAST CHALLENGES.

THE 12Z UPPER AIR MAPS SHOWED AN AMPLIFIED UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS
THE WESTERN CONUS WITH A DOWN STREAM UPPER TROUGH ACROSS THE
MIDWEST AND MID MS VALLEY REGION. A SHORTER WAVE LENGTH UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH WAS DIGGING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS.

AT 19Z...A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM SOUTHERN NE...WEST-SOUTHWEST
ACROSS NORTHWEST KS. SOUTH OF THE FRONT THE ATMOSPHERE HAS RECOVERED
FROM THIS MORNINGS RAINFALL AND CLOUD COVER. THUNDERSTORMS WERE
DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT ACROSS NE. OUTFLOW FROM THESE STORMS MAY
DEVELOP AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT MAY MOVE SOUTHWARD INTO THE CWA
EARLY THIS EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ACROSS
THE NORTHERN COUNTIES AND A FEW MAY BE SEVERE GIVEN CAPE ESTIMATES
OF 1500-2500 J/KG. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND STRONG
GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. AFTER SUNSET THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL
DIMINISH. THE MESO ETA MODEL SHOWS THE STORMS DISSIPATING ACROSS THE
CENTRAL COUNTIES OF THE FA AFTER 3Z.

ON MONDAY THE COLD FRONT IN SOUTHERN NE WILL SLOWLY MOVE SOUTH
ACROSS THE FA. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REDEVELOP ALONG AND
SOUTH OF THE COLD FRONT TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO THE
EVENING. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE FA LATE MONDAY NIGHT
AND BECOME STATIONARY ACROSS SOUTHERN KS AND NORTHERN OK. AN INTENSE
5H SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER CENTRAL CANADA WILL DIG SOUTHWARD AND
AMPLIFY ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND MIDWEST. THIS WILL SEND A
STRONG COLD FRONT...FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...SOUTH ACROSS KANSAS ON
TUESDAY AND BRING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. AFTERNOON HIGHS ON
MONDAY WILL WARM INTO THE LOWER TO MID 80S ACROSS THE FA. HIGH
TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S ACROSS THE
NORTHERN COUNTIES...TO THE NORTH OF THE COLD FRONT...AND UPPER 70S
AND LOWER 80S ACROSS THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES...SOUTH OF THE FRONT.
HIGH TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY MAY HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED DEPENDING ON
THE SPEED OF THE SURFACE FRONT.

THE EXTENDED RANGE MODELS ALL SHOW A LONGER WAVE LENGTH 5H TROUGH
AMPLIFYING OVER THE MIDWEST AND MID MS VALLEY. THIS WILL CAUSE A
COLD SURFACE RIDGE TO BUILD SOUTH ACROSS THE PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY.
EVEN WITH SOLAR INSOLATION HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO REACH
70 DEGREE MARK. OVERNIGHT LOWS WEDNESDAY NIGHT MAY REACH THE UPPER
40S TO AROUND 50 DEGREES IN SOME LOCATIONS. THE LONGER WAVE-LENGTH
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SLOWLY PUSH EAST ALLOWING HIGH TEMPERATURES
TO SLOWLY RECOVER INTO THE LOWER 80S BY NEXT SUNDAY. THOUGH IF THE
LONGER WAVE-LENGTH UPPER LEVEL TROUGH REMAINS STATIONARY ACROSS THE
UPPER MIDWEST...HIGH TEMPERATURES MAY REMAIN IN THE 70S THROUGH NEXT
WEEKEND. DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE NEXT WEEK WITH THE COOL
STABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE.

&&

.TOP...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN
EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT FOR KSZ008>011-020>023-034>038

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 8, 3:30 PM CST, 2 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
430 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-091100-
ANDERSON-BROWN-CLAY-CLOUD-COFFEY-DICKINSON-DOUGLAS-FRANKLIN-GEARY-
JACKSON-JEFFERSON-LYON-MARSHALL-MORRIS-NEMAHA-OSAGE-OTTAWA-
POTTAWATOMIE-REPUBLIC-RILEY-SHAWNEE-WABAUNSEE-WASHINGTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ABILENE...CLAY CENTER...CONCORDIA...
EMPORIA...HIAWATHA...JUNCTION CITY...LAWRENCE...MANHATTAN...
MARYSVILLE...OTTAWA AND TOPEKA
430 PM CDT SUN AUG 8 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY
BE SEVERE THIS EVENING WITH THE PRIMARY HAZARD BEING LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING OUTFLOW WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE AREA ON
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS WILL BE NEEDED THIS EVENING.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/TOP  (ALL LOWER CASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 8, 5:02 PM CST, 1 hour 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
602 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004

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

0555 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 NW BARNES             39.73N 96.90W
08/08/2004  60 MPH           WASHINGTON         KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

LWS

Local storm report, Aug 8, 5:10 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
610 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004

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

0605 PM     HAIL             NORWAY                  39.70N 97.77W
08/08/2004  0.88 INCH        REPUBLIC           KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY TRAINED SPOTTER.

&&

LWS

Local storm report, Aug 8, 5:35 PM CST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
635 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004

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

0630 PM     HAIL             JAMESTOWN               39.60N 97.86W
08/08/2004  1.00 INCH        CLOUD              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

            QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED BY STORM SPOTTER.

&&

LWS

Local storm report, Aug 8, 5:50 PM CST, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...DELETED ERRONEOUS REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
650 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004

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

0617 PM     TSTM WND GST     10 W AGENDA             39.71N 97.62W
08/08/2004  60 MPH           REPUBLIC           KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SMB

Local storm report, Aug 8, 6:06 PM CST, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
706 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004

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

0704 PM     TSTM WND GST     MILTONVALE              39.35N 97.45W
08/08/2004  70 MPH           CLOUD              KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SMB

Local storm report, Aug 8, 6:20 PM CST, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
720 PM CDT SUN AUG 08 2004

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

0639 PM     TSTM WND GST     13 N CLAY CENTER        39.57N 97.12W
08/08/2004  60 MPH           WASHINGTON         KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

0701 PM     TSTM WND DMG     LEONARDVILLE            39.36N 96.86W
08/08/2004                   RILEY              KS   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES BLOWN DOWN IN LEONARDVILLE

0701 PM     TSTM WND GST     LEONARDVILLE            39.36N 96.86W
08/08/2004  70 MPH           RILEY              KS   COUNTY OFFICIAL

&&

SMB

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Cloud

When: August 8, 6:29 PM CST
Where: Cloud County, 2 mi S of Miltonvale
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 39.317, -97.450

Thunderstorm Wind, Ottawa

When: August 8, 6:29 PM CST
Where: Ottawa County, 20 mi E of Delphos
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.283, -97.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Pottawatomie

When: August 8, 6:33 PM CST
Where: Pottawatomie County, 1 mi E of Olsburg
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.433, -96.600

Hail, Geary

When: August 8, 6:47 PM CST
Where: Geary County, 1 mi E of Junction City
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.033, -96.817

Thunderstorm Wind, Geary

When: August 8, 6:50 PM CST
Where: Geary County, 5 mi NE of Junction City
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.083, -96.767

Thunderstorm Wind, Dickinson

When: August 8, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Dickinson County, Abilene
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $100
Reported by: GOVT OFFICIAL
Coordinates: 38.917, -97.217

A tent was damaged at a county fair by strong winds.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pottawatomie

When: August 8, 7:16 PM CST
Where: Pottawatomie County, 2 mi NW of Wamego
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 39.217, -96.350

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, August 2004

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: 5417338, 5417339, 5417340, 5417341, 5417342, 5417343, 5417344.