Kansas, 2004

Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 4 to 5, 2004

July 4 to 5, 2004 · NWS ICT · 27 events in 13 counties and zones

13 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
$1.0 million
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
27

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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 2:34 PM CST, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 2:34 PM CST, 6 hours 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
334 PM CDT SUN JUL 4 2004

.DISCUSSION...

THIS EVE/TNGT:
ATMOSPHERE IS RECHARGING ITSELF AS SUN BEGINS TO BREAK OUT FROM
OVERNIGHT STORMS. DAY TIME HEATING WILL CREATE VERY UNSTABLE
CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SRN KS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE
EVENING HRS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS NEXT SHORT WAVE CURRENTLY
MOVING E INTO TX PANHANDLE WHICH IS TRYING TO PHASE WITH WITH
NORTHERN STREAM TROUGH. THERE WILL BE A FAIRLY STRONG CAP IN PLACE
TRYING TO HOLD DOWN THE VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS...HOWEVER
APPROACHING SHORTWAVE SHOULD WEAKEN CAP ENOUGH FOR STORMS TO FIRE
LATER THIS EVE. OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHT WAS IN CENTRAL OK
BUT SHOULD MIX NORTHWARD AS SFC LOW DEEPENS OVER TX PANHANDLE.

STORMS LOOK TO DEVELOP ALONG A WEAK BOUNDARY IN CENTRAL KS AND ALONG
OUTFLOW/SEMI WARM FRONT BOUNDARY MIXING NORTH IN S CENTRL KS. SHEAR
WILL INCREASE DURING THE EVENING HRS WHICH WILL CAUSE STORMS TO
BECOME MORE ORGANIZED WITH A FEW SUPERCELLS POSSIBLE. CANNOT TOTALLY
RULE OUT A ISOLATED TORNADO IN S CENTRAL GIVEN HIGH INSTABILITY AND
INCREASING SHEAR...EVEN WITH LCLS A BIT HIGH. SFC WINDS SHOULD BACK
SOME ACROSS S CENTRL KS WITH DEEPENING SFC LOW OVER THE TX
PANHANDLE. THE ACTIVITY LOOKS TO FORM A POSSIBLE MCS WHICH SHOULD
MOVE E/SE. MANY LOCATIONS SAW HEAVY RAIN LAST NIGHT...THEREFORE ANY
ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS SO
WILL ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR MOST OF SRN/SERN KS WITH THIS IN MIND.

MON-MON NIGHT:
EXPECT MCS TO BE ONGOING IN ERN KS DURING THE MORNING HOURS, WITH
REST OF THE AREA CLEARING OUT.  UNSTABLE AIRMASS REMAINS IN PLACE
ACROSS THE AREA AS SUNSHINE RETURNS, SO WITH AFTN HEATING, ANOTHER
ROUND OF SHRA/TSRA ARE POSSIBLE BY MON AFTN INTO MON NIGHT.  NEXT IN
A SERIES OF S/WV MOVES INTO THE AREA BY MON AFTN,  WITH CAP LESS
THAN TDY EXPECT RAPID DVLPMNT OF CONVECTION.  WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN
EYE ON SVR AND FLOODING POTENTIAL TMRW, WITH TNGTS CONVECTION
PLAYING A ROLE IN THESE DECISIONS.

TUE:
FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAKES ITS WAY DOWN ACROSS THE PLAINS ON TUES
HELPING TO MOVE THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE SOUTH OF THE AREA, AS DRIER
CANADIAN AIR MOVING ACROSS KS.  WILL KEEP LOW POPS ACROSS SRN HALF
OF KS, AS SOME POST FRONTAL SHRA ARE POSSIBLE. WILL ALSO KEEP TEMPS
BELOW CLIMO AS SHALLOW COOL AIR MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT. PREFER ETA
GUID NUMBERS FOR HIGHS

WED-THU:
SFC RIDGE AND NW FLOW MOVES ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE MIDWEEK HELPING
TO DRY US OUT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.  WILL MODERATE TEMPS WITH A
WARMING TREND EXPECTED BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

FRI-SUN:
RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING MORE SUMMERLIKE TEMPS TO THE AREA
FOR THE START OF THE WEEKEND. MAIN MOISTURE ADVECTION WILL STAY WEST
OF THE AREA ON FRI, SO WILL KEEP POPS OUT OF THE AREA UNTIL FRI
NIGHT, WITH THE NOCTURNAL CONVECTION CHC RETURNING.  WILL INSERT
POPS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND, AS WEAK S/WVS MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA WITH WEAK SFC BOUNDARY LOCATED ACROSS THE AREA.

&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
WICHITA-KICT    71  91  68  83 /  50  30  40  30
HUTCHINSON      69  90  67  82 /  60  30  40  30
NEWTON          69  90  67  81 /  50  30  40  30
ELDORADO        70  90  68  83 /  50  30  40  30
WINFIELD-KWLD   72  92  69  85 /  50  30  40  30
RUSSELL         67  88  63  79 /  60  30  40  20
GREAT BEND      68  89  64  80 /  60  30  40  20
SALINA          69  90  66  81 /  50  30  40  20
MCPHERSON       69  90  66  81 /  50  30  40  20
COFFEYVILLE     72  91  70  85 /  50  30  40  30
CHANUTE         70  89  68  83 /  50  30  40  30
IOLA            70  89  68  83 /  50  30  40  30
&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON
UNTIL MONDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS.
&&

JAKUB/KETCHAM/22
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 3:25 PM CST, 5 hours 24 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
425 PM CDT SUN JUL 4 2004

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-051200-
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-
425 PM CDT SUN JUL 4 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN THIS EVENING
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR CENTRAL, SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEASTERN
KANSAS. THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.
HOWEVER, AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT BEFORE SUNSET IN
SOUTHERN KANSAS.

WARM AIR IN THE MID LAYERS WILL PROHIBIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT
UNTIL EARLY THIS EVENING. BUT AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES
INTO THE AREA, THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS
THIS EVENING, WITH STORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
KANSAS INTO THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THE ACTIVITY WILL TRY AND FORM
INTO A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS LATER TONIGHT, AND MOVE RAPIDLY
EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE A
THREAT WHICH COULD CAUSE SOME FLOODING. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH
FOR INFORMATION ON THIS FLOODING THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL
CONTINUE ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE ON TUESDAY, THOUGH THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER
AND HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL PROBABLY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL, SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS.

&&

FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION, SEE OUR
WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/ICT/HWO/HWOICT.HTM

KED/CJ/KETCHAM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 4, 8:49 PM CST, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
949 PM CDT SUN JUL 04 2004

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

0949 PM     HAIL             4 W RUSSELL             38.89N 98.93W
07/04/2004  1.00 INCH        RUSSELL            KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

LFW

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 155 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 hail, 13 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Russell

When
July 4, 8:49 PM CST
Where
Russell County, 4 mi W of Russell
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.883, -98.917

Hail, Russell

When
July 4, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Russell County, 5 mi SW of Russell Arpt
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.817, -98.883

Hail, Reno

When
July 4, 9:20 PM CST
Where
Reno County, 7 mi S of Hutchinson
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.967, -97.917

Hail, Reno

When
July 4, 9:24 PM CST
Where
Reno County, Hutchinson
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.067, -97.917

Hail, McPherson

When
July 4, 9:35 PM CST
Where
McPherson County, 1 mi N of Inman
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
38.250, -97.767

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
July 4, 10:41 PM CST
Where
Butler County, Douglass
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
37.517, -97.017

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
July 4, 10:45 PM CST
Where
Butler County, 4 mi E of Potwin
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.950, -96.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Butler

When
July 4, 10:59 PM CST
Where
Butler County, 8 mi N of El Dorado
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.933, -96.867

Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman

When
July 5, 12:52 AM CST
Where
Kingman County, Spivey
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.450, -98.167

Thunderstorm Wind, Kingman

When
July 5, 1:03 AM CST
Where
Kingman County, 2 mi SE of Rago
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.433, -98.050

Hail, Sedgwick

When
July 5, 1:16 AM CST
Where
Sedgwick County, Maize
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.767, -97.467

Thunderstorm Wind, Sedgwick

When
July 5, 1:19 AM CST
Where
Sedgwick County, Wichita
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.700, -97.333

Occurred in West Wichita at 2900 N. Ridge Rd.

Hail, Sedgwick

When
July 5, 1:20 AM CST
Where
Sedgwick County, Wichita
Measured
0.88 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.700, -97.333

Occurred at Central Ave/Ridge Rd. intersection.

Hail, Sedgwick

When
July 5, 1:27 AM CST
Where
Sedgwick County, Park City
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
37.800, -97.317

Occurred at 53rd St. N.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sedgwick

When
July 5, 1:28 AM CST
Where
Sedgwick County, Wichita
Measured
51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
37.700, -97.333

Measured at Mid-Continent Airport.

Hail, Butler

When
July 5, 1:35 AM CST
Where
Butler County, 8 mi W of Towanda
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.800, -97.150

Hail, Butler

When
July 5, 1:55 AM CST
Where
Butler County, 3 mi E of Rose Hill
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.567, -97.083

Thunderstorm Wind, Elk

When
July 5, 2:54 AM CST
Where
Elk County, Howard
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.467, -96.267

Hail, Greenwood

When
July 5, 2:55 AM CST
Where
Greenwood County, Madison
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.133, -96.133

Thunderstorm Wind, Woodson

When
July 5, 3:23 AM CST
Where
Woodson County, Yates Center
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
37.883, -95.733

Hail, Wilson

When
July 5, 3:30 AM CST
Where
Wilson County, Benedict
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.633, -95.733

Hail, Woodson

When
July 5, 3:40 AM CST
Where
Woodson County, 13 mi ESE of Yates Center
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
37.817, -95.517

Lightning, Cowley

When
July 5, 3:45 AM CST
Where
Cowley County, Arkansas City
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.238, -96.837 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

House sustained major, but unspecified damage to upstairs attic. Fire crews fought the blaze for 2 hours. (Narrative courtesy of Arkansas City Traveler.)

Thunderstorm Wind, Neosho

When
July 5, 3:53 AM CST
Where
Neosho County, Galesburg
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.467, -95.350

Storage shed the size of a 3-car garage destroyed, with parts of the shed thrown onto elementary school grounds nearly one block away. An aluminum boat stored inside the shed was also thrown, with the boat blown into the windshield of a vehicle owned by the school. (Speed estimated per 0357 CST report from 3N Erie. Damage estimate a rough approximation with owners of the shed and it's contents waiting for damage assessment from their insurance company. Narrative details courtesy of Parsons Sun.)

Thunderstorm Wind, Neosho

When
July 5, 3:53 AM CST
Where
Neosho County, Chanute
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.683, -95.467

Downed power lines. Speed estimated per 0357 CST report from 3N Erie.

Thunderstorm Wind, Labette

When
July 5, 3:55 AM CST
Where
Labette County, Oswego
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1.0 million
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
37.167, -95.100

Barn sustained minor roof damage with trees uprooted in it's immediate vicinity. (Narrative courtesy of Parsons Sun.) Approximately 180 homes damaged, the magnitude ranging from minor to a few that were considered "totaled" by insurance adjustors. The following town property sustained damage: The golf course club house, the roofs of an unspecified number of buildings, fencing at the summer ball field, the electrical circuitry at Riverside Park, and the former Tee Top building. Governor Sebelius declared Labette County a disaster area. (Latter portion of narrative courtesy of Oswego Independent Observer.)

Thunderstorm Wind, Neosho

When
July 5, 3:57 AM CST
Where
Neosho County, 3 mi N of Erie
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
37.617, -95.250

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.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 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: 5410636, 5410637, 5410638, 5410639, 5410640, 5410641, 5410723, 5410724, 5410725, 5410726, 5410727, 5410728, 5410729, 5410730, 5410731, 5410732, 5410733, 5410734, 5410735, 5410736, 5410737, 5410738, 5410742, 5410739, 5410740, 5410824, 5410741.