A strong surface low and energetic boundary layer wind helped produce strong to high winds across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS DDC wrote it up.
A strong surface low and energetic boundary layer wind helped produce strong to high winds across the area.
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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 6, 3:21 AM CST, 6 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 321 AM CST THU NOV 6 2008 .DISCUSSION... DAYS 1-2... THE FORECAST FOCUS WILL BE ON THE LINGERING CHANCE FOR PRECIP NORTH THURSDAY AND TEMPERATURES DURING THE PERIOD. WV IMAGERY AND 00Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS OF SOUTH DAKOTA AND NORTHERN NEBRASKA. SIGNIFICANT H5 PRESSURE HEIGHT RISES EXTENDED ACROSS MUCH OF THE WESTERN CONUS WITH THE STRONGEST RISES OF +130M AT ELKO, NEVADA TO +120M AT BOISE, IDAHO TO +100M ACROSS WESTERN OREGON. A STRONG +130KT JET IS DIVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND INTO THE BASE OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BEFORE CLIMBING NORTHEAST ACROSS OKLAHOMA AND EASTERN KANSAS WITH WEAKER WINDS OF AROUND 80KT. A NARROW AXIS OF LOW LEVEL GULF MOISTURE...WITH DEWPOINTS AT H85 OF NEAR 10C...IS STREAMING NORTH ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS AND ON UP INTO IOWA AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA. AT THE SURFACE, A STRONG LOW PRESSURE CENTER IS LOCATED ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA WITH A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM WESTERN IOWA SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. SHORT RANGE MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT INDICATING THE UPPER LOW STRENGTHENING AS IT BEGINS TO SLOWLY PUSH EAST MOVING INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN IOWA BY FRIDAY MORNING. IT WILL CONTINUE EASTWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. MEANWHILE, A NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS BY TONIGHT AND PERSIST INTO THE THE WEEKEND. THE STRONG SURFACE LOW IN SOUTH DAKOTA WILL CONTINUE TO INFLUENCE A LOW LEVEL NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS AS IT BEGINS TO EDGE SLOWLY EASTWARD DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. HOWEVER, THE LATEST RUNS OF THE GFS, NAM, AND UKMET ALL INDICATE THE SURFACE LOW STRENGTHENING DURING THE DAY TODAY WHICH IN TURN WILL TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS MORE NORTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. ALL MODELS SHOW STRENGTHENING WINDS AT H85 UP AROUND 40KT TO 45KT IN THE MOST NORTHERN ZONES BY LATE THIS MORNING AND LASTING INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS BEFORE THE GRADIENT BEGINS TO RELAX THIS EVENING AS THE SURFACE LOW SLOWLY PUSHES EAST. AS A RESULT, SURFACE WINDS WILL INCREASE LATER THIS MORNING WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS REACHING UPWARD OF 25 TO 35 MPH SUSTAINED AND GUSTY...MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM GARDEN CITY TO DODGE CITY TO MEDICINE LODGE. A WIND ADVISORY HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AREA FROM 14Z THURSDAY TO 00Z FRIDAY. NOT CONFIDENT IN WINDS BEING ANY STRONGER WITH WRAPAROUND CLOUD COVER MOVING INTO THIS SAME AREA DURING THE DAY. AS FOR PRECIP, THERE IS A LINGERING, BUT SLIGHT POSSIBILITY FOR A FEW SPRINKLES ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA TODAY AS LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE WRAPS AROUND THE STRONG UPPER LOW. HOWEVER, PLAN NO CHANGE OF POPS WITH THE UPPER LOW AND THE BEST AVAILABLE MOISTURE STAYING WELL TO OUR NORTHEAST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE FAIRLY COOL TODAY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. TEMPERATURES AT H85 WILL RANGE FROM NEAR 0C IN OUR EXTREME NORTH TO NEAR 8C IN OUR EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN COUNTIES. AS A RESULT, EXPECT HIGHS TODAY IN THE 50S(F) ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA. FOR TONIGHT, LOWS WILL BE CHILLY WITH TEMPERATURES AT H85 AROUND 0C TO 5C ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA WITH THE COLDEST AIR IN THE NORTHERN CWA. DECREASING CLOUDINESS WILL BE PREVALENT BUT WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHTER AND MORE WESTERLY DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WHICH WILL INTRODUCE A DOWNSLOPE COMPONENT ACROSS SOUTHWEST KANSAS. EXPECT LOWS DOWN INTO THE 30S(F) WITH SOME MID TO UPPER 20S(F) POSSIBLE WHERE WINDS BECOME FAIRLY LIGHT. A SLIGHT WARMUP TO HIGHS WILL BE EXPECTED FRIDAY WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WESTERLY DOWNSLOPE WINDS. TEMPERATURES AT H85 WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 3C IN THE NORTH TO UP AROUND 10C IN THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST. PLAN NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO TEMPERATURES. DAYS 3-7... IN THE MEDIUM RANGE, SAT AND SUN LOOKED GOOD PER LATEST MODEL PROGS AND LITTLE OR NO CHANGES MADE THERE. LOOKING AT BOTH THE ECMWF AND GFS, AN UPPER LOW WILL FORM A STRONG TROUGH AND MOVE INTO OUR CWA BY SUNDAY NIGHT. A SURFACE LOW TRAVELING SOUTH FROM THE MIDWEST THROUGH THE EASTERN HIGH PLAINS WILL ALLOW FOR COLD AIR TO WRAP SOUTH INTO OUR CWA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. LOWERED MAX TEMPS FOR BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY, AND TRANSITIONED R-/S- TO ALL S- IN MY NORTH AND EAST ZONES BY MONDAY MORNING. THE GFS WOULD PLACE 3-4 INCHES OF SNOW IN MY NORTHEAST ZONES, WITH THE ECMWF EVEN HIGHER (POSSIBLY 6-8 INCHES) IN MY EASTERN CWA MONDAY NIGHT. ALSO, WITH THE UPPER SYSTEM STILL NOT EAST OF OUR CWA BY TUESDAY, THREW IN SOME 20 POPS FOR SNOW IN MY EASTERN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES TUESDAY MORNING. THIS SYSTEM WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED AS THIS COULD TURN INTO OUR FIRST MEASURABLE SNOW EVENT OF THE YEAR. BOTH MODELS, ECMWF AND GFS, ARE NOW IN AGREEMENT THE COLD AIR WILL FILTER THIS FAR SOUTH. THEY DIFFER ON WHERE THE MOISTURE SOURCE COMES FROM, BUT ARE AGREEING THAT SOME ACCUMULATION OF SNOW WILL LIKELY OCCUR. NOT BITING ON THIS LIKELY SCENARIO JUST YET, BUT DID BUMP POPS UP TO 40 PERCENT ON SUNDAY NIGHT, AND 50 PERCENT IN MY NORTH AND EAST COUNTIES MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. NO CHANGES MADE TO PERIODS AFTER TUESDAY. && .AVIATION... A COLD FRONT SLOWLY EXITING THE AREA TO THE SOUTHEAST ALONG WITH A SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NEBRASKA WILL LEAVE SOUTHWEST KANSAS IN A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT THROUGH MUCH OF TODAY. IN THE HYS TAF AREA, NORTHWEST WINDS COULD BLOW IN THE 30G40KT RANGE THROUGH ABOUT 21Z OR SO, THEN SLACKEN TO 25G30KT RANGE. ALSO, MID DECK CIGS IN THE OVC050-070 RANGE WILL MOVE IN WITH WRAP AROUND MOISTURE, APPROXIMATELY BY 15Z. AT BOTH DDC AND GCK TAF SITES, NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE EARLY TODAY INTO THE 20G30KT RANGE AND ABATE AFTER 21Z INTO THE 15G25KT RANGE. MID CLOUDS WILL ALSO BE ON THE INCREASE BUT STAY SCT TO BKN IN THE 100FT RANGE. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 58 32 58 36 / 10 0 0 0 GCK 57 31 58 34 / 0 0 0 0 EHA 60 28 60 35 / 0 0 0 0 LBL 59 29 61 36 / 0 0 0 0 HYS 50 34 54 32 / 10 10 0 0 P28 60 34 58 33 / 10 10 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON FOR KSZ030-031-043>046-063>066-077>081. && FN32/12/12
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 448 AM CST THU NOV 6 2008 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-071100- TREGO-ELLIS-SCOTT-LANE-NESS-RUSH-HAMILTON-KEARNY-FINNEY-HODGEMAN- PAWNEE-STAFFORD-STANTON-GRANT-HASKELL-GRAY-FORD-EDWARDS-KIOWA- PRATT-MORTON-STEVENS-SEWARD-MEADE-CLARK-COMANCHE-BARBER- 448 AM CST THU NOV 6 2008 /348 AM MST THU NOV 6 2008/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS...SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...SOUTHWEST KANSAS AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STRONG LOW PRESSURE CENTER LOCATED ACROSS EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA WILL CREATE A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS TODAY. AS A RESULT, STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS MORNING WITH SPEEDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM GARDEN CITY TO DODGE CITY TO PRATT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA UNTIL 6 PM CST. WINDS WILL THEN BEGIN TO WEAKEN THIS EVENING. ANY OUTDOOR BURNING IS DISCOURAGED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS EARLY NEXT WEEK. ALTHOUGH DETAILS REMAIN UNCERTAIN...THIS SYSTEM COULD BRING THE CHANCE FOR SNOW TO SOUTHWEST KANSAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC 32
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 20 foot diameter tree (largest in LaCrosse) was heavily damaged by strong winds.
The high winds were reported in Jetmore.
The wind gusts were reported in Larned.
The wind gust was recorded at the Dodge City airport.
The wind gust was measured at the Dighton airport.
The wind gust was recorded at the Ness City airport.
The wind gust was observed in Kinsley.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, November 2008
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: 142888, 142890, 142892, 142886, 142895, 142897, 142898.