Elevated thunderstorms developed during the early morning hours of July 13th, 2009 across Central Kansas. The storms produced isolated reports of large hail and wind gusts to 60 mph as they moved slowly to the southeast.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 ICT wrote it up.
Elevated thunderstorms developed during the early morning hours of July 13th, 2009 across Central Kansas. The storms produced isolated reports of large hail and wind gusts to 60 mph as they moved slowly to the southeast.
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 12, 11:43 PM CST, 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1243 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 .AVIATION...06Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MODEL STRUGGLES CONTINUE TO CAST DOUBTS ON FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. BAROCLINIC ZONE LIT UP SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING LAST NIGHT DESPITE WHAT APPEARED TO BE LESS FAVORABLE BAROCLINICITY TONIGHT. HAVE HIT THUNDERSTORM CHANCES HARDER AT KSLN-KCNU BASED ON RADAR TRENDS. NOT SURE ANYTHING WILL MAKE IT TO KICT/KHUT. STILL COME POTENTIAL FOR LOW CLOUDS AND/OR FOG...BUT NOW SEEMS LESS LIKELY WHERE PRECIPITATION WILL OCCUR. REMAINDER OF THE DAY IS NOW EVEN MORE UNCERTAIN. 0000 UTC NORTH AMERICAN MODEL CAME IN QUITE MOIST WITH PRECIPITATION LINGERING MOST OF THE DAY IN THE BAROCLINIC ZONE WITH COOL EAST SURFACE FLOW. GLOBAL FORECAST SYSTEM MODEL WITHOUT CONVECTION PUSHES WARM/DRY AIR INTO SOUTHWEST SECTIONS DURING THE AFTERNOON. AT THIS POINT THINKING THE GLOBAL FORECAST SYSTEM MODEL MAY BE MORE RIGHT AND HAS WENT DRY FOR NOW. DO BELIEVE STORMS COULD DEVELOP/ROLL BACK INTO KRSL BEFORE THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS TWO NIGHTS. -HOWERTON && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 646 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009/ AVIATION...00Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MODEL STRUGGLES CONTINUE TO CAST DOUBTS ON FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. RUC SEEMS TO HINT THAT A FEW RAIN SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORM MAY DEVELOP SOUTHWEST OF KICT...BUT COMBO OF DISTANCE FROM KICT AND PROBABILITY ARE LOW ENOUGH TO NOT MENTION AT THIS TIME. AND SATELLITE TRENDS DO NOT LOOK FAVORABLE EITHER. OTHERWISE MAY SEE REPEAT PERFORMANCE TONIGHT AS STORMS ROLL DOWNHILL OFF THE HIGH PLAINS INTO DEEPER MOISTURE. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FORECAST IS NOT AS IMPRESSIVE FOR UPSLOPE CLOUDS/FOG AS LAST NIGHT...BUT PLAN TO USE PERSISTENCE AS THE MAIN MODEL OF CHOICE GIVEN RECENT MODEL ACCURACY. -HOWERTON PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 312 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009/ DISCUSSION... SYNOPSIS...MORNING ANALYSIS CONTINUES TO SHOW THE 500 MB HIGH CENTERED OVER TEXAS. THE MORNING 12Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED THE FRONT ACROSS AND SOUTH OF A KDDC-KPNC LINE. SURFACE ANALYSIS AT 19Z SHOWS THE FRONT RETREATING NORTH...WITH THE MAIN BOUNDARY EXTENDING SOUTH AND WEST OF A KGBD-KMPR-KBVO LINE. THIS SHOWS HOW SHALLOW THIS BOUNDARY IS SINCE IT MIXED OUT. NWP HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME HANDLING THIS AND NOT WORTH MUCH IN THE SHORT RANGE. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES REMAIN HEAT AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. CONVECTION... LOOKS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE SOME WEAK TO MODERATE MOISTURE TRANSPORT TONIGHT ALONG WITH SOME NET ADIABATIC ASCENT IN THE 310K AND 315K SURFACES ALONG THE FRONT. THIS SHOULD BE WHERE THE CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OCCURS OVERNIGHT. PINPOINTING THIS IS A LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST...GIVEN THE VARIABILITY OF THE FRONT. THAT SAID...BEST CHANCES SHOULD REMAIN ALONG THE NORTHERN AND NORTHEAST PERIPHERY OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS ACROSS THE AREA...THEN GRADUALLY MOVES SOUTH TOWARD MID-WEEK AS COLD POOLS FROM NOCTURNAL MCSS PUSH THE FRONT SOUTH AND THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH GRADUALLY BEGINS TO RETROGRADE WEST. THIS PUTS THE FORECAST AREA IN A MORE FAVORABLE POSITION FOR MCS DEVELOPMENT. SUPPORT FOR THIS IS SHOWN BY THE MREF PLUMES WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS SHOWING CONVECTION DURING THE 0-12Z TIME FRAME ON THE 16TH...17TH...AND 18TH. PRECIPITATION CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE. HEAT... RMOP CONTINUES TO SHOW A HIGH CONFIDENCE FORECAST IN THE SHORT RANGE WITH THE LOCATION OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE...BUT THIS CONFIDENCE QUICKLY EVAPORATES. THEREFORE...CONFIDENCE IS BECOMING A BIT LOWER WITH THE HEAT CONTINUING AFTER TUESDAY. TUESDAY LOOKS TO BE THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE COMING WEEK. SO HAVE EXTENDED THE WARNING THROUGH TUESDAY. KRC AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU AVIATION FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE WIND DIRECTION THROUGH THE PERIOD...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS EVENING/TONIGHT...AND LOW CLOUD POTENTIAL LATE TONIGHT-EARLY MONDAY. QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS SITUATED EAST/WEST ACROSS THE AREA. IT HAS RECENTLY BECOME MORE DIFFUSE LIKELY DUE TO AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM OVERNIGHT CONVECTION. HOWEVER...THINKING BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING FRONT SHOULD SHARPEN SOME GENERALLY SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 54/400...KEEPING ALL SITES WITH AN EAST/NORTHEAST WIND. MAY SEE AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING POP ALONG THE FRONT...BUT THE BETTER CHANCES WILL ARRIVE LATER THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT...GENERALLY NORTH OF ICT/HUT/CNU. THEREFORE...INSERTED VCTS IN SLN/RSL TAF SITES. LATER TONIGHT...COULD SEE SOME IFR/MVFR CIGS DEVELOP ONCE AGAIN ACROSS THE AREA DUE TO DIURNAL COOLING AND MOIST LOW-LEVELS. KLEINSASSER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 76 104 76 94 / 10 30 30 40 HUTCHINSON 75 101 72 93 / 10 40 40 40 NEWTON 76 99 74 91 / 10 30 30 40 ELDORADO 75 103 74 92 / 10 30 30 40 WINFIELD-KWLD 77 102 78 92 / 10 20 20 40 RUSSELL 74 101 71 91 / 10 40 40 40 GREAT BEND 74 99 70 90 / 10 40 40 40 SALINA 77 102 74 93 / 10 40 40 40 MCPHERSON 75 100 72 93 / 10 40 40 40 COFFEYVILLE 78 102 79 94 / 10 20 20 40 CHANUTE 77 100 78 91 / 10 20 20 40 IOLA 77 99 79 91 / 10 20 20 40 PARSONS-KPPF 78 101 79 92 / 10 20 20 40 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 9 PM CDT TUESDAY FOR KSZ067>072-082- 083-091>096-098>100. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 521 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-132230- 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- 521 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG A STATIONARY FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS. SOME OF THESE COULD BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WIND BEING THE MAIN THREAT. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY VENTURE SOUTH INTO PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS LATER TONIGHT. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. CHECK THE LATEST HEAT WARNING FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY DANGEROUS HEAT WILL CONTINUE TO PLAGUE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND MAY SPREAD INTO CENTRAL KANSAS AS WELL. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS TUESDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL STALL...ALLOWING ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHTS. AT THIS TIME...THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP KRC/HOWERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1139 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 KSZ070-130530- GREENWOOD- 1139 PM CDT SUN JUL 12 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR NORTHERN GREENWOOD COUNTY... AT 1137 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES WEST OF MADISON...OR 18 MILES SOUTH OF EMPORIA...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 40 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HOWERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1215 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 KSZ071-130600- WOODSON- 1215 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR WOODSON COUNTY... AT 1215 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTH OF GRIDLEY...OR 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF YATES CENTER...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. HOWERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1230 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 KSZ049-051-130600- MCPHERSON-SALINE- 1230 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR MCPHERSON AND SALINE COUNTIES... AT 1229 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SMOLAN...OR 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SALINA...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN MCPHERSON AND SOUTHERN SALINE COUNTIES...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF THE STORMS MOVE INTO THE AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. ES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1246 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 KSZ049-051-130615- MCPHERSON-SALINE- 1246 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR MCPHERSON AND SALINE COUNTIES... AT 1246 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LINDSBORG...OR 13 MILES SOUTH OF SALINA...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN NORTHERN MCPHERSON AND SOUTHEASTERN SALINE COUNTIES... SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF THE STORMS MOVE INTO THE AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. ES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1249 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 KSZ048-130615- ELLSWORTH- 1249 AM CDT MON JUL 13 2009 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR ELLSWORTH COUNTY... AT 1246 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ELLSWORTH...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. PEOPLE IN CENTRAL ELLSWORTH COUNTY...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF THE STORMS MOVE INTO THE AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. ES
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 125 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:03 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A two and half foot diameter tree was split down the middle, leaving part of the tree on top of two parked vehicles at a residence.
Thunderstorm wind gusts toppled an oil servicing unit. The white tower was laying over into a milo field, and the tubing was scattered about like pick-up sticks.
The hail was driven by 40 to 50 mph winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 2009
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: 188848, 188853, 188854.