Widespread very strong southerly winds affected much of central and south-central Kansas from the late morning through the afternoon hours on the 23rd, in response to a strong dry line and cold front approaching from the west and northwest. Widespread sustained wind speeds were between 40 and 45 mph, with numerous gusts around 60 mph.
Every event with a place to put it; 14 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 ICT wrote it up.
Widespread very strong southerly winds affected much of central and south-central Kansas from the late morning through the afternoon hours on the 23rd, in response to a strong dry line and cold front approaching from the west and northwest. Widespread sustained wind speeds were between 40 and 45 mph, with numerous gusts around 60 mph. Structural damage was relatively minor, limited mainly to shingle and trim damage. However, a portion of the roof from the Wiley building in downtown Hutchinson peeled off, blocking off main street for a time. Many semi-trucks overturned on east-west running highways, including Highways 50 and 56, and Interstate 70. Several power poles and power lines were downed across the area, resulting in thousands of power outages. The downed power lines also ignited rapidly spreading grass fires. However, little is known regarding the coverage, magnitude or severity of these fires. As the afternoon progressed, strong to severe thunderstorms ignited along the advancing dry line and cold front, producing up to half dollar size hail, 70 mph winds and a handful of brief, relatively weak tornadoes.
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 Mar 23, 9:36 AM CST, 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1036 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009 .UPDATE... STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT IN RESPONSE TO STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN PLAINS HAS PROMPTED NEAR HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WINDS ACROSS CENTRAL KS THIS MORNING. THINKING NEAR WARNING CRITERIA WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON FARTHER SOUTH BEHIND APPROACHING DRY LINE...AS MIXING INCREASES...GENERALLY WEST OF I-135. RAN THE WARNING OUT THROUGH 8 PM...ALTHOUGH IT IS LIKELY THAT IT WILL BE CANCELLED BEFORE THEN. ANOTHER DISCUSSION WILL BE COMPOSED SHORTLY HIGHLIGHTING SEVERE POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. ADK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 636 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009/ AVIATION...12Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MAIN IMPACTS: STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AND T-STORMS. MOISTURE ADVECTION WILL ALLOW FOR BKN CIGS 3,000 FT TO DEVELOP THIS AM. DRYLINE WILL MIX EWD INTO CNTRL/SWRN KS BY MID PM WHERE IT WILL SLOW/STALL. ISOLD +TS PSBL VCNTY OF DRYLINE LATE PM/EARLY EVE. COLD FRONT WILL OVERTAKE DRYLINE THIS EVE IN S-CNTRL KS WHERE A SQUALL LINE SHOULD FORM AND MOVE THRU SERN KS OVERNIGHT. HAIL/STRONG WIND GUSTS POSSIBLE MAINLY AT HUT...ICT...CNU SITES. VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONG 850 WINDS WILL LEAD TO SOME SRLY GUSTS NR 45 KT TODAY ALONG/W OF I-135. JMC PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 308 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS ARE FOCUSED ON TODAY/TONIGHT...SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES...STRONG WINDS...AND EXTREME FIRE DANGER FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. TODAY-TONIGHT: AN INTENSE UPPER TROF OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES EARLY THIS MORNING...WILL EJECT NEWD OUT OVER NEBRASKA/SOUTH DAKOTA BY LATE TONIGHT. THE ASSOCIATED DRYLINE WILL MIX EWD TO CENTRAL KS THIS PM WHERE IT IS PROGGED TO STALL...WAITING FOR ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVE ENERGY COMING OUT OF THE BASE OF THE TROF TONIGHT. LATEST TRENDS IN THE GFS/NAM-WRF ARE TO HOLD BACK THE DRYLINE ACROSS CNTRL/SWRN KS THIS PM...AND HAVE SLOWED DOWN THE PROCESS OF THE COLD FRONT OVERTAKING THE DRYLINE IN S-CNTRL KS THIS EVE. GIVEN SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE ABLE TO REACH THE MID-UPPER 50S THIS PM/EVE AHEAD OF THESE FRONTS...MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST A MARGINAL INSTABILITY (750-1500J/KG)/STRONG SHEAR SETUP. MODELS DO SHOW EXTENSIVE LOW-MID CLOUD COVER DEVELOPING THIS AM...BUT TEND TO DECREASE IT NEAR THE DRYLINE LATE THIS PM/EVE SO THAT INSTABILITY IS PLAUSIBLE. WITH THE TREND FOR SLOWER TIMING OF THE DRYLINE/COLD FRONT...THE INSTABILITY MAXIMIZES IN S-CNTRL KS LATE THIS PM/EVE...AND TENDS TO DECREASE MARKEDLY AFTER 06Z AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES THRU THE FLINT HILLS/SERN KS. ANOTHER TREND IN MODELS IS FOR THE 0-6KM SHEAR VECTORS TO BE MORE NORMAL TO THE DRYLINE THIS PM/EVE...SPELLING A BETTER CHANCE FOR A DISCRETE SUPERCELL. MID-LEVEL COOLING...DRYLINE/FRONTAL CONVERGENCE...AND LEFT EXIT REGION OF STRONG UPPER JET STREAK SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO INITIATE T-STORMS ALONG/EAST THE AFOREMENTIONED BOUNDARIES BY LATE THIS PM INTO TONIGHT. TREND TONIGHT WILL BE FOR A SQUALL LINE TO DEVELOP AS THE COLD FRONT OVERTAKES THE DRYLINE AND DEEP LAYER SHEAR VECTORS BACK. THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THE HIGHEST INSTABILITY AND STRONGEST HELICITY/SHEAR IS NOW OVER S-CNTRL KS BASED ON SLOWER TIMING. THEREFORE WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE THE DAY 1 MDT RISK EXPANDED WESTWARD TO INCLUDE ALL OF S-CNTRL KS AND THE WICHITA METRO. EVEN THOUGH INSTABILITY DECREASES AFTER 06Z...SQUALL LINE MAY CONTINUE TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS VIA DOWNWARD MOMENTUM TRANSFER OF 60+ KT LLJ. AS THE UPPER FLOW BECOMES A BIT MORE PARALLEL TO THE FRONT LATE TONIGHT...COULD HAVE SOME ECHO TRAINING IN SERN KS TO WATCH FOR. CURRENT WIND ADVISORY FOR ENTIRE AREA FOR TODAY LOOKS VERY REASONABLE WITH INTENSE PRESSURE GRADIENT/MIXING/LOW-LEVEL JET. CARUSO TUESDAY-THURSDAY: THERE COULD BE SOME CONVECTION REMAINING OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON TUESDAY MORNING...SO WILL LEAVE SOME CHANCES IN THE FORECAST. THE MAIN SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION...WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN BRIEFLY FOR WEDNESDAY. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES LOOK REASONABLE FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THURSDAY NIGHT-MONDAY: NEXT SYSTEM TO COME THROUGH WILL BE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. MODEL SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO DIVERGE DURING THIS TIME...SO CONFIDENCE DECREASES CONSIDERABLY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. OVERALL...WHILE BOTH THE ECMWF AND GFS ARE SHOWING A STRENGTHENING LOW COMING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS ON SATURDAY...THE GFS IS FASTER BRINGING THE SYSTEM THROUGH. AS THIS SYSTEM GETS CLOSER OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...THESE DETAILS WILL BECOME MORE CLEAR...BUT FOR NOW WILL KEEP FORECAST AS IS. THE MENTION OF SNOW IN CENTRAL KANSAS STILL LOOKS LIKE A POSSIBILITY WITH THE COLDER AIR ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW. SCHRECK FIRE WEATHER... AS THE GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER INDEX HAS BEEN SHOWING FOR SEVERAL DAYS NOW...FIRE DANGER WILL BE EXTREME AGAIN TODAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN SOME GREEN-UP STARTING...THERE IS STILL CONSIDERABLE CURED GRASS. THE GREATEST FIRE DANGER WILL BE WEST OF HIGHWAY 14...BEHIND THE DRYLINE THIS AFTERNOON. FURTHER EAST...EVEN THOUGH RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL BE 40 TO 50%...SUSTAINED SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH ARE ENOUGH TO BRING THE FIRE DANGER INDEX INTO THE EXTREME CATEGORY. THEREFORE WILL UPGRADE THE ENTIRE FIRE WEATHER WATCH AREA TO A RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11AM TO 8PM TODAY...AND ADD ANOTHER ROW OF COUNTIES TO THE EAST. THE EASTERN EXTENT OF THE FLINT HILLS WILL BE MORE BORDERLINE FOR RED FLAG WARNING WITH SOMEWHAT WEAKER WINDS. SCHRECK && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 75 45 60 36 / 40 100 10 10 HUTCHINSON 76 44 59 35 / 40 60 10 10 NEWTON 74 46 59 35 / 40 90 10 10 ELDORADO 74 47 60 36 / 40 100 10 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 74 48 62 37 / 40 100 10 10 RUSSELL 76 37 53 32 / 30 20 10 10 GREAT BEND 77 38 55 33 / 30 20 10 10 SALINA 75 43 55 36 / 40 50 10 10 MCPHERSON 75 44 57 34 / 40 60 10 10 COFFEYVILLE 73 51 64 36 / 30 100 40 10 CHANUTE 72 51 61 36 / 30 90 30 10 IOLA 72 50 60 36 / 30 90 30 10 PARSONS-KPPF 73 52 63 36 / 30 100 40 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ032-033-047>053- 067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ032-033- 047>053-067>070-082-083-091>094-098. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1109 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-241615- 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- 1109 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED DRY LINE AND COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A DRYLINE BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON...GENERALLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 135 CORRIDOR. MOISTURE AND ASSOCIATED INSTABILITY WILL LIKELY BE SOMEWHAT MARGINAL...AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THE DRYLINE COULD BE LACKING AS WELL. HOWEVER...APPROACHING COOLER TEMPERATURES ALOFT IN CONCERT WITH SOME INSTABILITY IN PLACE SHOULD ALLOW AT LEAST A FEW STORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE DRYLINE. IN SPITE OF SOMEWHAT MARGINAL INSTABILITY...WIND SHEAR WILL BE VERY STRONG...WHICH WILL ALLOW ANY STORMS TO DEVELOP TO BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...HIGH WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY INCREASE A BIT MORE THAN EXPECTED...A FEW STRONG AND LONG-LIVED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE GIVEN THE VERY STRONG WIND SHEAR. THUNDERSTORMS WILL SHIFT INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS AS THE OVERNIGHT PROGRESSES...BUT THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD WANE OVER TIME. HOWEVER...HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING DUE TO TRAINING STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. VERY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL AFFECT THE AREA TODAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST HIGH WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORY FOR DETAILS. DRY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH THE VERY STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE EXTREME FIRE DANGER ACROSS CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL...AND PARTS OF SOUTHEAST KANSAS TODAY. SEE THE LATEST RED FLAG WARNING FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON TUESDAY MORNING. HIGH OR VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER IS EXPECTED FOR MOST AREAS TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS AS WELL AS PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL PROBABLY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP ADK
The Wichita radar (KICT), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:43 UTC.
14 high wind, 12 hail, 4 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured by AWOS equipment at the McPherson Airport. The strong winds downed a few power poles and power lines across the county. A semi-truck overturned near the intersection of Highway 153 and 61. The McPherson Sentinel contributed to this report.
Numerous power outages occurred from the high winds, likely due to downed power poles and lines. Meanwhile, a grass fire spread rapidly 2 miles southeast of Bunker Hill around 14:30 CST. Details remain unknown regarding the extend or severity of the fire.
Very strong winds blew over 6 semi-trucks along I-70 in Saline County, with 2 injuries resulting. Numerous power lines were downed across the county as well, 18 of which went down along Schilling Road in South Salina. Numerous vehicle windows were broken out due to downed tree limbs. Some structural damage occurred as well, mainly confined to shingles, siding, windows and doors. At least one grass fire occurred, likely caused by the downed power lines.
Periodic wind gusts likely exceeded 55 mph across the county.
Measured at the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Two-inch diameter tree limbs were downed near the Maple and West intersection in Wichita. Nearly 4,000 residents were without power for a time in Wichita due to downed power lines.
At least one semi-truck was blown over on I-70. The roof of a shed at a lumber supply company in Ellsworth was blown off. The Ellsworth County Independent Reporter contributed to this report.
Very strong winds downed several power lines throughout the county, which likely spawned at least 5 grass fires.
Periodic wind gusts likely exceeded 55 mph across the county.
Very strong winds downed many power lines throughout the county, which caused several grass fires. Minor shingle and trim damage also occurred.
Periodic gusts likely approached 60 mph across the county.
High winds blew over semi-trucks on both I-70 and Highway 18.
Very strong winds inflicted roof damage to the Wiley building in downtown Hutchinson, blocking off main street for a time. Roof and shingle damage was reported 5 miles east of Sylvia, and two semi-trucks were blown over on Highway 50 between Yoder Road and K-96. At least six power poles were downed throughout the county, which caused several grass fires.
Very strong winds downed a few power poles in Peabody, and another in Hillsboro. A semi-truck was blown over on Highway 56 just outside of Marion.
Periodic wind gusts likely exceeded 50 mph across the county.
Brief tornado touchdown in open country. Report courtesy of KAKE TV storm chaser.
Tree damage was noted along the Arkansas River.
Brief touchdown in open country.
Brief touchdown in open country.
Quarter size hail occurred as well.
Winds to 70 mph also occurred.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2009Warnings in Kansas, March 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: 154315, 154309, 154313, 154321, 154319, 154311, 154314, 154320, 154312, 154318, 154310, 154317, 154316, 154322, 154323, 154324, 154325, 159275, 159276, 154326, 159277, 154327, 159278, 154328, 154329, 154330, 154331, 154332, 154333, 154334, 154335.