An upper low across Eastern Nebraska and cyclonic curvature across Central Kansas lead to the development of a cluster of southward moving supercells on the evening of September 3rd, 2009. The supercell thunderstorms lead to a swath of large hail, up to baseball size, and damaging winds across portions of Central Kansas.
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.
An upper low across Eastern Nebraska and cyclonic curvature across Central Kansas lead to the development of a cluster of southward moving supercells on the evening of September 3rd, 2009. The supercell thunderstorms lead to a swath of large hail, up to baseball size, and damaging winds across portions of Central Kansas.
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 Sep 3, 5:17 PM CST, 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 617 PM CDT THU SEP 3 2009 .AVIATION...00Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU AVIATION CONCERNS WILL BE STORMS THIS EVENING ALONG WITH LOWER CIGS. THE STORMS MOVING INTO CENTRAL KS DEVELOPED OVER EXTREME SOUTHERN NE AHEAD OF THE UPPER LOW WHICH CONTINUES TO MOVE SOUTHEAST OVER EASTERN NE/NORTHEAST KS. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST AT LEAST UNTIL AN HOUR OR TWO AFTER SUNSET. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS KSLN WILL HAVE THE BEST SHOT TO EXPERIENCE A SEVERE STORM THIS EVENING WITH SOME LARGE HAIL POSSIBLE. WHILE THE SEVERITY OF THE STORMS WILL LIKELY DECREASE AS THE OVERNIGHT HOURS PROGRESS...THEY SHOULD BECOME MORE NUMEROUS AS THE UPPER LOW COUNTIES SOUTHEAST. WITH THIS LOW NOT MOVING VERY FAST SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY ON FRI WITH EASTERN SECTIONS HAVING THE BEST SHOT AT MORE WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY. SOME LOWER CIGS WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND AT THIS TIME DO NOT HAVE HIGH ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO GO IFR. LAWSON && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 254 PM CDT THU SEP 3 2009/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS WILL FOCUS ON PRECIPITATION CHANCES WITH SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES...FOLLOWED BY NEXT SECOND WEATHER SYSTEM FOR NEXT WEEK. TONIGHT SATELLITE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS UPPER LEVEL WAVE CURRENTLY OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA...WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHWARD TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER SOUTHERN NEBRASKA/NORTHERN KANSAS AS DAYTIME HEATING WEAKENS THE CAP OVER THE REGION. THIS ACTIVITY WILL SPREAD SOUTHWARD TONIGHT WITH THE BULK OF THE ACTIVITY AFFECTING CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS. A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS...BUT ONCE DAYTIME HEATING IS LOST THEN ACTIVITY SHOULD BEGIN TO WEAKEN A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNSET. FRI-SUN LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE PLENTIFUL ACROSS THE REGION THIS PERIOD WHICH SHOULD KEEP OVERNIGHT/MORNING CLOUDS SOCKED IN PLACE FOR MUCH OF THE AREA. SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS COULD OCCUR OVER CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS DURING THE AFTERNOONS. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE DUE TO CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION LINGERING ACROSS THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY WARM FOR THE WEEKEND BUT WILL STILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL SEPTEMBER VALUES. MEANWHILE...THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL WOBBLE AROUND IN THE VICINITY OF EASTERN KANSAS UNTIL SUNDAY WHICH WILL RESULT IN LINGERING SHOWERS/STORMS FOR THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED TO OCCUR DUE TO WEAK SHEAR/LOW INSTABILITY. DO NOT EXPECT WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY TO OCCUR DURING THE WEEKEND WITH THIS SYSTEM...BUT MORE WIDELY SCATTERED TO SCATTERED ACTIVITY. EXTENDED: MON-THU WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN STORE FOR KANSAS EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH DECENT PRECIPITATION CHANCES COMING BACK INTO THE PICTURE AROUND MID-WEEK. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE IN MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE LATEST RUN WITH TIMING/EVOLUTION OF OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM...AS A RESULT CONFIDENCE IS HIGHER COMPARED TO YESTERDAY. A DEEP TROUGH AXIS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHWEST COAST EARLY IN THE WEEK THEN SLIDE EASTWARD BY MID-WEEK. THIS WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL KANSAS ON WEDNESDAY. RICH GULF MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO STREAM NORTHWARD IN ADVANCE OF THIS FRONT WHICH SHOULD SET THE STAGE FOR DECENT CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DAYTIME HIGHS WILL BE NEAR SEASONAL VALUES FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY FOLLOWED BY A NICE COOL DOWN ONCE THE FRONT PASSES SOUTH OF THE REGION. JAKUB AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU DIURNAL CU FIELD EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON WHICH WILL FLIRT WITH HIGH END MVFR CATEGORY. OTHERWISE...UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CIRCULATION ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA WILL DRIFT SOUTH ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA AS THIS FEATURE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. WILL KEEP TSRA MENTION TO VCTS FOR NOW AND LET LATER SHIFTS INSERT TEMPO GROUP AS CONFIDENCE ON WINDOW OF TIMING INCREASES. ALSO EXPECT BKN-OVC MVFR CIGS ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY MORNING WITH PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE UNDER THE UPPER LEVEL FEATURE. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH ON THIS OCCURRENCE WITH IFR POSSIBLE. HOWEVER WILL ONLY SHOW HIGHER CONFIDENCE FORECAST OF MVFR FOR NOW. KED && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 62 75 61 80 / 40 40 10 10 HUTCHINSON 61 76 59 81 / 50 30 10 10 NEWTON 62 75 59 80 / 50 40 10 10 ELDORADO 62 75 60 80 / 50 50 10 20 WINFIELD-KWLD 62 77 62 81 / 30 50 20 20 RUSSELL 59 76 58 80 / 50 20 10 10 GREAT BEND 60 76 59 81 / 50 20 10 10 SALINA 60 74 60 79 / 60 30 10 10 MCPHERSON 61 75 59 80 / 60 30 10 10 COFFEYVILLE 62 76 61 80 / 40 70 30 30 CHANUTE 61 75 60 78 / 40 70 30 30 IOLA 61 74 59 78 / 50 60 20 20 PARSONS-KPPF 62 76 61 79 / 40 70 30 30 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 538 PM CDT THU SEP 3 2009 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-042130- 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- 538 PM CDT THU SEP 3 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS...MAINLY FOR LOCATIONS NORTH OF A HUTCHINSON TO MARION LINE. GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM THE STRONGER STORMS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE AREAWIDE OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH ANY OF THIS ACTIVITY DURING THE LATE NIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT... MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED WITH THIS ACTIVITY. FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS EACH DAY...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED WITH THIS ACTIVITY. A SECOND WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION LATE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...AND COULD BRING MORE CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE ENTIRE AREA. .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
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:28 UTC.
22 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The quarter size hail was covering the ground in Barnard.
The golfball sized hail damaged crops and vehicles along its mile wide path. The damage was the most extensive in Beverly.
The baseball sized hail produced a swath of damage a mile wide, destroying crops and vehicles in its path.
The strong winds accompanied baseball sized hail, causing damage to crops.
The strong winds were accompanied by one inch hail.
Quarter to hen egg size hail covered the ground in some locations, including exit 14 along interstate 70. The large hail caused damage to crops and vehicles along its path.
The strong winds accompanied hail up to 2 inches.
The hail lasted 20 minutes.
The large hail made a swath of destruction just to the east of Highway 14 in northern Rice. Hail up to two inches caused heavy damage to corn and vehicles along its path.
The spotter was located along Highway 14 between Geneseo and Lyons.
Sixty to seventy mph winds were from thunderstorm outflow winds.
A trained spotter reported the winds.
A swath of large hail moved south across the western half of the county, causing extensive damage to crops, homes and vehicles. Windows were busted out of the homes, and leaves were shreaded off of the trees. The hail was so plentiful that Highway 56 became covered white with hail. This caused a propane truck to slide off the road into a ditch just east of the Barton/Rice county line, destoying the truck.
Golfball sized hail caused widespread damage to roofs across the town. Almost half the homes in town had roofs replaced due to the large hail.
Reported by spotters associated with the emergnecy manager.
Reported by spotters associated with the emergency manager.
A public report of one inch hail.
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, September 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: 197295, 197298, 197299, 197300, 197291, 197292, 197304, 197305, 197302, 197306, 197301, 197303, 197307, 197394, 197395, 197308, 197405, 197396, 197398, 197256, 197257, 197412, 197422, 197419, 197253, 197254, 197255.