This is a continuation of the previous day's account. On the afternoon of April 29th, 2010 strong to severe thunderstorms formed across northern Kansas bringing large hail to the size of golfballs and damaging winds over 60 mph.
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.
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 TOP wrote it up.
This is a continuation of the previous day's account. On the afternoon of April 29th, 2010 strong to severe thunderstorms formed across northern Kansas bringing large hail to the size of golfballs and damaging winds over 60 mph. A brief tornado touchdown occurred over open country approximately 4 miles northeast of Washington. No condensation funnel appeared to reach the ground however dust was noted beneath the rotating wall cloud indicating a ground circulation on two occasions for a period of about 30 seconds. No damage was found to have occurred. The tornado was documented by the general public and storm chasers.
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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 29, 11:47 PM CST, 1 hour 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1247 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 .UPDATE... UPDATE FOR 06Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... SEE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION. && .AVIATION... CONVECTIVE LINE MAKING SLOW EASTWARD PROGRESS...AFFECTING MHK FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR 2 AND TOP/FOE BEFORE DAWN. HIGH BASES SHOULD LIMIT THE IMPACTS TO VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS. STRONG PRE-STORM WINDS WILL GUST TO 35 TO POTENTIALLY 45KT. GUIDANCE AGREEING THAT MVFR CEILINGS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH WINDS BACKING AGAIN DURING THE DAY FRIDAY WITH THIS SLOW MOVING SYSTEM. 65 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 255 PM CDT THU APR 29 2010/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRI. A DRYLINE CURRENTLY SITUATED FROM NEAR MARYSVILLE BACK TO SALINA WILL SLOWLY RETREAT NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON AS SFC LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO DEEPEN IN SE COLORADO AND SW KANSAS. THE SFC LOW IS IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG SHORT WAVE NOW CROSSING THE ROCKIES...AND AN ASSOCIATED JET MAX ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IS ANTICIPATED ALONG THE DRY LINE POTENTIALLY AS EARLY AS THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS WHERE CONVERGENCE IS MAXIMIZED. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND VERY STRONG SHEAR VALUES WILL PROMOTE RAPID STORM ORGANIZATION PROVIDED THAT UPDRAFTS ARE SUFFICIENTLY STRONG TO RESIST BEING SHEARED APART. MORE WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED BY EVENING AS THE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED HEIGHT FALLS BEGIN TO EJECT ACROSS THE PLAINS. ANTICIPATE INITIAL SUPERCELLULAR STORM MODE WILL RAPIDLY TRANSLATE INTO MORE OF A LINE ECHO WAVE PATTERN WITH A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTAINING EMBEDDED SUPERCELL ROTATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS. LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL INCREASE MARKEDLY FROM 00Z ON AS THE LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES. THIS MAY PROVIDE A BRIEF PERIOD DURING THE EVENING WHEN THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SURFACE BASED AND COINCIDE WITH THE STRONGER SHEAR VALUES TO LOCALLY ENHANCE THE TORNADIC THREAT WITH THE STRONGER UPDRAFTS. HOWEVER...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL APPEAR TO BE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH ANY CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES...EXPECT STORMS TO BECOME LARGELY ELEVATED AND SHOULD SEE THE WIND AND TORNADO THREAT DECREASE. THERE IS SOME CONCERN THAT THE STORMS WILL REMAIN AT LEAST NEAR SURFACE BASED ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ITSELF...AND MESOSCALE ANALYSIS WILL BE KEY IN ANALYZING THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT OVERNIGHT. PURELY ELEVATED CONVECTION WOULD FAVOR HAIL AS THE MAIN SEVERE THREAT WITH THE STRONGEST UPDRAFTS...WHILE ANY STORM ABLE TO BE ROOTED NEAR THE SFC WOULD MAINTAIN THE WIND AND TORNADO THREAT GIVEN THE LARGE AMOUNT OF WIND ENERGY WITH THIS SYSTEM. EXPECT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM TO SHIFT SLIGHTLY NORTH AFTER DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE LOW PRESSURE TO THE WEST AND THE RETREATING FRONTAL BOUNDARIES. WILL EVENTUALLY BEGIN TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION AFTER 06Z. THIS SLOW INITIAL PROGRESSION MAY ENHANCE THE THREAT FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING WITH THE SYSTEM. EXPECT THE COLD FRONT TO WAIT UNTIL LATE FRIDAY BEFORE FINALLY CLEARING THE REGION...BUT ANY THUNDERSTORM THREAT TOMORROW WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON DEVELOPING INSTABILITY AND THIS IS VERY MUCH IN QUESTION AT THIS POINT...RATHER THE INSTABILITY AXIS SHOULD BE MUCH STRONG TO THE EAST OVER MISSOURI. BARJENBRUCH EXTENDED...FRI NIGHT-NEXT THU. THE AREA WILL REMAIN WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS THROUGH MON WITH SEVERAL DISTURBANCES AND CHCS FOR PRECIP STILL POSSIBLE SAT-MON. THE WEAKENING UPPER TROUGH AXIS WILL FINALLY PASS MON-TUES WHEN ANOTHER LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES/US WHICH WILL ACT TO FORCE A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE PLAINS AROUND THE WEDS-THU TIME FRAME WITH ADDITIONAL PRECIP CHCS THEN. ALL IN ALL NEAR SEASONAL TEMPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM FRIDAY FOR KSZ011-KSZ012-KSZ022-KSZ023-KSZ024-KSZ035-KSZ036-KSZ037-KSZ038. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM FRIDAY FOR KSZ026-KSZ039-KSZ040-KSZ054- KSZ055-KSZ056-KSZ058-KSZ059. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 826 PM CDT THU APR 29 2010 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-010130- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 826 PM CDT THU APR 29 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH EMBEDDED SEVERE WEATHER...HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS AND WINDS TO 70 MPH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES... MAINLY PRIOR TO 11 PM. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SEVERE WEATHER REMAINS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE NIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...ALTHOUGH A SLIGHT WEAKENING TREND IS EXPECTED. DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH AND HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS ARE THE MAIN THREATS AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH A LOW END THREAT FOR A TORNADO. SOUTH WINDS AT 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH WILL CONTINUE DURING THE EVENING HOURS SOUTH AND EAST OF THE COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL PERSIST FOR MUCH OF THE AREA FRIDAY MORNING AND LINGER INTO EAST CENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST KANSAS FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN...MAINLY EAST OF A SABETHA TO EMPORIA LINE. THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE AREA FROM SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE NEEDED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND EXTREME NORTHEAST KANSAS TONIGHT...AND MAY BE NEEDED OVER THE REST OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1218 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 KSZ022-035>037-300545- DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS-RILEY- 1218 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHWEST RILEY...GEARY...DICKINSON AND NORTHWEST MORRIS COUNTIES... THROUGH 1245 AM CDT...A THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE EAST AT 55 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF RILEY...GEARY...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE WOODBINE...CHAPMAN... LATIMER...WHITE CITY...JUNCTION CITY...GRANDVIEW PLAZA...PARKERVILLE AND OGDEN. MOTORISTS ALONG INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 267 AND 308 COULD ALSO BE AFFECTED. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1238 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1228 AM TSTM WND GST CHAPMAN 38.97N 97.02W
04/30/2010 E60 MPH DICKINSON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
BYRNESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 108 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 KSZ011-023-024-300645- JACKSON-NEMAHA-POTTAWATOMIE- 108 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHEAST NEMAHA...JACKSON AND EASTERN POTTAWATOMIE COUNTIES... THROUGH 145 AM CDT...A THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF NEMAHA...JACKSON AND POTTAWATOMIE COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE EMMETT...ONAGA... HAVENSVILLE...SOLDIER...CORNING...CIRCLEVILLE...GOFF...HOLTON AND WETMORE. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
114 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1220 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 E WAMEGO 39.20N 96.23W
04/30/2010 WABAUNSEE KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
TIME IS ESTIMATED.
&&
BYRNEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
126 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0436 PM HAIL 5 SSW GLASCO 39.29N 97.88W
04/29/2010 E1.75 INCH OTTAWA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED VIA TRAINED SPOTTER. HAIL
DAMAGE SUSTAINED TO TRACTOR.
0500 PM HAIL 1 WSW CONCORDIA 39.56N 97.68W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0503 PM HAIL CONCORDIA 39.57N 97.66W
04/29/2010 E0.88 INCH CLOUD KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
0610 PM HAIL BELLEVILLE 39.82N 97.63W
04/29/2010 E0.75 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0615 PM HAIL SE BELLEVILLE 39.82N 97.63W
04/29/2010 E1.25 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0615 PM HAIL BELLEVILLE 39.82N 97.63W
04/29/2010 E1.75 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0615 PM HAIL 1 E MUNDEN 39.91N 97.51W
04/29/2010 E1.50 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL
0639 PM HAIL SSE CUBA 39.80N 97.46W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0648 PM HAIL HADDAM 39.86N 97.30W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH WASHINGTON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
0648 PM HAIL 2 NNW HADDAM 39.88N 97.31W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0712 PM TORNADO 4 N WASHINGTON 39.88N 97.05W
04/29/2010 WASHINGTON KS STORM CHASER
0722 PM HAIL 1 N COURTLAND 39.80N 97.89W
04/29/2010 E1.25 INCH REPUBLIC KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
0842 PM HAIL 1 ESE REPUBLIC 39.92N 97.80W
04/29/2010 E0.88 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0857 PM HAIL 7 WNW MUNDEN 39.94N 97.66W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH REPUBLIC KS TRAINED SPOTTER
0957 PM HAIL 6 S JAMESTOWN 39.52N 97.87W
04/29/2010 E0.88 INCH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
1049 PM HAIL 3 W WASHINGTON 39.81N 97.11W
04/29/2010 E0.75 INCH WASHINGTON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
1118 PM HAIL 4 NNE MILTONVALE 39.41N 97.42W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH CLOUD KS TRAINED SPOTTER
1130 PM HAIL 8 W OAK HILL 39.25N 97.49W
04/29/2010 E1.00 INCH OTTAWA KS TRAINED SPOTTER
1139 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 SW MANHATTAN 39.14N 96.62W
04/29/2010 M61.00 MPH RILEY KS ASOS
KMHK ASOS
1140 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG MANHATTAN 39.18N 96.57W
04/29/2010 RILEY KS EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES AND ELECTRICAL TRANSFORMERS BLOWN DOWN. ONE SHED
BLOW OVER.
1153 PM TSTM WND GST ABILENE 38.92N 97.21W
04/29/2010 E60.00 MPH DICKINSON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
1220 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 E WAMEGO 39.20N 96.23W
04/30/2010 WABAUNSEE KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
TIME IS ESTIMATED.
1228 AM TSTM WND GST CHAPMAN 38.97N 97.02W
04/30/2010 E60.00 MPH DICKINSON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
BYRNESPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 136 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 KSZ035>037-300700- DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- 136 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR SOUTHERN GEARY...SOUTHEAST DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES... THROUGH 200 AM CDT...A THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 70 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF GEARY...DICKINSON AND MORRIS COUNTIES. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE BURDICK...HERINGTON... LATIMER...WILSEY...WHITE CITY...PARKERVILLE...COUNCIL GROVE AND DWIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emporia ASOS measured a 59 mph wind gust associated with strong gradient winds.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, April 2010
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: 225623.