Winds behind a cold front produced speeds as high as 61 mph resulting in minor property damage.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Winds behind a cold front produced speeds as high as 61 mph resulting in minor property damage.
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 Apr 3, 3:38 PM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 438 PM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 .SYNOPSIS... PAST MORNING UPPER AIR DATA INDICATES A DEEP WAVE STRETCHING FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST INTO THE HUDSON BAY REGION OF CANADA. A COUPLE OF SMALL JET STREAKS IN THE 90-120 KNOT RANGE EXIST ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. BEHIND THE TROUGH A STRONGER 120+ KNOT JET STREAK IS DIGGING THIS WAVE SOUTHEAST PER STRONG MID LEVEL HEIGHT FALLS ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF THE TROUGH. A MODEST 500MB COLD POOL AROUND -30 CELSIUS IS NOTED OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. RECENT SUBJECTIVE SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES A POTENT COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST INTO NORTHEAST KANSAS AND EVENTUALLY EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. PER KDDC WSR-88D, THE FRONT IS SINKING SLOWLY SOUTH ALONG THE HIGHWAY 96 CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THIS FRONT, A SHARP DRYLINE STRETCHES FROM FAR SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA INTO SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 50S TO MID 60S SEEN EAST OF THIS BOUNDARY. THE GFS, NAM AND ECMWF ALL HAVE A DECENT GRASP ON THESE FEATURES AND WILL OPT TOWARD A BLENDED APPROACH THROUGH TUESDAY. && .DISCUSSION... DAYS 1-2... THE AFOREMENTIONED UPPER WAVE WILL DIVE QUICKLY SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT PLAINS TONIGHT INTO EARLY ON MONDAY. THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY PUSH THE COLD FRONT INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS BY MIDNIGHT. MODEST 3 HOUR PRESSURE RISES ON THE ORDER OF 4-5 MB ARE BEING REPORTED JUST BEHIND THE FRONT OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO ALTHOUGH THE HRRR INDICATES THIS INCREASING SUBSTANTIALLY DURING THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THIS ALONG WITH A DECREASE IN MOMENTUM TRANSFER AND RESULTANT WEAKER WEST/SOUTHWEST WINDS SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY, WILL ALLOW THE FRONT TO ACCELERATE SOUTHWARD BY EARLY EVENING. GIVEN THE STRONG RISING PRESSURE TENDENCY BEHIND THE FRONT PRODUCING ISALLOBARIC WINDS, SUSTAINED NORTH WINDS OF 30-40 MPH ALONG WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL EXIST BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN DURING THE LATE OVERNIGHT HOURS BUT REMAIN ON THE GUSTY SIDE AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT REMAINS TIGHT. OTHERWISE, AS THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH SWINGS INTO THE AREA THIS EVENING TO OVERNIGHT THE ENTRANCE REGION OF A SMALL JET STREAK WILL INTERACT WITH A 700MB BAROCLINIC ZONE TO PRODUCE A NARROW BUT PROGRESSIVE BAND OF FRONTOGENESIS. THIS BAND OF PRECIPITATION IS ALREADY NOTED FROM AROUND COLORADO SPRINGS INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA PER RADAR MOSAIC. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL INCREASE BY EARLY EVENING NORTH OF A SYRACUSE TO SCOTT CITY LINE AND THEN SPREAD SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE NIGHT. THERMAL PROFILES SUPPORT RAIN EXCEPT FOR A BRIEF MIXTURE OF SNOW AT THE BACK EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION BAND. THE LATTER HALF OF MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY WILL BE DRY AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING AND SUBSIDENCE DEVELOPS BEHIND THE EXITING TROUGH. THIS WILL ALLOW HIGH PRESSURE TO GRADUALLY BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS BY LATE AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING ON MONDAY. WINDS MAY FLIRT WITH ADVISORY CRITERIA DURING THE LATE MORNING EAST OF HIGHWAY 83 BUT THE GRADIENT WILL RELAX QUICK ENOUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON TO LIMIT THE OVERALL THREAT TO THE POINT THAT AN ADVISORY IS NOT WARRANTED. OTHERWISE...TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER COMPARED TO TODAY WITH HIGHS ON MONDAY VARYING FROM THE 50S TO NEAR 60. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN SLIDE EAST OF THE AREA BY TUESDAY MORNING AS THE LEE TROUGH BEGINS TO DEEPEN ALONG THE FRONT RANGE REGION OF COLORADO. THIS WILL ALLOW WINDS TO TURN BACK TO THE SOUTH WITH MODEST WARM AIR ADVECTION PRODUCING TEMPERATURES IN THE 70S TO NEAR 80. DAYS 3-7... ONLY A FEW ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE TO THE EXTENDED PERIOD FORECAST AS THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW FAIRLY GOOD CONTINUITY WITH PREVIOUS RUNS. THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL SEE A COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTH THROUGH THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS BEHIND A NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE. THE GFS IS NOW FARTHER SOUTH WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THIS FRONT AND SIMILAR TO THE ECMWF. THE GEM ALSO PUSHES THE FRONT THROUGH THE AREA BUT HANGS IT UP FARTHER NORTH OVER THE NORTHERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE REMAINS OF AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM OFF THE COAST OF BAJA WILL BE APPROACHING THE REGION. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO GENERATE SOME PRECIPITATION ESPECIALLY OVER THE NORTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE MODELS SHOW THAT THERE WILL BE SOME ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE AND MID LEVEL FRONTOGENETIC FORCING AHEAD OF THE WAVE SO PRECIPITATION CHANCES STILL LOOK REASONABLE. THERE COULD BE A WIDE SWING IN TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY THURSDAY DEPENDING ON HOW FAR TO THE NORTH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY CAN RETREAT. IN ADDITION, WARM DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS COULD CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS. THE ECMWF IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE IN MOVING THE FRONT TO THE NORTH WHILE THE OTHER MODELS KEEP THE FRONT FARTHER SOUTH. HAVE MADE SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR THURSDAY BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON TOO MUCH ADJUSTMENT DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY. LATER THIS WEEK THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND THE MODELS CONTINUE THE TREND OF DIGGING A DEEP UPPER TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN CONUS AND CLOSING IT OFF OVER THE SOUTHWEST BEFORE LIFTING IT OUT OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON SUNDAY. THE 12Z OPERATION RUN OF THE ECMWF IS A LITTLE MORE PROGRESSIVE THAN PREVIOUS RUNS AND IS LOOKING MORE SIMILAR TO THE GFS NOW. ALL THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THE SURFACE LOW MOVING OUT TO THE NORTH OF THE DDC FORECAST AREA WHICH WOULD MEAN LITTLE PRECIPITATION FOR SOUTHWEST KANSAS. THE MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME UNCERTAINTY IN HOW FAR SOUTHWEST THE UPPER LOW WILL DIG BEFORE LIFTING BACK OUT SO THE LATEST MODEL SOLUTIONS REGARDING THE TIMING AND TRACK MAY CONTINUE TO CHANGE WITH TIME. && .AVIATION... A COLD FRONT WAS SLOWLY MOVING SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN KANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WEST SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 40 KNOTS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL AROUND 22Z-00Z BEFORE A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE FRONT WINDS WILL SWITCH TO THE NORTH AND BLOW AT A SUSTAINED 25 TO 35 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 45 KNOTS FOR AN HOUR OR SO BEFORE SETTLING DOWN TO AROUND 20 TO 30 KNOTS. THERE COULD BE A PERIOD OF SCATTERED SHRA AND POSSIBLE MVFR CEILINGS BETWEEN 06Z-12Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... RED FLAG WARNING WITH CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING. STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ALONG WITH HUMIDITY LEVELS AROUND 10 TO 15 PERCENT WILL PERSIST INTO THE EARLY EVENING. HOWEVER...A STRONG COLD FRONT SURGING THROUGH WESTERN KANSAS THIS EVENING WILL QUICKLY TURN WINDS TO THE NORTH TO NORTHWEST. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG TO PRODUCE ELEVATED FIRE DANGER THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS DESPITE INCREASING HUMIDITY LEVELS. LOOKING AHEAD A FEW DAYS...MARGINAL RED FLAG CONDITIONS WILL EXIST TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 34 56 29 75 / 30 10 0 0 GCK 33 55 27 76 / 40 0 0 0 EHA 32 55 32 78 / 30 10 0 0 LBL 34 56 28 80 / 30 10 0 0 HYS 34 55 28 73 / 30 0 0 0 P28 38 58 31 73 / 30 10 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR KSZ043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 AM CDT MONDAY FOR KSZ030-031-043>046. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM CDT /4 AM MDT/ MONDAY FOR KSZ061>066- 074>081-084>090. && FN35/02/02
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 445 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-040945- 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- 445 AM CDT SUN APR 3 2011 /345 AM MDT SUN APR 3 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT IT WILL BECOME QUITE WINDY TODAY WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 MPH AND OCCASIONALLY GUSTING TO AS HIGH AS 50 MPH, BASICALLY SOUTH OF LINE FROM SCOTT CITY TO LACROSSE. WINDS WILL STAY THIS STRONG THROUGH ABOUT SUNDOWN. A RED FLAG WARNING IS POSTED FROM 11 AM TO 7 PM CDT TODAY, SOUTH OF THE LINE MENTIONED ABOVE. A POTENT COLD FRONT WILL QUICKLY PUNCH SOUTH THIS EVENING AND BRING NORTH WINDS OF 25 TO 45 MPH TO ALL OF SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS. A WIND ADVISORY IS POSTED NORTH OF THE SCOTT CITY TO LACROSSE LINE FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING TO 1 AM CDT MONDAY. THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE REST OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS CONTINUES UNTIL 5 AM CDT MONDAY MORNING. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A CHANCE FOR RAIN SHOWERS NORTH OF I-70 THIS EVENING, THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN OR SNOW OVERNIGHT, WITH NO SNOW ACCUMULATION ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS CHANCE FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT NORTH OF A LINE FROM JOHNSON CITY TO DODGE CITY TO PRATT. FURTHERMORE, THE FIRE WEATHER DANGER WILL BE ELEVATED THURSDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC 12
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds blew over a traffic light and pole.
A wind speed of 61 mph was recorded at the airport.
A wind speed of 61 mph was recorded at the airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, April 2011
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: 305754, 305759, 305761.