A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms produced 50 to 60 mph winds over portions of central Kansas during the predawn hours on the 5th. A lone thunderstorm also produced 60 mph winds over southeast Kansas near Cedar Vale in Chautauqua county.
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.
A complex of strong to severe thunderstorms produced 50 to 60 mph winds over portions of central Kansas during the predawn hours on the 5th. A lone thunderstorm also produced 60 mph winds over southeast Kansas near Cedar Vale in Chautauqua county.
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 Aug 4, 11:02 PM CST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1202 AM CDT FRI AUG 5 2011 .AVIATION...06Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MCS SITUATED OVER PRIMARILY W & NW KS IS MOVG E/NE 25KTS AT 05Z. FORECAST STRATEGY IS ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED FROM 00Z DISCUSSION WITH TSRA MOVG ACROSS KRSL & KSLN FROM 06Z-10Z. FOR NOW HAVE RETAINED "VCTS" ASSIGNED TO KHUT & KICT UNTIL ARRIVAL TIMES COME INTO BETTER FOCUS. VERY CONCEIVABLE THAT SCT SHRA/TSRA WILL FESTER OVER MUCH OF CNTRL & SC KS BEYOND 12Z DUE NWD POSITIONING OF STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ALONG KS/OK BORDER IN REGION OF MODEST ISENTROPIC ASCENT. && PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 313 PM CDT THU AUG 4 2011/ DISCUSSION... STABLE CONDITIONS WERE OBSERVED ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS IN THE WAKE OF THE MORNING MCS BUT WITH INCREASING INSOLATION THE AIRMASS IS EXPECTED TO BECOME INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE BY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING. THE FRONT WAS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...HOWEVER THE PRIMARY OUTFLOW BOUNDARY HAS PUSHED WELL SOUTH INTO OKLAHOMA AND WITHOUT A WELL DEFINED FOCUS FOR DEEP MOIST CONVECTION...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SHOULD REMAIN LOW ACROSS THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. STORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS MAY BE STEERED TOWARD PORTIONS OF CENTRAL/WEST CENTRAL KANSAS LATE TONIGHT BEFORE ARRIVING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS EARLY ON FRIDAY ALONG NOSE OF A WEAK LLJ. LOCATIONS ACROSS CENTRAL/EAST CENTRAL KANSAS APPEAR TO HAVE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE WIDESPREAD WETTING RAINS WITH ACTIVITY LINGERING THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ON FRI BEFORE DIMINISHING. AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS MAY REDEVELOP FRIDAY AFTERNOON SPREADING EASTWARD FRIDAY NIGHT AND MAINTAINED LOW POPS FOR THIS SCENARIO. DIFFERENCES IN HOW FAR NORTH THE DIFFUSE FRONT MIXES ON FRIDAY REMAIN WITH THE GFS MORE AGGRESSIVE WHEN COMPARED TO THE NAM. SATURDAY-SUNDAY...THIS DIFFUSE STATIONARY FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BISECT THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MIX SLOWLY NORTHWARD ON SATURDAY BEFORE BEING FORCED SOUTH LATE SUNDAY AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES OVER UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AREA. THIS WILL ALLOW THE DEEPLY MIXED AIRMASS OVER OKLAHOMA TO RETURN TO SOUTHERN AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS WITH TEMPERATURES OF 100-105 ANTICIPATED AND A CONTINUATION OF THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING. THIS FRONT WILL ALSO BE A FOCUS FOR DEEP MOIST CONVECTION THROUGH THE PERIOD AND MAINTAINED LOW POPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. MONDAY-THURSDAY...A MILD START TO THE PERIOD IS ANTICIPATED AS THE PERSISTENT FRONT MEANDERING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS IS PROGGED TO SET UP ACROSS CENTRAL/NORTHERN KANSAS SUPPORTING ANOTHER DAY OF HEAT HEADLINES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF KANSAS. A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL TROUGHS MOVING OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY/GREAT LAKES AREA WILL HELP BREAK DOWN THE PERSISTENT RIDGE ALLOWING A COLD FRONT TO MOVE SOUTH INTO OKLAHOMA BY TUESDAY. THIS FRONT IS PROGGED TO BECOME STATIONARY SOUTH OF THE AREA WITH A COOLER/CANADIAN AIRMASS BUILDING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS STATES. THIS WILL BRING WELCOME RELIEF FROM THE PROLONGED HEAT AND CONTINUED CHANCES FOR DEEP MOIST CONVECTION. AS THE STRONGER WEST- NORTHWEST MID/UPPER FLOW DEVELOPS OVER THE AREA PERIODS OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH REPEATED HEAVY RAINS APPEARS POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. MWM && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 75 99 77 105 / 40 30 20 20 HUTCHINSON 74 95 76 103 / 50 40 20 30 NEWTON 75 95 76 102 / 40 40 30 20 ELDORADO 76 96 76 104 / 40 40 30 20 WINFIELD-KWLD 76 102 77 105 / 30 30 20 20 RUSSELL 71 92 72 96 / 60 50 20 30 GREAT BEND 71 93 72 98 / 60 40 20 30 SALINA 72 90 74 97 / 50 50 30 20 MCPHERSON 73 94 75 101 / 50 50 30 20 COFFEYVILLE 77 103 77 105 / 20 30 20 20 CHANUTE 75 98 76 101 / 30 40 30 20 IOLA 75 97 76 100 / 30 40 30 20 PARSONS-KPPF 76 101 77 104 / 30 40 20 20 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FROM NOON FRIDAY TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY FOR KSZ067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 429 PM CDT THU AUG 4 2011 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-052130- 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- 429 PM CDT THU AUG 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR DETAILS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WIDESPREAD WETTING RAINS. .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 MWM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 115 AM CDT FRI AUG 5 2011 KSZ032-047-050700- BARTON-RUSSELL- 115 AM CDT FRI AUG 5 2011 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN BARTON AND WESTERN RUSSELL COUNTIES... AT 109 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ELLIS TO LA CROSSE TO 11 MILES WEST OF LARNED...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS AS THEY MOVE INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF BARTON AND RUSSELL COUNTIES BETWEEN 130 AM AND 2 AM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. DARMOFAL
The Wichita radar (KICT), 103 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:24 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree was downed onto a building. The extent of damage is unknown, therefore property damage amounts are rough estimates.
Winds were estimated around 60 mph.
Winds were estimated around 60 mph.
Winds were estimated around 60 mph.
Lightning struck an automobile and a radio station in Salina. The strike burned the vehicle antenna, damaged the drivers side door and windshield, and shattered the back window. At the radio station, damage occurred to the transmitter, satellites and other equipment. No one was injured. Property damage amounts are rough estimates. The Salina Journal was the sole contributor to this report.
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, August 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: 340232, 340233, 340234, 340235, 344806.