Upper level riding kept sunny, hot and moist conditions across northeast, east central, and northeast Kansas. Maximum heat indices from the 14th to the 24th were in the 105-110 range at all the ASOS sites across the CWA.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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.
Upper level riding kept sunny, hot and moist conditions across northeast, east central, and northeast Kansas. Maximum heat indices from the 14th to the 24th were in the 105-110 range at all the ASOS sites across the CWA. During this period the high temperature was above 100 degrees for 10 days in a row at TOP. The extended period of heat briefly broke on July 25th.
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 Jul 14, 11:14 AM CST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1214 PM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... .DISCUSSION... 08Z WATER VAPOR CONTINUES TO SHOW A LONG WAVE TROUGH ALONG THE WEST COAST WITH A LONGWAVE RIDGE AXIS OVER THE GREAT PLAINS. SCATTERED CONVECTION HAS FESTERED ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE CENTER OF THE UPPER HIGH...LOCATED OVER TX CENTRAL. WILL KEEP SOME SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR TODAY MAINLY ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. WHILE IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE...THINK THERE COULD BE A WEAK CONVECTIVE VORT MAX MOVING OUT OF NORTHWEST OK. THIS MAY BE ABLE TO SPARK A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. OTHERWISE THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH SUBSIDENCE TAKING OVER. MAIN CONCERN WITH THE FORECAST CONTINUES TO BE THE LIKELY HEAT WAVE ABOUT TO HIT CENTRAL AND EASTERN KS. INITIALLY MODELS MAINTAIN A SOUTHEASTERLY OR SOUTHERLY SFC WIND ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS WOULD SUGGEST THAT SFC DEWPOINTS COULD HAVE A HARD TIME MIXING OUT AND KEEPING LOWER TO MID 70 DEWPOINTS TROUGH THE WEEKEND. AS TEMPS WARM INTO THE UPPER 90S AND AROUND 100...HEAT INDICES SHOULD RISE BETWEEN 104 AND 107 BEGINNING FRIDAY. BY NEXT WEEK THE ECMWF SHOWS THE UPPER RIDGE DRIFTING EAST AND THE THERMAL RIDGE LAYING MORE WEST TO EAST ACROSS NORTHERN KS. AS SFC WINDS BECOME MORE SOUTHWESTERLY...WOULD EXPECT DEWPOINTS TO DRY OUT. BUT THIS IS ALSO LIKELY TO BE THE PERIOD WHERE WE COULD SEE THE HOTTEST AIR TEMPS WITH INDICES STILL AROUND 105 IF NOT THE ACTUAL AIR TEMP. THEREFORE WILL CONTINUE THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH THROUGH TUESDAY. AM A LITTLE CONCERNED WE COULD SEE SOME HEAT INDEX READING OF 103 OR 104 ACROSS CENTRAL KS WITHIN THE RIVER VALLEY AS HIGHS WARM INTO THE UPPER 90S AND DEWPOINTS HOLD AROUND 70. HOWEVER DO NOT THINK THESE INDICES WILL BE WIDESPREAD AND HAVE OPTED TO NOT ISSUE AN ADVISORY SINCE THE FORECAST IS BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS OF 105 DEGREES. IF DEWPOINTS REMAIN HIGHER OR TEMPS WARMER...THE DAY SHIFT MAY NEED TO ISSUE AN ADVISORY OR WARNING A LITTLE EARLIER THAN ANTICIPATED. REGARDLESS OF TODAY...AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS LIKELY FOR THE FORECAST AREA SIMPLY FOR A LONG DURATION /FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS OR MORE/ HEAT EVENT THAT LOOKS TO LAST WELL INTO NEXT WEEK. WOLTERS && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS. ANY CHANCES FOR SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO REMAIN NORTH OF THE TERMINALS WHERE THE BEST LIFT AND MOISTURE WILL BE. SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HRS. ANDERSON && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING FOR KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 501 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-151015- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 501 AM CDT THU JUL 14 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO COULD BE POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS EAST CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON. IF A STORM WERE TO DEVELOP...IT COULD PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HOT WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR THE END OF THIS WEEK AND INTO NEXT WEEK...WITH HEAT INDICES OF 105 TO 110 DEGREES POSSIBLE. THE PROLONGED NATURE OF THE HEAT COULD MAKE IT DANGEROUS FOR THE ELDERLY...THOSE WITH CHRONIC AILMENTS OR PERSONS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. WOLTERS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time. Six people were admitted to Lawrence Memorial Hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion during this time period.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
Heat indices across the county reached to 105-110 as a warm and moist air mass moved into the area for a prolonged period of time.
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, July 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: 335096, 335097, 335098, 335099, 335100, 335101, 335102, 335103, 335104, 335105, 335106, 335108, 335109, 335110, 335111, 335112, 335113, 335114, 335115, 335118, 335119, 335120, 335122.