A tropical air-mass with very moist upper levels was in place across the region. A cold pool in the mid-levels moved out of the Rockies and destabilized the atmosphere enough to produce scattered thunderstorms.
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 DDC wrote it up.
A tropical air-mass with very moist upper levels was in place across the region. A cold pool in the mid-levels moved out of the Rockies and destabilized the atmosphere enough to produce scattered thunderstorms. A few of these storms became severe.
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 Jul 28, 2:35 PM CST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 335 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2011 .DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM... THE 12 UTC UPPER AIR SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS INDICATES AN UPPER JET MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS STATES WHILE A WEAK TROUGH AND COLD POOL ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN ROCKIES AT 500 MB ALSO MIGRATED EASTWARD. A LARGE WARM PLUME OF VERY WARM AIR STILL ENCOMPASSED THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES. INCREASING MOISTURE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS AT 850 MB WAS NOTED AS THE 16 DEG C ISODROSOTHERM EXTENDED FROM THE SOUTHEAST US INTO NORTHERN KANSAS, WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES IN EXCESS OF 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL AT DODGE CITY. WIDELY SCATTERED ELEVATED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALREADY IN THIS VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF OUR FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. WE ONLY EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE IS WEAK UPPER FORCING IS ALL THAT WE ARE SEEING AT THIS TIME, SO WE ARE NOT EXPECTING VERY WELL ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORMS FOR WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINS OR TRAINING. ABOUT 30 KNOTS OF BULK SHEAR MIGHT LEAD TO WEAKLY ROTATING CELLS HOWEVER, ABLE TO PRODUCE ISOLATED LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND THIS EVENING. IF THE STORMS REMAIN SCATTERED AT BEST, THERE MAY BE LITTLE MOVEMENT OF THE SYNOPTIC BOUNDARY DUE TO EXCESSIVE CONVECTIVE OUTFLOW THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE MODELS IN GENERAL ARE INDICATING THE FRONT BE PUSHED FARTHER SOUTHWARD TO THE OKLAHOMA LINE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW REGENERATION OF CONVECTION LATE FRIDAY FOCUSED MORE ON THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA. THAT BEING SAID, THE UPPER JET SHOULD BE POSITIONED ZONALLY ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA AND NEBRASKA AGAIN FRIDAY, WHICH MAY CREATE ENHANCED UPPER DIVERGENCE ACROSS NORTHERN KANSAS. THEREFORE, ANY WHERE IN THE FORECAST AREA HAS AT LEAST A SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TOMORROW, AND WE WILL LIKELY SEE A REPEAT OF SCATTERED HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING CONVECTION. CLOUDS/CONVECTION TODAY AND ADDITIONAL CHANCES TONIGHT SHOULD PROVIDE SOME RELIEF TO THE WIDESPREAD 100 DEGREE TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW TO UPPER 90S. SATURDAY PRESENTS MORE OF A FORECAST CHALLENGE WITH RESPECT TO WHERE THE SYNOPTIC BOUNDARY MIGHT WIND UP BEING POSITIONED. THE CONSENSUS HOWEVER IS FOR TEMPERATURES TO WARM BACK INTO THE 100+ DEGREE ZONE WITH THE ECMWF AND GFS BOTH MAINTAINING AN ESSENTIALLY DRY FORECAST ACROSS THE DDC FORECAST AREA. AN OUTLYING WRF/NAM WILL EXTEND CONVECTION FARTHER WEST INTO SOUTHCENTRAL KANSAS. RUSSELL .LONG TERM... THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED JET STREAK MENTIONED IN THE DAYS 1-2 DISCUSSION WILL BE MOVING AWAY FROM OUR AREA BY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY, AND WE WILL NO LONGER BE IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE JET. IN ADDITION, THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL BE PASSING ACROSS SASKATCHEWAN BY SATURDAY. LEE TROUGHING AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE WILL RESULT IN LOW-LEVEL FRONTOLYSIS ACROSS KANSAS SINCE SURFACE WINDS WILL BE SOUTHERLY UP AND DOWN THE PLAINS. SO IN THE ABSENCE OF JET FEATURES AND FRONTS THAT WOULD PROMOTE LIFT, ANYTHING MORE THAN VERY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IS NOT EXPECTED. THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS NOT EXPECTED TO BE STRONG ENOUGH OR FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO HELP PUSH A COLD FRONT THROUGH OUR FORECAST AREA. BY SUNDAY AND MONDAY, UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AS THE NEXT SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHES MANITOBA. THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL RESULT IN LEE TROUGHING ONCE AGAIN UP AND DOWN THE PLAINS. SO ANYTHING MORE THAN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IS STILL NOT EXPECTED IN THE ABSENCE OF LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE. IN ADDITION, LOW LEVEL TRAJECTORIES ARE ADVERTISED TO BE SOUTHERLY INSTEAD OF SOUTHWESTERLY, SO EXTREME HEAT SHOULD BE ABSENT. NEVERTHELESS, IT WILL STILL BE HOT WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER 90S TO AROUND 102. FROM TUESDAY INTO FRIDAY, THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE IS ADVERTISED BY ALL THE MODELS TO FLATTEN OUT, WITH MAINLY ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS. HOWEVER, A SURFACE FRONT THAT PROGRESSES DOWN THE PLAINS IN THE WAKE OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA FOR A FEW DAYS. THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THIS FRONT EACH DAY THROUGH SATURDAY AUGUST 5TH. SOUTH OF THE FRONT IT WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT GIVEN THE EXPECTED LOW TO MID-LEVEL DOWNSLOPE FLOW TO THE NORTH OF THE FLAT 500MB RIDGE AXIS. TEMPERATURES IN OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES COULD REACH TO BETWEEN 105F AND 110 EACH DAY. IT IS UNCLEAR EXACTLY WHERE THIS FRONT WILL BE. SO THE EXTREME HEAT COULD EASILY EXTEND NORTHWARD TO INCLUDE DODGE CITY AND GARDEN CITY. FINCH && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT DDC/GCK/HYS BETWEEN 21 AND 12 UTC. EXPECT LOCALLY STRONG WINDS IN VICINITY OF THESE STORMS. AWAY FROM THE THUNDERSTORMS, VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH A WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 00Z. FINCH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 73 95 73 100 / 50 30 40 10 GCK 70 94 70 97 / 50 30 30 10 EHA 71 95 70 99 / 40 30 40 10 LBL 73 97 72 99 / 40 30 30 10 HYS 72 91 72 99 / 60 40 40 10 P28 76 99 76 102 / 20 20 30 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ066-080-081-089- 090. && FN33/24/24
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 915 AM CDT THU JUL 28 2011 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-290930- 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- 915 AM CDT THU JUL 28 2011 /815 AM MDT THU JUL 28 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON. A LIMITED NUMBER OF STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH, HAIL LARGER THAN QUARTERS AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. ALSO, A FEW OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL, ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM SYRACUSE TO HAYS. A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON ALONG AND EAST OF THE STAFFORD TO GREENSBURG AND COLDWATER CORRIDOR. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WEATHER MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN DURING THE DAY FRIDAY AND INTO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THE MAIN THREAT GUSTY WINDS AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SINCE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC 07/33
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS
1218 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM TSTM WND GST 4 NNE ELLIS 38.99N 99.53W
07/28/2011 E60.00 MPH ELLIS KS PUBLIC
HAIL ALSO FELL, BUT SIZE WAS NOT DETERMINED.
&&
01SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 350 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2011 KSZ075-076-085-086-282130- GRANT-HASKELL-SEWARD-STEVENS- 350 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN STEVENS... NORTHWESTERN SEWARD...SOUTHEASTERN GRANT AND SOUTHWESTERN HASKELL COUNTIES... AT 349 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF MOSCOW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LAT...LON 3752 10121 3740 10089 3715 10112 3723 10131 TIME...MOT...LOC 2051Z 208DEG 12KT 3725 10117 WAH
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 7 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:03 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Twelve power poles were blown down across 111 Road and between Garnett Avenue and Ross Avenue. Power lines fell onto one vehicle trapping the person in side until rescuers arrived.
Heavy rain fell with pea to penny sized hail.
Winds of 75 MPH also accompanied the hail.
Hail the size of quarters also fell during the high wind.
Winds were estimated to be 65 MPH.
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: 338627, 338625, 338628, 338630, 338631, 338626.