An extended period of dry weather continued to worsen across portions of Central and South Central Kansas during the month of May, as some areas saw little or no appreciable amounts of rainfall. Areas north of Wichita dried out even further during the middle portion of the month, pushing areas in Central Kansas, into the severe drought category (D2).
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 ICT wrote it up.
An extended period of dry weather continued to worsen across portions of Central and South Central Kansas during the month of May, as some areas saw little or no appreciable amounts of rainfall. Areas north of Wichita dried out even further during the middle portion of the month, pushing areas in Central Kansas, into the severe drought category (D2).
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 May 9, 10:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 1150 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2011 .AVIATION...06Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MORE OF THE SAME THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WITH CONTINUED STOUT/GUSTY SOUTHERLY FLOW. INSERTED LLWS IN THE TAFS OVERNIGHT DUE TO 50KT LLJ OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST. WEAK WIND SHIFT SHOULD PASS THROUGH KRSL EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...ALLOWING WINDS TO GO LIGHT OUT OF THE WEST. ADK && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 647 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2011/ AVIATION...00Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MUCH OF THE SAME THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WITH CONTINUED STOUT SOUTH/SOUTHWEST WINDS AND SCT HIGH CLOUDS STREAMING OVER THE AREA. ONLY CONCERN WILL BE LLWS...AS SOUTH/SOUTHWESTERLY LLJ ABOVE 1500-2000 FT AGL GETS CRANKING AT 45-50 KTS LATER THIS EVENING. MAY END UP AMENDING TO INCLUDE LLWS IN TAFS. OTHERWISE...COULD SEE BRIEF/TRANSIENT HIGH MVFR VSBYS AT KCNU BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 6 AM...BUT THINKING THREAT IS TOO MARGINAL TO INCLUDE IN KCNU TAF. OTHERWISE...WEAK WIND SHIFT WILL PASS THROUGH KRSL JUST BEFORE SUNRISE...SWITCHING WINDS TO WEST/NORTHWESTERLY FOR A TIME TUESDAY MORNING. ADK PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 247 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2011/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS: TEMPERATURES INTO WEDNESDAY AND THUNDERSTORM/SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. TONIGHT-TUESDAY NIGHT: DRYLINE WILL CONTINUE THE TREND OF DIURNAL MIXING EASTWARD TO EAST OF THE KS TURNPIKE TUESDAY...WITH NIGHTLY RETREAT TO THE WEST TONIGHT AND TUESDAY NIGHT. ELEVATED MIXED LAYER WILL LIKELY KEEP THE DRYLINE CAPPED TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. THE SHORT RANGE MODEL GUIDANCE HINTS AT A WEAK DISTURBANCE EJECTING OUT OF MEXICO TUESDAY...WITH THIS FEATURE MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEAST KS TUESDAY NIGHT. WILL MAINTAIN SOME LOW PROBABILITIES FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE SOUTHEAST. ANOMALOUSLY VERY WARM TEMPERATURES TO CONTINUE DURING THE PERIOD. HIGHS TUESDAY IN MID-UPPER 90S FOR CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL KS ARE REASONABLE GIVEN PROGGED 1000-850 THICKNESSES AND VERY WARM START. WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY: THE UPPER LOW IS PROGGED TO SLOWLY EJECT OUT ACROSS THE PLAINS AS A NEW UPPER LOW DIGS OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. OUR BEST SHOT AT RAIN (50-70%) OVER THE NEXT 7 DAYS WILL OCCUR WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF IS A LITTLE SLOWER MOVING THE UPPER TROF EASTWARD AND APPEARS MORE REASONABLE GIVEN THE BLOCKY NATURE OF THE UPPER PATTERN. THE DRYLINE IS PROGGED TO MIX EASTWARD TO JUST WEST OF OUR WESTERN-MOST COUNTIES...SOUTHWARD INTO OKLAHOMA JUST WEST OF I-135 BY 00Z THURS. THE NAM IS FURTHER NORTH WITH THE TRIPLE POINT VERSUS THE GFS. 1000-850 FN CONVERGENCE INCREASES SHARPLY ALONG THE DRYLINE IN THE 21Z-00Z TIMEFRAME WEDNESDAY AS MID-LEVEL COOLING/HEIGHT FALLS SPREAD IN FROM THE WEST AND SURFACE WINDS BACK. STRONG LOW-MID LEVEL SHEAR AND VERY STRONG INSTABILITY ARE FAVORABLE FOR SUPERCELLS AND ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER WED PM/EVE. WRAPAROUND CLOUDINESS/DIURNAL SHOWER CHANCES (20-30%) LOOK TO TARGET MAINLY CENTRAL KS CLOSER TO THE UPPER LOW THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO FALL BACK CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. SATURDAY-MONDAY: UPPER TROFS WILL BE OVER THE EASTERN CONUS AND WESTERN STATES...WITH UPPER RIDGING DEVELOPING FROM THE ROCKIES INTO THE HIGH PLAINS. A SHORTWAVE WILL DROP FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS/UPPER MIDWEST INTO THE EASTERN CONUS UPPER TROF SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. IT WILL NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION TO SEE SOME CONVECTION TRY TO DEVELOP WITHIN THE MID-LEVEL BAROCLINIC ZONE ACROSS EASTERN KS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...HOWEVER CHANCES APPEAR TOO LOW TO MENTION THIS FAR OUT. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES FOR MID MAY. JMC CLIMATE... RECORD HIGHS FOR TUESDAY MAY 10TH: WICHITA... 100 IN 1967 RUSSELL... 99 IN 1967 SALINA.... 96 IN 1967 CHANUTE... 94 IN 1963 AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE ONLY CONCERN WILL BE GUSTY SOUTH WINDS DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH POSSIBLE. KETCHAM && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 70 96 68 88 / 10 10 10 60 HUTCHINSON 67 96 67 88 / 10 10 10 60 NEWTON 69 95 68 87 / 10 10 10 60 ELDORADO 70 94 68 87 / 10 10 10 50 WINFIELD-KWLD 71 94 69 88 / 10 10 10 50 RUSSELL 60 93 64 83 / 10 0 10 70 GREAT BEND 60 93 65 86 / 10 10 10 60 SALINA 68 95 67 86 / 10 10 10 60 MCPHERSON 68 95 67 87 / 10 10 10 60 COFFEYVILLE 71 91 70 84 / 10 10 20 40 CHANUTE 71 90 69 85 / 10 10 20 40 IOLA 71 89 69 86 / 10 10 20 50 PARSONS-KPPF 71 90 70 85 / 0 10 20 40 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 717 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2011 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-110030- 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- 717 PM CDT MON MAY 9 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE HAIL TO NICKEL SIZE AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE PERIOD IS ON WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG AN ADVANCING DRYLINE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 135. THESE STORMS SHOULD MOVE NORTHEAST...AFFECTING THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS WEDNESDAY. THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORNADOES. THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE AT THIS TIME. .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 KRC/JMC/ADK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
A drought began to worsen across South Central Kansas during the middle portion of the month. The drought reached severe levels (D2) across the area during the week of May 10th and lasted until May 24th.
A drought began to worsen across Central Kansas during the middle portion of the month. The drought reached severe levels (D2)across the area during the week of May 10th and lasted until May 24th.
A drought began to worsen across Central Kansas during the middle portion of the month. The drought reached severe levels (D2) across the area during the week of May 10th and lasted until May 24th.
A drought began to worsen across Central Kansas during the middle portion of the month. The drought reached severe levels (D2) across the area during the week of May 10th and lasted until May 24th.
A drought began to worsen across Central Kansas during the middle portion of the month. The drought reached severe levels (D2) across the area during the week of May 10th and lasted until May 24th.
A drought began to worsen across Central Kansas during the middle portion of the month. The drought reached severe levels (D2) across the area during the week of May 10th and lasted until May 24th.
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, May 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: 312081, 312086, 312088, 312092, 312094, 312096.