Strengthening low pressure across the western high plains resulted in very strong southerly winds across Mid-America on the 30th. Wind gusts estimated around 50 mph downed a power pole in the Winfield area in Cowley county.
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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.
Strengthening low pressure across the western high plains resulted in very strong southerly winds across Mid-America on the 30th. Wind gusts estimated around 50 mph downed a power pole in the Winfield area in Cowley 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 May 30, 4:45 AM CST, 4 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 545 AM CDT MON MAY 30 2011 .AVIATION...12Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU MAIN CONCERN WILL BE STRONG SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS. PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE QUITE STRONG TODAY IN RESPONSE TO A STORM SYSTEM LIFTING OUT OF THE ROCKIES TOWARD THE NORTHERN PLAINS. MIXING WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING WITH DIURNAL HEATING...LEADING TO SOUTHERLY GUSTS OF 40-45 KT ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KS. GUSTY S-SERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE FRONT SHOULD REACH RSL AROUND 04Z THIS EVE...AND THE FLINT HILLS BY 12Z. THERE COULD BE AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM FIRING ALONG DRYLINE OVER WESTERN KS LATE THIS PM/EVE. MORE LIKELY STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR IN CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL KS OVERNIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES IN WITH INCREASED CONVERGENCE. THIS FAR OUT...WILL CARRY VCTS FOR MOST SITES AS THE FRONT MOVES IN. JMC && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 335 AM CDT MON MAY 30 2011/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS THE EXTREMELY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS TODAY...AND CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER LATER MONDAY EVENING. SYNOPSIS: A PV ANOMALY IS ROTATING AROUND THE BASE OF A TROUGH SITUATED ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS...WITH A BROAD RIDGE ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. AT THE SURFACE A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES IS WREAKING HAVOC ON KANSAS AS SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30-35 MPH HAVE CONTINUED ALL NIGHT IN CENTRAL KANSAS. TODAY: WIND IS GOING TO BE THE MAIN STORY FOR THE DAY. THE STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT HAS ALREADY PROVEN TO KEEP WINDS AT THE CLIMATOLOGICALLY WEAKER MORNING HOURS IN THE ADVISORY RANGE. FEEL THAT WINDS IN CENTRAL KANSAS WILL EASILY REACH HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 40+ MPH BY LATE MORNING WITH THE COMBINATION OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND MIXING. BY AFTERNOON SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SHOW DEEPER MIXING TO 850-800MB...FEEL THAT 40+ MPH IS POSSIBLE SOUTH TO THE OKLAHOMA BORDER ALONG AND WEST OF HWY 14. THUS HAVE ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR COUNTIES ALONG AND WEST OF HWY14 WITH A WIND ADVISORY ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. SALINE AND MCPHERSON COUNTIES WILL ALSO FLIRT WITH THE 40+ MPH WINDS...BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT AS HIGH AND HAVE LEFT THEM IN THE ADVISORY FOR THIS TIME. WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD EASILY CAUSE SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO TREES AND PROPERTY. TAKE CARE WHEN DRIVING ON EAST-WEST ROADWAYS...ESPECIALLY IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. TONIGHT: AS THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE BEGINS TO KICK OUT EASTWARD IT WILL PUSH THE SURFACE COLD FRONT/DRYLINE INTO CENTRAL KANSAS. AS THE INHIBITION DECREASES TOWARD THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...EXPECT TO SEE THUNDERSTORMS FIRE. WITH PLENTIFUL CAPE AND SHEAR...SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH HAIL AND STRONG WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREATS. TUESDAY-TUESDAY NIGHT: THE SURFACE BOUNDARY WILL GET HUNG UP ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS...WHICH WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR CONTINUED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO BE SOMEWHAT COOLER THAN EXPERIENCED MONDAY AS MOST OF KANSAS SITS BEHIND THE WAVE...BUT NOT BY MUCH...STILL EXPECT TO SEE TEMPS IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S. BY TUESDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT...THE STALLED OUT BOUNDARY WILL RETURN TO THE NORTH AS A WARM FRONT. AS THIS MOVES NORTHWARD AND MOISTURE IS ADVECTED BACK TO THE NORTH AND WEST...MOISTURE TRANSPORT AND LIFT WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. DUE TO SOME DESCREPANCIES WITH THE GUIDANCE...HAVE KEPT CHANCES IN THE SLIGHT RANGE FOR NOW. WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY: THE MAIN CONCERN DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE PROLONGED WELL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR EARLY JUNE. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD IN AND STAKE ITS CLAIM...WITH DISTURBANCES MOVING UP OVER THE RIDGE. THIS WILL KEEP THINGS DRY AND HOT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S...WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS...GUSTY AT TIMES. A WEAK DISTURBANCE ROTATING UP AROUND THE HIGH IN THE SOUTHEAST CONUS WILL THREATEN TO BRING SOME SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS TO SOUTHEAST KANSAS FOR THE WEEKEND...BUT CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW AND WILL KEEP SLIGHTS IN THE AREA FOR NOW. BILLINGS AVIATION...06Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THRU THE FORECAST VALID PERIOD. STRONG SOUTH WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN WEATHER STORY OVERNIGHT AND THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY. A VIGOROUS UPPER TROF WILL LIFT NORTHEAST FROM THE ROCKIES INTO THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS ON MONDAY...WITH A TIGHT GRADIENT SURFACE/LOW LEVEL SOUTHERLY WIND FLOW CONTINUING ACROSS THE AREA. WINDS HAD DECOUPLED AT KCNU THIS EVENING AND MAY REMAIN SO DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY...SO HAVE INCLUDED LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR THERE. SURFACE FRONTAL PASSAGE IS LIKELY AT KRSL BY MONDAY EVENING...AND MAY APPROACH THE KSLN/KHUT AND KICT TERMINALS BEFORE THE END OF THE PERIOD. CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE ALONG THIS FRONT ON MONDAY EVENING...AND FOR NOW JUST MENTIONED VCTS AT KRSL. KED && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 90 66 86 67 / 10 30 10 20 HUTCHINSON 91 61 85 66 / 10 40 10 20 NEWTON 89 64 85 66 / 10 40 10 20 ELDORADO 88 67 86 66 / 10 30 10 20 WINFIELD-KWLD 90 69 88 68 / 10 30 20 20 RUSSELL 94 57 84 62 / 20 60 10 20 GREAT BEND 94 57 84 63 / 20 60 10 20 SALINA 92 61 84 63 / 10 50 10 20 MCPHERSON 91 61 85 64 / 10 40 10 20 COFFEYVILLE 87 71 87 69 / 10 20 30 20 CHANUTE 86 70 86 67 / 10 20 20 20 IOLA 86 69 86 67 / 10 20 20 20 PARSONS-KPPF 87 71 86 68 / 10 20 30 20 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ052-053-069>072- 092>096-098>100. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ049-051-068-083. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ032-033-047- 048-050-067-082-091. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR KSZ032-033-047-048- 050-067-082-091. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 444 AM CDT MON MAY 30 2011 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-310945- 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- 444 AM CDT MON MAY 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL AFFECT THE WHOLE AREA TODAY. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 14. PEOPLE TRAVELING ON EAST-WEST ROADWAYS NEED TO TAKE CAUTION WITH THE STRONG CROSSWINDS. CAMPERS AND ESPECIALLY BOATERS NEED TO USE EXTRA CAUTION ON AREA LAKES MONDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST HIGH WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORIES FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 135. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND AREA WIDE ON TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED...A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS...MAINLY WEST OF I-135. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP BILLINGS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong southerly winds downed a power pole in Winfield. Report relayed by KSN.
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: 312567.