A cold front and associated upper level low pressure system produced a line of strong to severe storms that moved through southeast Kansas and produced several reports of wind damage.
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 SGF wrote it up.
A cold front and associated upper level low pressure system produced a line of strong to severe storms that moved through southeast Kansas and produced several reports of wind damage.
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 Springfield, MO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 20, 6:05 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 605 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 ...UPDATE TO AVIATION... ...MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE DISCUSSION... .UPDATE... /ISSUED 604 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012/ BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS QUICKLY RACING TOWARD THE AREA... SHOWING SIGNS OF AN EXPANDING AREA OF STRATIFORM RAIN AHEAD OF THE MAIN LINE. VAST MAJORITY OF SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS WERE NEAR/JUST EAST OF THE WICHITA AREA BETWEEN (ROUGHLY) 4 PM AND 5 PM...AND THESE REPORTS WERE LOCATED WITHIN A BETTER RIBBON OF INSTABILITY BOTH IN THE LOW LEVELS AND THROUGH THE DEEPER COLUMN. WITH DEWPOINTS ACROSS THE MISSOURI OZARKS IN THE MID 20S TO MID 30S... INSTABILITY IS LACKING AND THIS LINE WILL QUICKLY MOVE INTO AN INCREASINGLY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. THE PARENT UPPER WAVE IS QUITE STOUT AND TAKING ON A NEGATIVE TILT...THUS LARGE SCALE FORCING SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS LINE FOR A WHILE LONGER. 0-3KM WIND SHEAR VECTORS WILL REMAIN NEARLY PERPENDICULAR TO THIS LINE AND WITH AMBIENT WINDS IN THE LOW LEVELS AROUND 40KT...IT WILL REMAIN PLAUSIBLE TO HAVE OCCASIONAL 40KT WIND GUSTS AS THE LINE OF CONVECTION MOVES INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN HOISTED THROUGH 9 PM FOR EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. THE RISK FOR SEVERE WINDS...WHILE NOT COMPLETELY OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY...WILL LIKELY REMAIN VERY LOCALIZED AND ASSOCIATED WITH ANY MESOVORTS THAT CAN DEVELOP...REMAIN IN TACT AND BECOME ORIENTED FAVORABLY TO THE 0-3KM SHEAR VECTORS. AS WE LOSE LOW LEVEL INSTABILITY...PARTICULARLY IN THE LOW LEVELS...THE RISK FOR SEVERE WINDS WILL DECREASE SUBSTANTIALLY. GENERAL TIMING FOR THIS LINE OF STORMS (AS ASSESSED AT 6 PM CST): WESTERN EDGES OF BOURBON/CRAWFORD/CHEROKEE KS COUNTIES - 640 PM. MO/KS STATE LINE - BETWEEN 700 AND 715 PM. WESTERN PORTIONS OF CEDAR/DADE/LAWRENCE/BARRY MO COUNTIES - 745 PM. ALL TIMES ARE ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR TRENDS AND CAN CHANGE. WILL ATTEMPT TO UPDATE THESE AS TIME ALLOWS. GAGAN && .DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012/ MAIN FOCUS IN THIS FORECAST PACKAGE WILL DEAL WITH SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS EVENING INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT. CURRENTLY...A STRONG UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS PUSHING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON...AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE PUSHES EAST ACROSS THE KANSAS NEBRASKA BORDER. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE REGION AHEAD OF THE LOW. AS A RESULT GUSTY AND STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE AREA WITH GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH OCCURRING AT TIMES. THE WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM. A WARM FRONT IS CURRENTLY PUSHING NORTH THROUGH WESTERN MISSOURI AND SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS. SOME LIGHT SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN MISSOURI FOR THE REMINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON WITH THIS ACTIVITY...THOUGH THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT. A COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY EXTENDING SOUTH FROM THE LOW FROM NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS TO SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON. MOISTURE RETURN IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 40S BEING ALL THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO ADVECT INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS HAS LIMITED INSTABILITY WITH MU- CAPES VALUES OF AROUND 500 J/KG AND ML-CAPE VALUES OF 250 J/KG HAVING DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS NEGATIVELY TITLED CREATING STRONG HEIGHT FALLS RESULTING IN STEEP LAPSE RATES. THEREFORE...WITH THE STRONG DYNAMICS OF THIS SYSTEM THE LIMITED INSTABILITY SHOULD STILL BE ENOUGH TO GENERATE THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WHICH IS BEGINNING TO OCCUR ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND NORTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND NORTH AND SOUTH AND THEN SPREAD EAST WITH THE FRONT. WIND SHEAR IS STRONG WITH THIS SYSTEM SO ORGANIZED STORMS WILL OCCUR. AS THESE STORMS PUSH EAST THEY WILL FORM INTO A THIN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL THEN PUSH INTO EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND FAR SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI BETWEEN 7 AND 11 PM THIS EVENING. THE BETTER SEVERE POTENTIAL WILL REMAIN WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE AREA WHERE THE BETTER INSTABILITY WILL BE. HOWEVER...AS FEW STRONG WIND GUST MAY REMAIN POSSIBLE ON THE LINE AS IT PUSHES INTO THE AREA WEST OF HIGHWAY 71. EAST OF HIGHWAY 71 MOISTURE ADVECTION HAS BEEN MUCH MORE LIMITED AS SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS CONTINUE SO DEWPOINTS REMAIN IN THE 20S ACROSS THE MUCH OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS. THIS HAS REALLY LIMITED INSTABILITY AND DO NOT SEE ENOUGH MOISTURE ADVECTION TO OVERCOME THE DRY AIR. SO EXPECT THE LINE OF STORMS TO REALLY START DISSIPATING AS THEY PUSH EAST OF HIGHWAY 71. EXPECTED MORE OF A NARROW STRONGLY FORCED LINE OF SHOWERS ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI THIS EVENING INTO THE EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. HAVE QUESTIONS ON HOW WIDESPREAD THE RAIN WILL BE FARTHER NORTH...AS IT MAY BE MORE SPOTTY IN NATURE ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI. THIS LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL QUICKLY PUSH EAST WITH THE ASSOCIATED RAINFALL EXPECTED TO BE FAIRLY BRIEF. ALL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO PUSH EAST OF THE AREA BY 3AM TONIGHT. A VERY WARM DAY IS EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY AS HIGHS WARM WELL INTO THE 60S. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WHICH MAY RESULT IN ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER RISK WEST OF HIGHWAY 65. THEN ANOTHER SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA LATER ON THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES SOUTH OF THE FRONT ON THURSDAY WILL AGAIN WARM INTO THE 60S BEFORE MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES SPREAD IN. MOISTURE WILL BE LIMITED WITH THIS SYSTEM...SO LIGHT RAIN OR SPRINKLES WILL BE ABOUT ALL THAT OCCURS. COOLER WEATHER IS THEN EXPECTED ON FRIDAY WITH A WARMING TREND THIS WEEKEND. ANOTHER SYSTEM MAY SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION LATE THIS WEEKEND BRINGING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR RAIN. WISE && .AVIATION... /ISSUED 604 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012/ FOR THE 00Z TAFS (JLN/SGF/BBG)...PRIMARY FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE INCOMING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. AS DISCUSSED IN THE UPDATE SECTION ABOVE...A LINE OF STORMS ACROSS EASTERN KS/OK WILL MOVE INTO AN INCREASINGLY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. AS A RESULT TSRA WILL WEAKEN WITH TIME AND DECREASE IN COVERAGE. WITH AMBIENT WINDS JUST OFF THE SURFACE NEAR 40KT...THERE WILL STILL BE WIND GUST POTENTIAL TO 40KT AS THIS DECAYING LINE OF STORMS QUICKLY MOVES THROUGH THE AERODROMES. OTHERWISE...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF CYCLE...A CLEARING SKY AND GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS SHIFTING TO WESTERLY OVERNIGHT. GAGAN && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...NONE. KS...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 338 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 KSZ073-097-101-MOZ055>058-066>071-077>083-088>098-101>106-212145- BOURBON-CRAWFORD-CHEROKEE-BENTON-MORGAN-MILLER-MARIES-VERNON- ST. CLAIR-HICKORY-CAMDEN-PULASKI-PHELPS-BARTON-CEDAR-POLK-DALLAS- LACLEDE-TEXAS-DENT-JASPER-DADE-GREENE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-NEWTON- LAWRENCE-CHRISTIAN-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-MCDONALD-BARRY-STONE- TANEY-OZARK-OREGON- 338 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF THE MISSOURI OZARKS AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... LIMITED HAIL RISK. LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK. ELEVATED LIGHTNING RISK. LIMITED NON THUNDERSTORM WIND RISK. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER RISK. DISCUSSION... SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST TO OVER 30 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 65. AREAS ON NORTH TO SOUTH ORIENTED LAKES...SUCH AS STOCKTON...WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE HIGHER THAN NORMAL WAVE HEIGHTS THAT COULD IMPACT SMALL BOATS. A PERIOD OF HEIGHTENED FIRE DANGER IS ALSO EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL COMBINE WITH THE GUSTY WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS INTO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. THESE STORMS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A THIN LINE AS THEY RAPIDLY PUSH EAST INTO EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN KANSAS AND FAR SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI. THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN ALONG AND SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FORT SCOTT KANSAS TO CASSVILLE MISSOURI FROM 7 PM TO 10 PM. THE MAIN RISK WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS TO 60 MPH. HAIL UP TO PENNIES MAY ALSO BE POSSIBLE MAINLY WEST OF HIGHWAY 71. EAST OF THIS AREA INSTABILITY WILL QUICKLY DECREASE WITH JUST ISOLATED NON SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED DURING THE LATE EVENING AND EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. INCREASED WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITIES WILL CREATE ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING WEST OF HIGHWAY 71. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN GRAPHICAL FORMAT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/SGF(ALL LOWERCASE) WISE
The Tulsa radar (KINX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:46 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large tree limbs around two inches in diameter were blown down across the roadway.
A roof was blown off of a large barn.
The KFSK AWOS measured a wind gust of 56 knots or 64 mph.
Power lines were blown down in the city of Fort Scott.
Large limbs around ten inches in diameter were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, February 2012
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: 357862, 357863, 357866, 357864, 357865.