During the late afternoon and early evening a line of severe thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds across parts of Northwest Kansas. Peak wind gusts reported were 69 MPH at Colby.
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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 GLD wrote it up.
During the late afternoon and early evening a line of severe thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging winds across parts of Northwest Kansas. Peak wind gusts reported were 69 MPH at Colby. Numerous grass fires were started in Wallace county from lightning strikes as the line of storms moved in. The largest hail size reported was 1 inch, reported at Wallace.
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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 2, 4:10 PM MST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 510 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 200 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 THROUGH TONIGHT...FOCUS IN THE NEAR-TERM WILL BE ON CONVECTION THIS EVENING AND POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WIND GUSTS. HIGH RESOLUTION SHORT-RANGE GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY STRONG RUN-TO-RUN CONTINUITY WITH REGARD TO POTENTIAL FOR 60+KT CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS ACROSS SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. DEEPLY MIXED ENVIRONMENT WITH INVERTED-V SOUNDINGS WOULD SUPPORT THIS NOTION AS WELL WITH 19Z MESOANALYSIS FROM SPC DEPICTING 1200-1400 J/KG DCAPE OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE WITH 25-30KTS OBSERVED. PWAT VALUES FROM THE 12Z SOUNDINGS AT DDC AND DNR WERE RUNNING AROUND 130 PERCENT OF NORMAL. WHEN COMBINED WITH SLOW STORM MOTIONS OF 10-15 KTS...COULD SEE ISOLATED THREAT FOR HYDRO ISSUES THIS EVENING. PRIMARY FACTOR TO CONSIDER WILL BE RAIN RATE. GIVEN DRY AND COMPACTED SOILS...HYDRO CONCERNS COULD BE ENHANCED IF INTENSE RAIN RATES ARE OBSERVED. CONVECTION AND SEVERE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH CONSIDERABLY BY 06Z WITH TEMPS OVERNIGHT REMAINING ABOVE NORMAL IN PART DUE TO ANTICIPATED SKY COVER. SUNDAY...DID REMOVE MENTION OF PRECIP FOR THE SUNDAY AFTERNOON TIME PERIOD. POINT SOUNDINGS INDICATE A LARGELY SUBSIDENT ENVIRONMENT. THERE IS WEAK FORCING FOR ASCENT IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER BUT LIKELY TOO SHALLOW TO GENERATE CONVECTION. TEMPS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON WILL BE ABOVE NORMAL ONCE AGAIN WITH READINGS REACHING THE LOW TO MID 90S. APPEARS RECORD HIGHS FOR SUNDAY ACROSS THE REGION WILL BE SAFE FOR ANOTHER YEAR. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS WHICH WILL PROVIDE A SHIFT TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 200 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA MONDAY-TUESDAY WITH LOW PRESSURE CENTERS OFF THE EAST AND WEST COASTS. WEST COAST SYSTEM COMES ASHORE BUT CANT MAKE ANY EASTWARD PROGRESS GIVEN THE BLOCKING FLOW. BY THURSDAY OR FRIDAY THE RIDGE BREAKS DOWN AND/OR GETS DISPLACED TO THE EAST WITH THE AREA STILL UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. HIGH TEMPERATURES LOOK TO REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL IN THE 80S WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S TO MID 60S...ALSO ABOVE NORMAL. STILL LOOKS LIKE A DAILY CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS TRAPPED OVER THE AREA. SATURDAY LOOKS TO HAVE THE LEAST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 505 PM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 FOR THE 00Z TAFS...OUTFLOW BOUNDARY WITH WIND GUSTS AROUND 50KTS OR SO EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH KGLD TERMINAL CLOSE TO START OF TAF PERIOD (00Z) ALONG WITH PERHAPS SOME BLOWING DUST AND THUNDERSTORMS. CIGS REMAIN RATHER HIGH SO ANY RESTRICTIONS IN VIS LIKELY DUE TO BLOWING DUST. BEHIND THE GUST FRONT JUST SOME MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS. WINDS WILL SHIFT FROM A GENERAL SOUTHERLY DIRECTION TO A NORTHERLY DIRECTION AROUND 15Z SUNDAY. FOR KMCK GUST FRONT TIMING A LITTLE MORE QUESTIONABLE BUT RIGHT NOW LOOKS TO MOVE THROUGH TERMINAL AROUND 0130Z OR SO WITH A THUNDERSTORM POSSIBLE. BEHIND THIS AREA OF CONVECTION MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WITH WIND SHIFT MOVING THROUGH AROUND 19Z SUNDAY. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...FOLTZ LONG TERM...007 AVIATION...007
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 926 AM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-031230- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 926 AM MDT SAT JUN 2 2012 /1026 AM CDT SAT JUN 2 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF EASTERN COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA AFTER 4PM MDT. LARGE HAIL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH IN DIAMETER WILL BE POSSIBLE BUT THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...POTENTIALLY IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH. GIVEN THE VERY DRY CONDITIONS RECENTLY...BLOWING DUST REDUCING VISIBILITY TO LESS THAN ONE-HALF MILE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY WITH NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY POSSIBLE AT TIMES. LOCATIONS ALONG AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 36 WILL HAVE THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY OF EXPERIENCING SEVERE WEATHER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST EACH DAY THROUGH FRIDAY OVER PORTIONS OF THE TRI-STATE AREA. THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED AFTER 4PM MDT. FOLTZ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
529 PM MDT SAT JUN 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0528 PM TORNADO 4 SW FIRSTVIEW 38.78N 102.58W
06/02/2012 CHEYENNE CO LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
007PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
603 PM MDT SAT JUN 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0602 PM HAIL 11 S BURLINGTON 39.15N 102.27W
06/02/2012 E0.75 INCH KIT CARSON CO TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
007The Goodland radar (KGLD), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:11 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall was occurring with 55-60 MPH wind gusts. Lightning started several grass fires. Tree branches were blown across the road with visibility down to 1/4 mile.
Fruit and elm trees damaged, extent unknown.
A 6 inch diameter Russian Olive tree was blown over.
Estimated 50 TO 60 MPH wind gusts.
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, June 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: 377042, 391193, 384348, 377043, 377041, 377044, 377045, 384347, 377048.