The main thunderstorm of the night was a massive supercell that sat nearly stationary over northeastern Greenwood county for nearly three hours. A significant number of hail reports were noted in and around the town of Madison.
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 ICT wrote it up.
The main thunderstorm of the night was a massive supercell that sat nearly stationary over northeastern Greenwood county for nearly three hours. A significant number of hail reports were noted in and around the town of Madison. Nearly half the homes in town were damaged, along with numerous cars and windshields. A few brief tornado touchdowns also occurred southeast of Madison.
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 Mar 28, 2:08 PM CST, 3 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 308 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012 .DISCUSSION... THE PRIMARY FOCUS CONTINUES TO BE PERIODIC THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH THE WEEK. A BROAD MID/UPPER RIDGE WAS COVERING MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CONUS WHILE A SUBTLE SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS MOVING OVER SOUTHERN KANSAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE WARM FRONT HAS BECOME DIFFUSE MOST EVIDENT IN THE TD SPREADS LOCATED NEAR I-70 EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG CINH IS EXPECTED TO PRECLUDE MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT FURTHER SOUTH ALONG THE DRY LINE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING BUT MAINTAINED HIGHER POPS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE DIFFUSE WARM FRONT BORDERING TOP CWA THIS EVENING/TONIGHT AS STRONGER 305K ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE BECOMES JUXTAPOSED ALONG THE NOSE OF THE LLJ. THE LATEST HRRR KEEPS THE MAIN AREA OF CONVECTION WELL NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA...BUT MAINTAINED MID POPS ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE THE ACTIVITY MAY DEVELOP BEFORE SHIFTING EASTWARD OUT OF THE AREA AFTER 09-11Z OR EARLIER. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP THROUGH TONIGHT MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THU-SUN...ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR DEEP MOIST CONVECTION LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON/THURSDAY NIGHT AS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH TRANSLATES RAPIDLY EAST OVER THE AREA. THE NAM IS MUCH MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THE SFC TROUGH AXIS AND TRENDED POPS FURTHER EAST COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST KEEPING THE HIGHEST PROBABILITIES ALONG/EAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. SHORTWAVE RIDGING IS PROGGED TO RETURN TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS FRI-SAT LEADING TO FAIR WEATHER AND CONTINUED ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES. TRENDED HIGHS ON FRI-SUN SLIGHTLY HIGHER WITH READINGS CLIMBING INTO THE LOW-MID 80S SAT-SUN. MON-WED...ANOTHER MORE ROBUST MID/UPPER TROUGH WILL RACE EASTWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY BRINGING A RETURN TO SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. PRECIPITATION CHANCES CONTINUE TO LOOK SLIM GIVIN THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE MID/UPPER TROUGH WITH A RETURN TO ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. && .FIRE WEATHER... A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS ON THURSDAY WITH WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ALONG AND EAST OF THIS TROUGH. FURTHER WEST...LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES MAY COMBINE WITH GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS CREATING NEAR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS AT TIMES DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS ON THURSDAY. GUSTY SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL RETURN LATE IN THE WEEKEND AHEAD OF A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVING OVER THE ROCKIES. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT LATE SUNDAY NIGHT/EARLY MONDAY WITH A RETURN TO MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES FOR THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...18Z TAFS KRSL/KSLN/KHUT/KICT/KCNU AN AREA OF STRATUS/MVFR CIGS MIGRATED INTO CENTRAL KANSAS AT MIDDAY AND WILL GRADUALLY LIFT/DISSIPATE INTO MID-AFTERNOON. ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY EARLY THIS EVENING ALONG A WARM FRONT...FROM CENTRAL KANSAS INTO THE FLINT HILLS. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD THEN MOVE OR DEVELOP EAST AND SOUTHEAST INTO FAR EASTERN KANSAS TONIGHT. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO HANG OUT ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS INTO THURSDAY MORNING...WITH A PERIOD OF LOW CIGS/MVFR EXPECTED ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. KED && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 61 85 56 79 / 30 30 20 10 HUTCHINSON 60 83 54 78 / 30 20 20 10 NEWTON 60 82 57 78 / 30 20 20 10 ELDORADO 61 84 59 79 / 30 30 30 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 62 85 58 81 / 20 20 40 10 RUSSELL 55 80 49 79 / 20 20 20 10 GREAT BEND 58 81 51 78 / 20 20 20 10 SALINA 59 83 54 80 / 30 20 20 10 MCPHERSON 61 82 54 79 / 30 20 20 10 COFFEYVILLE 63 85 59 81 / 30 20 60 20 CHANUTE 61 84 59 81 / 50 20 60 10 IOLA 61 83 59 81 / 50 20 60 10 PARSONS-KPPF 62 85 59 80 / 30 20 60 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 445 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-292145- 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- 445 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS...GENERALLY NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM RUSSELL TO PARSONS. ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BECOME SEVERE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS TO 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. A FAST MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY NIGHT. WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...A FEW STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM RUSSELL TO CHANUTE. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
605 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012
KSZ070-282345-
GREENWOOD-
605 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR GREENWOOD COUNTY...
AT 601 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF HAMILTON...OR 9 MILES NORTH OF
EUREKA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3817 9617 3817 9597 3797 9596 3784 9631
3798 9645
TIME...MOT...LOC 2305Z 232DEG 20KT 3796 9629
SMITHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
657 PM CDT WED MAR 28 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0653 PM HAIL 3 N MADISON 38.18N 96.14W
03/28/2012 M0.88 INCH LYON KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
EPSThe Topeka radar (KTWX), 96 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:57 UTC.
6 hail, 2 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail stone diameters ranged from golfball size to just over three-inches in Madison. Widespread roof and car damage likely occurred. This was the first (and largest) round of large hail to hit Madison within a two-hour period. Property damage amounts are rough estimates.
Very brief tornado touchdown in an open field.
Hail stone diameters ranged from golfball to tennis ball size, with a few up to softball size.
Brief tornado touchdown in open country. The tornado was fairly stationary and did not cause any damage.
Very heavy rainfall of up to four inches over a three-hour period produced high water across Highway 58 about one mile east of Madison. Property or crop damage amounts, if any, are unknown.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2012Warnings in Kansas, March 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: 368974, 368980, 368505, 368981, 368983, 368984, 368506, 368985, 370119.