Hail, Cheyenne
- When
- May 19, 11:10 AM CST
- Where
- Cheyenne County, St Francis
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.770, -101.800
Hail in Kansas, May 19, 2012
Thunderstorms developed early in the day across eastern Colorado and moved north and east during the late morning and afternoon hours. Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported across extreme NW Kansas and southern Nebraska.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed early in the day across eastern Colorado and moved north and east during the late morning and afternoon hours. Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported across extreme NW Kansas and southern Nebraska.
What forecasters said that day
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 May 19, 5:42 AM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 19, 5:42 AM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 542 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 542 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 FOG PRODUCT SHOWING LOW CLOUDS DEVELOPING ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. THE CLOUDS WILL ADVECT OVER SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS THE NEXT FEW HOURS. UPDATED THE FORECAST TO ADD THE CLOUDS AND COOL THE TEMPERATURES. ALSO ADJUSTED THE TIMING OF PRECIPITATION. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 255 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA. MODELS HAVE COME INTO GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH TIMING OF THE FRONT...AND THE FEATURE WILL BE EAST OF THE AREA BY 16Z. NUMERICAL GUIDANCE SHOWS NORTHWEST WINDS 25-30 KNOTS LATE THIS MORNING BEHIND THE FRONT. 700/500 MB WIND FLOW...HOWEVER...WILL NOT PROVIDE MUCH MID LEVEL SUPPORT AS TRAJECTORIES WILL BE OUT-OF- PHASE WITH SURFACE GRADIENT. SO...WILL KEEP WINDS BELOW ADVISORY THRESHOLDS. MOST MODELS ARE AGGRESSIVE WITH POST-FRONTAL PRECIPITATION LATE THIS MORNING/THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS CURRENTLY DEPICT TROUGH OVER CENTRAL COLORADO...AND POSITION IS SUPPORTED BY WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. BEST DIFFERENTIAL CYCLONIC VORTICITY ADVECTION WILL OCCUR AROUND 18Z TODAY. THE AIR MASS WILL REALLY HAVE TO MOISTEN IN THE LOW LAYERS TO JUSTIFY RELATIVELY HIGH POPS TODAY. MODEL SOUNDINGS DO JUST THAT...BUT DO NOT SEE A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION GIVEN LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE AREA. LATEST RAPID REFRESH MODEL IS THE ONE MODEL THAT IS DRY THROUGH MOST OF THE MORNING. GIVEN THE LATEST TRENDS...WILL LEAN TOWARDS THE HRRR EARLY IN THE FORECAST PERIOD. LATER TODAY...WILL CONTINUE WITH POPS GIVEN THE MID LEVEL DYNAMICS...BUT WILL TREND DOWN PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL SLIGHTLY. HOWEVER...THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION FURTHER EAST NEAR THE FRONT. BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE CONVECTION WILL BE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON SINCE SURFACE CONVERGENCE WILL BE LOCATED THERE...BUT WILL EMPHASIZE THUNDERSTORMS EAST OF A MCCOOK-GOVE LINE WHERE MLCAPES WILL RANGE FROM 1000-1500 J/KG BETWEEN 18Z-21Z. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE TRICKY THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO COLD AIR ADVECTION AND INCREASING CLOUD COVER. 700 MB TEMPERATURES AROUND 5 DEGREES CELSIUS CURRENTLY EXTEND ACROSS CENTRAL WYOMING...AND THIS AIR WILL ADVECT OVER THE FORECAST AREA AFTER 15Z. WILL DEPICT A RATHER STRONG GRADIENT OF TEMPERATURES FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL USE A BLEND OF NUMERICAL GUIDANCE WHICH HAS VERIFIED THE BEST LATELY. TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA TONIGHT...SO PRECIPITATION WILL END AROUND 03Z. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL DROP INTO THE 40S. SOUNDINGS INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRATUS TONIGHT...AND WILL KEEP CONDITIONS MOSTLY CLOUDY FOR MOST OF THE AREA. VERY WEAK RIDGE AND WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL DEVELOP SUNDAY...AND RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN MONDAY. AS LOW LEVEL TEMPERATURES INCREASE...THE AIR MASS WILL BECOME UNSTABLE DURING THE AFTERNOONS. WILL NOT MENTION ANY CONVECTIVE CHANCES SUNDAY...BUT MODELS DEVELOP CONVECTION MONDAY AFTERNOON IN A NOSE OF INCREASED CAPES ALONG THE COLORADO/KANSAS BORDER. THIS IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE...BUT GIVEN THE LACK OF A LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY AND THE GENERAL UNCERTAINTY ABOUT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT...WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 255 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD INTO THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY AND BEGIN TO FLATTEN OUT. MEANWHILE...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO DIG INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES PLACING MUCH OF THE HIGH PLAINS IN STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. AT THE SURFACE...LEE TROUGH WILL DEEPEN ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS ON TUESDAY WITH SOUTHEAST SURFACE FLOW ADVECTING LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE INTO CENTRAL AND WESTERN KANSAS. A DRY LINE ALSO APPEARS TO SET-UP ALONG THE COLORADO AND KANSAS BORDER. A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ALONG THE RIDGE AND MAY BE ABLE TO TRIGGER SOME THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY AS A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHWEST TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 542 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 GUSTY NORTHWEST SURFACE WINDS OF 25-35 KNOTS WILL CONTINUE AT KGLD/KMCK THROUGH 00Z. MVFR CEILINGS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER EASTERN COLORADO...AND EXPECT THEM TO MOVE OVER KGLD AROUND 14Z. EXPECT LOW VFR CEILINGS AT KMCK AFTER 17Z. THE AIR MASS WILL BE UNSTABLE ENOUGH AT KMCK FOR SOME AFTERNOON CONVECTION. STRATUS MAY REDEVELOP AFTER 06Z TONIGHT...AND CONTINUED TO MENTION MVFR CEILINGS AT KGLD THROUGH THE NIGHT. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && UPDATE...MENTZER SHORT TERM...MENTZER LONG TERM...PM AVIATION...MENTZER
Hazardous weather outlook, May 19, 9:30 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 930 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-201200- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 930 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 /1030 AM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHEAST COLORADO THIS MORNING WILL MOVE INTO NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON. STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF OVER 50 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AND THEN AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY. 024
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 19, 9:28 AM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 928 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 COZ091-092-191600- CHEYENNE COUNTY-KIT CARSON COUNTY- 928 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CHEYENNE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO AND KIT CARSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... AT 919 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTH OF WILD HORSE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF SEIBERT IN KIT CARSON COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. && LAT...LON 3956 10307 3957 10246 3886 10262 3887 10311 TIME...MOT...LOC 1526Z 233DEG 16KT 3900 10293 JERRYK
Special weather statement, May 19, 9:28 AM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
928 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012
COZ090-191600-
YUMA COUNTY-
928 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR YUMA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO...
AT 919 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ABARR...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
&&
LAT...LON 4024 10243 4003 10222 3977 10277 3981 10281
3998 10281
TIME...MOT...LOC 1529Z 233DEG 16KT 3989 10274
JERRYKSpecial weather statement, May 19, 10:21 AM CST, 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1021 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 COZ090-091-191645- KIT CARSON COUNTY-YUMA COUNTY- 1021 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KIT CARSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO AND YUMA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST COLORADO... AT 1015 AM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BONNY RESERVOIR...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF PEA SIZED HAIL WHICH COULD COVER THE GROUND TO A DEPTH OF SEVERAL INCHES. && LAT...LON 3985 10206 3944 10205 3938 10244 3968 10253 TIME...MOT...LOC 1621Z 245DEG 35KT 3954 10226 024
Special weather statement, May 19, 10:50 AM CST, 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1050 AM MDT SAT MAY 19 2012 KSZ001-191745- CHEYENNE- 1150 AM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CHEYENNE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 1143 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HALE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM HAS A HISTORY OF PRODUCING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF PEA SIZED HAIL WHICH COULD COVER THE GROUND TO A DEPTH OF SEVERAL INCHES. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT THE ST FRANCIS AND WHEELER AREAS BETWEEN NOON AND 1230PM CDT. && LAT...LON 3957 10153 3957 10205 4000 10205 4000 10159 TIME...MOT...LOC 1649Z 245DEG 35KT 3968 10204 024
The radar
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 46 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:11 UTC.
Event by event
3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Logan
- When
- May 19, 12:46 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 3.3 mi WSW of Russell Spgs
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 38.910, -101.230
Storm chaser reports a large quantity of hail covering Highway 25 at Russell Springs.
Hail, Logan
- When
- May 19, 1:20 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 1.48 mi SSE of Oakley Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.100, -100.810
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heat in Arizona, May 19 to 21, 2012
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 19, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 19 to 20, 2012
- Hail in Kansas, May 19, 2012
- Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 19, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Iowa, May 19, 2012
- Damaging Wind in Florida, May 19, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Minnesota, May 19, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, May 19 to 20, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Tennessee, May 19, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 19, 2012
- Hail in Kansas, May 19, 2012
More
Every storm in Kansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, May 2012
Sources
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: 371777, 371778, 371779.