Kansas, 2012

Drought in Kansas, October 1 to 31, 2012

October 1 to 31, 2012 · NWS GID · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Continuing a trend from recent months, rainfall during October exhibited considerable variability within these six counties. However, given that most of the area finished below normal for the sixth consecutive month, the overall drought situation stayed mostly unchanged as the summer and fall of 2012 continued marking its place in history as one of the worst droughts in several decades.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
$20 million
Events
6

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 GID wrote it up.

Continuing a trend from recent months, rainfall during October exhibited considerable variability within these six counties. However, given that most of the area finished below normal for the sixth consecutive month, the overall drought situation stayed mostly unchanged as the summer and fall of 2012 continued marking its place in history as one of the worst droughts in several decades. Throughout the month, all six counties continued under a federally-designated drought disaster. According to weekly issuances of the U.S. Drought Monitor, category D4 exceptional drought remained firmly in place across Phillips and Rooks counties, along with the majority of Smith and Osborne counties. Meanwhile, a slight improvement was noted in Jewell and Mitchell counties, as this area ended the month with a mix of category D3 extreme and category D2 severe drought. Taking a closer look at monthly precipitation totals, the majority of Phillips, Rooks, Smith and Osborne counties measured between 0.60-1.25 inches, compared to October normals generally between 1.70-2.00. Put another way, most of these areas only realized between 35-70 percent of normal October rainfall. Some of the lowest monthly totals per NWS cooperative observers included 0.51 at Webster Dam, 0.60 near Long Island and 0.76 at Kirwin Dam. Farther east, most of Jewell and Mitchell counties tallied higher rainfall totals between 1.75-2.25, with a few of the largest amounts including 3.16 near Burr Oak and 2.27 at Beloit. The majority of October rain was associated with thunderstorms on the 13th and 14th.

Over the longer range period from May through mid-October, most of North Central Kansas only realized between 35-60 percent of normal rainfall. As just one example, Smith Center measured only 6.73 during this 5 month time span...or 37% of the normal amount of 17.88. For the week ending October 14th, the Kansas Crop Progress and Condition Report from the USDA indicated that topsoil moisture across the north central district was 49 percent short to very short and subsoil moisture 78 percent short to very short. Across the state as a whole, range and pasture conditions were reportedly 80 percent poor to very poor, the worst since ratings began in 1985. Both hay and stock water supplies rated around 70 percent short to very short, a figure that has held fairly steady through the past few months. Poor to very poor crop conditions across the state were assigned to 67 percent of sorghum and 61 percent of soybeans. Ninety percent of the statewide corn harvest was already complete, about three weeks ahead of average.

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 30, 10:53 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 10:53 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1153 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

.AVIATION...06Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT KGRI
THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL BE
POSSIBLE AT THE TERMINAL...BUT NOTHING BELOW 10000FT AGL ARE
CURRENTLY FORECAST. THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT MEASURABLE
RAINFALL COULD BE OBSERVED AT KGRI...PRIMARILY BETWEEN SUNRISE AND
LATE MORNING MONDAY...BUT AT THIS TIME THE CHANCES OF
PRECIPITATION BEING REALIZED AT KGRI ARE TOO LOW FOR INSERTION
INTO THE TAF. THE SURFACE WIND WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND VARIABLE
THROUGH 09Z BEFORE BECOMING MORE ESTABLISHED FROM THE
NORTH/NORTHWEST. A STRONG NORTH/NORTHWESTERLY SURFACE WIND WILL BE
REALIZED AT THE TERMINAL ON MONDAY...SUSTAINED NEAR 22KTS AND
GUSTING TO NEAR 29KTS. VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT
KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1012 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/

UPDATE...KUEX INDICATES ANY LINGERING CONVECTION ACROSS THE REGION
HAS FINALLY PUSHED OUT OF OUR CWA. LOSS OF DIABATIC HEATING SHOULD
PREVENT ANY ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FROM BEING REALIZED
THROUGH AT LEAST 06Z. BEYOND 06Z HOWEVER...A MID LEVEL TROUGH
AXIS...CURRENTLY OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS...WILL PUSH
EAST/SOUTHEAST WITH PERHAPS ENOUGH MID LEVEL THERMAL ADVECTION AND
DPVA FOR ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION OVER OUR AREA.
ALSO...EVENING UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES A ~100KT UPPER LEVEL
JET STREAK OVER MONTANA AND WYOMING. THIS UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT...WITH THE LEFT-FRONT
QUADRANT OF THIS JET STREAK PERHAPS PROVIDING ENOUGH OF AN
INDIRECT THERMAL CIRCULATION THUS ALSO ENHANCING CHANCES FOR
PRECIPITATION AFTER 06Z. QPF FIELDS FROM THE NAM...OPERATIONAL
GFS...EC AND SREF-MEAN ALL ALSO SUGGEST LIGHT PRECIPITATION WILL
BE REALIZED OVER OUR WEST/NORTHWESTERN CWA AND AS A RESULT OF ALL
THIS...WENT AHEAD CONTINUED CARRYING 20% ACROSS OUR WEST/NORTHWEST
06Z-12Z. INCREASING MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES WITH THE APPROACH OF MID
LEVEL TROUGH AXIS WILL PROMOTE AT LEAST MODEST POTENTIAL
INSTABILITY...WITH THE NAM AND OPERATIONAL GFS BOTH SUGGESTING
DEEP LAYER MUCAPE VALUES OF ~50J/KG OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. GIVEN
ALL THIS...CERTAINLY DO NOT ANTICIPATE MUCH CONVECTION BUT AN
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT AND WILL CONTINUE
CARRYING THUNDER MENTION IN THE FORECAST OVERNIGHT.

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 356 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012/

SHORT TERM...THROUGH LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON. THERE ARE TWO PRIMARY
ISSUES AT HAND DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...THE FIRST BEING A
POSSIBLE BUT STILL FAIRLY UNCERTAIN RISK FOR A FEW STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN CWA LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THIS EVENING...AND THE SECOND MAIN ISSUE BEING ELEVATED TO NEAR-
CRITICAL FIRE DANGER ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. ALSO OF CONCERN IS
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH POST-FRONTAL RAIN WILL DEVELOP
MAINLY DURING THE MORNING HOURS MONDAY. FOR ALL FIRE WEATHER
DISCUSSION PLEASE SEE THE SEPARATE SECTION BELOW.

20Z OBJECTIVE SURFACE ANALYSIS INDICATES A NORTH-SOUTH TROUGH AXIS
EXTENDING FROM NORTH CENTRAL NEB TO NORTHWEST KS...SEPARATING A
LIGHT/VARIABLE TO LIGHT/SOUTHERLY WIND REGIME TO THE EAST FROM A
STRONGER NORTHERLY COMPONENT TO THE WEST. WITHIN AND NEAR THE
IMMEDIATE TROUGH AXIS...INCLUDING MAINLY THE WESTERN 1/4 OF THE
CWA...SURFACE DEWPOINTS HAVE INCREASED TODAY BETWEEN THE MID 40S
AND MID 50S...AND THERE ARE EVEN NOW SIGNS OF A LOW LEVEL CUMULUS
FIELD STARTING TO SHOW ITS HAND. MEANWHILE...ACROSS THE MAJORITY
OF THE CENTRAL/EASTERN CWA...DEWPOINTS HAVE AGAIN DONE THEIR
SEEMINGLY DAILY CRASH WELL INTO THE 30S IN MOST AREAS...ONCE AGAIN
BELOW FORECAST VALUES. ACTUAL HIGH TEMPS ARE WORKING OUT PRETTY
WELL...WITH NEARLY ALL AREAS WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF 80. OTHER
THAN THE NEWLY DEVELOPED CUMULUS FIELD IN PARTS OF THE
WEST...VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWS THAT MOST OF THE THICKER HIGH
CIRRUS FROM EARLIER TODAY HAS VACATED EAST OF THE CWA...WHILE A
FEW LEGITIMATE SHOWERS/NEWLY DEVELOPED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALREADY
OCCURRING BOTH SOUTHWEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE CWA IN NORTH CENTRAL
NEB AND NORTHWEST KS. WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY AND SHORT TERM
MODEL DATA DEPICTS AN ALMOST DUE NORTHERLY MID LEVEL FLOW OVER THE
CWA...WITH THE PRIMARY SYNOPTIC SCALE LOWS CONSISTING OF A DEEP
CLOSED CIRCULATION OVER THE NORTHEAST STATES...A VERY SLOW MOVING
CLOSED MID LEVEL LOW CENTERED OVER EASTERN OK...AND A PROGRESSIVE
OPEN WAVE AND ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK DIPPING OUT OF
SOUTHERN CANADA INTO THE MT/ND/SD REGION.

STARTING WITH THE MOST IMMEDIATE ISSUE OVER THE NEXT 6 HOURS OR
SO...HAVE MAINTAINED 20-30 PERCENT SHOWER/STORM CHANCES LATE THIS
AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING FOR AREAS PRIMARILY WEST OF AN ORD-
KEARNEY-PLAINVILLE LINE AND ESPECIALLY DAWSON...GOSPER AND FURNAS
COUNTIES WHICH ARE ABOUT THE ONLY PARTS OF THE CWA WITHIN THE
MOIST AXIS AND RESULTANT INSTABILITY AXIS...WITH 20Z MESOSCALE
ANALYSIS SUGGESTING THAT A NARROW CORRIDOR OF MLCAPE AT LEAST INTO
THE 500-1000 J/KG RANGE IS NOW IN PLACE IN THIS AREA.
MEANWHILE...THE EASTERN HALF TO TWO THIRDS OF THE CWA HAS
ESSENTIALLY NO CONVECTIVE INSTABILITY AT THIS HOUR...AND THIS WILL
NOT CHANGE HEADING INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WITH DEEP LAYER 0-6KM
BULK SHEAR ONLY AVERAGING AROUND 20 KT...AM NOT EXPECTING A
LEGITIMATE SEVERE THREAT WITH THIS EVENT...BUT THERE IS MORE THAN
ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO GET SOME SEMI-ORGANIZED MULTICELL STORMS OR
A FEW QUASI-LINEAR CLUSTERS GOING...WITH SMALL HAIL AND WINDS TO
AROUND 50 MPH VERY POSSIBLE. FOLLOWING THE REFLECTIVITY PROGS OF
THE LATEST HRRR AND ALSO 12Z 4KM-WRF NMM...THERE COULD BE A DECENT
LULL IN SHOWER/STORM ACTIVITY ONCE THE MID EVENING HOURS ARRIVE
AND THE LOW LEVELS START TO STABILIZE A BIT. FOR THE LATE NIGHT
06Z-12Z POP/WEATHER GRIDS...OPTED TO BLANKET A 20 PERCENT CHANCE
OF SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDER ACROSS ROUGHLY THE NORTHWEST 2/3 OF
THE CWA INCLUDING THE TRI-CITIES...IN ASSOCIATION WITH INCREASING
SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING AND A RESULTANT SOUTHWEST-NORTHEAST BAND OF
MID LEVEL SATURATION DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE PARENT SHORTWAVE
DROPPING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE DAKOTAS. THERE ARE PLENTY OF
QUESTIONS REGARDING HOW WIDESPREAD THIS LATE NIGHT PRECIPITATION
MIGHT BE...WITH BOTH THE LATEST ECMWF/GFS SUGGESTING IT COULD BE
NARROW BUT FAIRLY SOLID BAND OF MEASURABLE RAIN...WHILE THE NAM IS
MUCH DRIER THROUGH SUNRISE ALONG WITH THE 4KM WRF-NMM. AT ANY
RATE...NOT EXPECTING ANY LATE NIGHT STORMS TO BE ALL THAT STRONG
LET ALONE SEVERE. KEPT LOW TEMPS TONIGHT SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS
FORECAST AND MET/MAV GUIDANCE BLEND...GENERALLY RIGHT AROUND 50.

FOR THE MONDAY DAYTIME HOURS...BY SUNRISE A WELL DEFINED SURFACE
COLD FRONT WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF CROSSING THROUGH THE
CWA...AND REALLY THE MOST PROMINENT WEATHER FEATURE THROUGH THE
DAY WILL BE THE QUITE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS IN ITS WAKE...AS
NORTH WINDS AVERAGE 20-25 MPH SUSTAINED THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY
AND GUSTS 30-35 MPH...BUT SHOULD AVERAGE AT LEAST 5 MPH SHORT OF
ADVISORY CRITERIA. AS FOR PRECIP CHANCES DURING THE DAY...AM
STARTING TO WONDER IF THE FORECAST 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS
DURING THE MORNING HOURS ACROSS ROUGHLY THE SOUTHEAST 2/3 OF THE
CWA IS HIGH ENOUGH...AS THE LATEST ECMWF/GFS ARE NOW SHOWING
POTENTIAL FOR A MORE ORGANIZED NARROW BAND OF LIGHT BUT MEASURABLE
RAINFALL PASSING THROUGH FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST.
HOWEVER...WITH MOST OF THE SATURATION ABOVE 700MB AM HESITANT TO
GET TOO CARRIED AWAY WITH POPS...ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT BOTH THE
18Z NAM AND 12Z WRF-NMM SHOW A MUCH MORE HIT AND MISS...LESS
ORGANIZED BAND. STAYED WITH THE THEME FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST...AND
LEFT THIS MORNING PRECIP RISK AS JUST SHOWERS WITH NO THUNDER
MENTION...ALTHOUGH SUPPOSE A FEW ROGUE LIGHTNING STRIKES ARE NOT
OUT OF THE QUESTION. ALSO IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS FORECAST...LEFT
THE AFTERNOON 18Z-00Z PERIOD PRECIP FREE...BUT THERE A FEW HINTS
IN LATEST MODELS THAT A FEW SHOWERS COULD LINGER INTO THE
AFTERNOON PERIOD ACROSS THE FAR EASTERN/SOUTHERN CWA...AND THE
NEXT SHIFTS WILL WANT TO SEE IF MAYBE THIS RAIN MENTION NEEDS
EXTENDED IN TIME A BIT. BY THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS
HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IS FAIRLY HIGH THAT THE ENTIRE CWA SHOULD BE
RAIN-FREE AND SEEING PLENTY OF SUN...AS THE PARENT MID LEVEL
TROUGH AXIS AND RESULTANT MID LEVEL SATURATION STARTS TO FOCUS
EAST OF THE AREA. TEMP WISE...LOWERED HIGHS 2-3 DEGREES FROM
PREVIOUS IN MOST AREAS...FOLLOWING THE RAW 12Z NAM SOLUTION
CLOSELY AND RANGING FROM LOW 70S NORTHWEST TO UPPER 70S SOUTHEAST.
DID LOWER DEWPOINTS SEVERAL DEGREES ESPECIALLY DURING THE MID-LATE
AFTERNOON WITH WIDESPREAD LOW-MID 30S AND EVEN UPPER 20S
NORTHWEST.

LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDS SOUTH BEHIND THE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WITH RIDGE AXIS
SETTLING ACROSS NEBRASKA AND WESTERN KANSAS MONDAY NIGHT. THE
RIDGE DOES WEAKEN...HOWEVER IN THE COOLER...DRY AIRMASS WITH LIGHT
WINDS AND GOOD RADIATIONAL CONDITIONS...WE ARE LOOKING AT THE
POTENTIAL FOR SOME CHILLY OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES. SFC DPS DROP
TO THE 20S AND LOWER 30S AND ITS LOOKING LIKE OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL
AGAIN FALL INTO THE TEMPERATURE RANGE FAVORABLE FOR FROST...IN THE
LOW/MID 30S. THESE LOCATIONS HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED SIMILAR LOW
TEMPS THIS SEASON OR COLDER AND WILL NOT MENTION FROST...BUT WILL
NEED TO MONITOR FOR FREEZE CONDITIONS FOR LOCATIONS THAT HAVE YET
TO FREEZE.

THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS WASHES OUT/SHIFTS EAST ON TUESDAY WITH
RETURN FLOW SETTING UP AHEAD OF A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW IN
MANITOBA...ASSOCIATED WITH UPSTREAM TROUGH ALONG THE US/CANADIAN
BORDER. SHORTWAVE RIDGING NOSES ONTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS IN BETWEEN
UPPER LOW TO THE SOUTHEAST AND TROUGH ENTERING THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES. TEMPERATURES WILL MODERATE TUESDAY...BUT WITH COOL START
TO THE DAY AND LESS MIXING WILL AIM FOR HIGHS IN THE MID 70S VS
NEAR 80F.

WEDNESDAY IS REALLY ONE OF THE TRICKIER DAYS DUE TO TIMING OF COLD
FRONTAL PASSAGE. UPPER LOW PRESSURE TROUGH REACHES THE NORTHERN
PLAINS AND ROCKIES WITH THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVING INTO
WESTERN NEBRASKA BY 12Z WEDNESDAY. THERE ARE IMPRESSIVE PRESSURE
RISES OF 10+MB PROGGED BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE NEB PANHANDLE. IN
GENERAL MODELS HAVE TRENDED FASTER WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE WITH THE
BOUNDARY THROUGH AT LEAST OUR WESTERN THIRD CWA...IF NOT HALF OF
THE CWA BY 18Z. WITH THE FASTER TREND...HAVE SHARPENED TEMP
GRADIENT NW/SE WITH AND LOWERED HIGHS IN OUR NORTHWEST TO THE LOW
70S. IF FRONT TRENDS ANY FASTER...COULD SEE TEMPS FALLING DURING
THE AFTERNOON AND OUR NW ZONES MAY NOT REACH 70F. THIS BEING
SAID...IF FRONT IS SLOWER AND MORE IN LINE WITH ECMWF VS
NAM/GFS...TEMPS MAY BE WARMER THAN CURRENT FORECAST.

PCPN CHCS INCREASE WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN INCREASING UPPER DYNAMICS AS
TROUGH CROSSES THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE 12Z GFS AND GEM ARE DEEPER
WITH TROUGH THAN THE MORE PROGRESSIVE 00Z AND 12Z RUNS OF THE
ECMWF. HAVE CONCERNS THAT ECMWF IS TOO PROGRESSIVE WITH
SYSTEM...AND GFS/GFS ENSEMBLE LOOKS TO BE DECENT COMPROMISE
BETWEEN ECMWF AND GEM SOLUTIONS. IF THE DEEPER TROUGH SOLUTIONS
VERIFY WE COULD SEE A DECENT CHC FOR RAIN...BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE
MORE CONSISTENCY BEFORE RAISING POPS. THE TROUGH AXIS DEPARTS
THURSDAY MORNING...WITH PCPN ENDING W/E.

THEREAFTER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WORKWEEK AND INTO NEXT
WEEKEND...PATTERN WILL BE INFLUENCED BY UPPER TROUGH ENCOMPASSING
MUCH OF THE INTERIOR CONUS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL
AND THERE WILL BE SOME HIT OR MISS CHCS FOR RAIN SHOWERS AS ENERGY
TRANSLATES THRU FLOW.

FIRE WEATHER...ALTHOUGH FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY
FORECAST TO FALL JUST A BIT SHORT OF CRITICAL THRESHOLDS ON MONDAY
AFTERNOON THANKS TO RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES HOLDING AT LEAST
SLIGHTLY ABOVE 20 PERCENT...THE CURRENTLY FORECAST COMBINATION OF
SUSTAINED NORTHERLY WINDS AROUND 25 MPH/GUSTS 30-35 MPH AND
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES FALLING INTO THE 22-26 PERCENT RANGE FOR
A FEW HOURS IS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE CONTINUATION OF
ELEVATED TO NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE DANGER WORDING IN THE HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOK. BASED ON RAINFALL TRENDS OVER THE PAST MONTH AND
OFFICIAL FIRE GROWTH FUEL STATUS FROM FIRE MANAGERS...THE NEBRASKA
COUNTIES WILL GENERALLY BE UNDER THE GUN MORE SO THAN KS. ONE
FACTOR THAT MIGHT BE JUST ENOUGH TO SPARE US FROM DROPPING TO 20
PERCENT OR LOWER RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS THAT HIGH TEMPS WERE LOWERED
2-3 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST. HOWEVER...DEWPOINTS WERE ALSO
DROPPED AT LEAST 5 DEGREES FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST IN MOST AREAS
DURING THE KEY MID-LATE AFTERNOON HOURS...NOW ADVERTISED BETWEEN
THE UPPER 20S AND MID 30S IN MOST COUNTIES. NEXT FEW SHIFTS WILL
HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THESE DEWPOINT/RH TRENDS...AS ONLY A
SLIGHT DOWNWARD ADJUSTMENT COULD REQUIRE HEADLINE ISSUANCE FOR AT
LEAST A SMALL PART OF MAINLY THE WESTERN CWA. LOOKING BEYOND
MONDAY...WILL ALSO HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR
OUR NEXT POTENTIALLY NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE DANGER SITUATION...AS
NORTHERLY WINDS INCREASE AGAIN BEHIND THE NEXT COLD FRONT.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
&&

AVIATION/UPDATE...BRYANT
SHORT TERM/FIRE WEATHER...PFANNKUCH
LONG TERM...FAY
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 30, 11:50 PM CST, 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...RESENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1250 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012

KSZ005-017-NEZ039>041-046>049-060-061-072>074-082>084-011530-
PHILLIPS-ROOKS-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-
DAWSON-BUFFALO-GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-
1250 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...PRIMARILY ALONG AND NORTHWEST
OF A LINE FROM SILVER CREEK...TO LOUP CITY...TO FRANKLIN IN
NEBRASKA...TO STOCKTON IN KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEVERE
WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

ON MONDAY...ELEVATED TO NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE DANGER WILL DEVELOP
ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT...BUT
ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA WHERE VEGETATION IS DRIEST.
NORTH WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 30 MPH FOR SEVERAL HOURS...AND
AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO AROUND 25 PERCENT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

KSZ006-007-018-019-NEZ062>064-075>077-085>087-011530-
SMITH-JEWELL-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-ADAMS-CLAY-
FILLMORE-WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
1250 AM CDT MON OCT 1 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...PRIMARILY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE
FROM SILVER CREEK...TO LOUP CITY...TO FRANKLIN IN NEBRASKA...TO
STOCKTON IN KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

ON MONDAY...ELEVATED TO NEAR-CRITICAL FIRE DANGER WILL DEVELOP
ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT...BUT
ESPECIALLY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA WHERE VEGETATION IS DRIEST.
NORTH WINDS WILL GUST TO AROUND 30 MPH FOR SEVERAL HOURS...AND
AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL FALL TO AROUND 25 PERCENT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

BRYANT/PFANNKUCH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 30, 6:08 PM CST, 5 hours 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
708 PM CDT SUN SEP 30 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0705 PM     HAIL             2 W COZAD               40.86N 100.02W
09/30/2012  E1.00 INCH       DAWSON             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

PBEDA

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Jewell

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Jewell forecast zone
Crop damage
$5.0 million
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.785, -98.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Mitchell

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Mitchell forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.393, -98.209 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Osborne

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Osborne forecast zone
Crop damage
$5.0 million
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.350, -98.768 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Phillips

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Phillips forecast zone
Crop damage
$5.0 million
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.785, -99.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rooks

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Rooks forecast zone
Crop damage
$5.0 million
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.350, -99.325 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Smith

When
October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where
Smith forecast zone
Reported by
Drought Monitor
Coordinates
39.785, -98.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought
A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, October 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: 413651, 413653, 413654, 413656, 413657, 413658.