An intense surface low helped generate widespread strong wind with high wind reports scattered about.
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.
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 DDC wrote it up.
An intense surface low helped generate widespread strong wind with high wind reports scattered about.
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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 18, 11:16 AM CST, 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 1216 PM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 ...UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 429 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 ...RUNNING A BIT LATE THIS MORNING DUE TO THE NUMEROUS HEADLINES THAT ARE IN EFFECT... THE BAND "EARTH, WIND & FIRE" COMES TO MIND FOR THIS FORECAST. I SAY THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE WIND AND FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AND I SUPPOSE EVEN EARTH CONCERNS IF DUST IS KICKED UP BY THE AFOREMENTIONED WINDS. ANYWAY, THE SHORT TERM PERIOD IS FAIRLY BUSY IN TERMS OF SENSIBLE WEATHER. THE FIRST IS THE POSSIBILITY FOR FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS FAR SOUTHWEST KANSAS. RIGHT NOW, I AM ON THE FENCE ABOUT THIS WARNING DUE TO THE FACT THAT AT 4 AM CDT THERE IS STILL SOME WIND OBSERVED ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS. TEMPS ARE IN THE MID 30S DEG F NOW. DESPITE THIS, IT WILL NOT TAKE THAT LONG OF CALM WINDS FOR TEMPS TO RADIATE DOWN TO THE FREEZING MARK. AS A RESULT, HAVE CONTINUED THE FREEZING WARNING AS IS. THE LATEST HRRR RUN SUGGESTS THAT FREEZE WARNING CRITERIA MAY NOT BE MET. THE NEXT MAJOR CONCERN IS WINDS. THE SYNOPSIS SECTION MENTIONS SOME INTERESTING SYNOPTIC DETAILS THAT THIS SYNOPTICIAN WAS ABLE TO PICK OUT. SEE THAT SECTION FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS ON THE IMPRESSIVE JET DYNAMICS AND INTENSE SURFACE CYCLONE. BOTTOM LINE, WE ARE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. BUFKIT AND MOS GUIDANCE SUGGEST THAT THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE LOCATED ALONG THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR. HAVE UPGRADED THE WI.Y TO A HW.W AS A RESULT. LASTLY, CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND HAVE CONTINUED THE RED FLAG WARNING. SEE FIRE WX SECTION BELOW FOR DETAILS. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 326 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 A SHORTWAVE RIDGE WILL MOVE INTO THE PLAINS ON FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY WITH A WARMING TREND, MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES, AND A LEE SIDE SURFACE TROUGH. BY SUNDAY SHORTWAVE RIDGING EXTENDS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST WHILE A LARGE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BEGINS TO DIG INTO THE WESTERN CONUS. ABUNDANT GULF OF MEXICO MOISTURE WILL ALSO MOVE NORTHWARD INTO CENTRAL KANSAS AHEAD OF A SUBTROPICAL JET MOVING INTO WEST TEXAS. A LEE TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN KANSAS ON SUNDAY WITH THE WARM AIR CONTINUING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. BY MONDAY A SUBTROPICAL SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST WITH SOME THUNDERSTORMS STAYING MAINLY EAST OF WESTERN KANSAS IN THE BETTER SURFACE MOISTURE. A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS WESTERN KANSAS IN RESPONSE TO THE UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE ON MONDAY, HOWEVER THE NEW ECMWF SHOWS A MUCH WEAKER SURFACE RESPONSE AND KEEPS WARMER AIR INTO WESTERN KANSAS. THEN INTO MID NEXT WEEK SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL MAINTAIN A LEE TROUGH WITH A MAINLY DRY AIRMASS INTACT. MORE GULF OF MEXICO MOISTURE IS FORECAST AHEAD OF THE LEE TROUGH AND COULD CAUSE OF FEW SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FAR EAST FA IN THE MEDICINE LODGE AREA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, HOWEVER CONFIDENCE THAT FAR IN THE FORECAST CYCLE IS VERY LOW. OVERNIGHT LOWS LOOK TO RISE FROM THE 40S ON SATURDAY MORNING TO THE MID 40S NORTHWEST AND MID 50S SOUTHEAST FA THROUGH THE PERIOD. DAYTIME HIGHS WILL WARM FROM AROUND 70 DEGREES ON FRIDAY TO THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S INTO SUNDAY WITH A WARM FRONT. MILD 70S ARE THEN FORECAST INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1208 PM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 STRONG AND GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL IMPACT THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN THE HAYS AREA WHERE SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 35 KNOTS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. THIS AREA WILL SEE REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING DUST COMING OUT OF WESTERN NEBRASKA AND FAR NORTHWEST KANSAS. VISIBILITIES COULD DROP TO A MILE AT TIMES. SOME OF THE DUST COULD APPROACH THE DODGE CITY AREA BUT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS WILL STAY TO THE EAST OF DODGE CITY. WINDS SHOULD DIMINISH RAPIDLY BY SUNSET INTO THE 10 TO 15 KNOT RANGE BUT COULD BE GUSTY TO AROUND 20 KNOTS IN THE HAYS AREA FOR A FEW HOURS THIS EVENING. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 429 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 WINDS WILL BE NOT AN ISSUE TODAY IN MEETING FW.W CRITERIA. WHAT COULD BE AN ISSUE...AND WAS YESTERDAY...WAS RH'S. THE LOWEST RELATIVE HUMIDITY AROUND THE REGION YESTERDAY WAS AROUND 17 PERCENT. GRANTED, TODAY SHOULD SEE ADVECTION OF DRIER AIR BEHIND THE SYNOPTIC WAVE. BOISE VERIFICATION SHOWS A COLD OR LOW BIAS OF TD'S BUT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF MIXING TODAY AND STRONGER WINDS, THE VERY LOW DEWPOINTS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE COULD EASILY BE MIXED DOWN. AS A RESULT, WILL CONTINUE THE RED FLAG WARNING AS IS... ALTHOUGH I ADJUSTED IT A TEMPORAL SENSE AT THE END OF THE WARNING PERIOD. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 65 36 72 41 / 0 0 0 0 GCK 64 33 72 39 / 0 0 0 0 EHA 66 36 75 44 / 0 0 0 0 LBL 66 36 73 40 / 0 0 0 0 HYS 62 36 68 37 / 0 0 0 0 P28 67 38 72 43 / 0 0 0 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ030-031- 044>046-065-066. RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR KSZ043- 061>064-075>081-086>090. && SHORT TERM...SUGDEN LONG TERM...KRUSE AVIATION...GERARD FIRE WEATHER...SUGDEN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 1047 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 KSZ043-061>064-075>081-086>090-191600- SCOTT-HAMILTON-KEARNY-FINNEY-HODGEMAN-GRANT-HASKELL-GRAY-FORD- EDWARDS-KIOWA-PRATT-SEWARD-MEADE-CLARK-COMANCHE-BARBER- 1047 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 /947 AM MDT THU OCT 18 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL... SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS...ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF A DIGHTON TO BURDETT AND SAINT JOHN LINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT. SEE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR FROM 1 PM CDT TO 7 PM CDT. SEE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC KSZ030-031-044>046-065-066-191600- TREGO-ELLIS-LANE-NESS-RUSH-PAWNEE-STAFFORD- 1047 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS...ALONG AND SOUTHWEST OF A DIGHTON TO BURDETT AND SAINT JOHN LINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HIGH WIND WARNING IS EFFECT FROM UNTIL 7 PM CDT. SEE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR FROM 1 PM CDT TO 7 PM CDT. SEE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW...HOWEVER WIND DAMAGE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC KSZ074-084-085-191600- STANTON-MORTON-STEVENS- 1047 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS...SOUTHWEST OF A BIG BOW TO MOSCOW LINE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR FROM 1 PM CDT TO 7 PM CDT. SEE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. && FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC RUSSELL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind gust ot 58 MPH was measured at a location 1 mile WNW of Shallow Water.
A wind gust ot 58 MPH was measured at a location near Wakeeney.
A wind gust of 59 MPH was measured at a location 2 miles east of Medicine Lodge.
A wind gust ot 58 MPH was measured at a location near Dighton.
A wind gust ot 58 MPH was measured at a location near Ness City.
A wind gust of 60 MPH was measured at a location 3 miles WNW of Jetmore.
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, October 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: 418069, 418070, 418074, 418071, 418072, 418073.