A strong storm system brought severe thunderstorms along with sharply colder temperatures to north central and northeast Kansas on Tuesday night April 9th into the early morning hours of April 10th. Surface air temperatures behind a strong cold front dropped to or just below freezing while thunderstorms continued to develop across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 TOP wrote it up.
A strong storm system brought severe thunderstorms along with sharply colder temperatures to north central and northeast Kansas on Tuesday night April 9th into the early morning hours of April 10th. Surface air temperatures behind a strong cold front dropped to or just below freezing while thunderstorms continued to develop across the area. Those storms produced large hail and eventually produced areas of rain and freezing rain where air temperatures fell to below freezing. By midday Wednesday around one quarter inch of ice had accumulated across parts of central Kansas. No significant impacts were reported and no damage was reported.
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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 9, 11:14 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1214 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1208 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013 MADE GENERALLY MINOR UPDATES TO THE SHORT TERM FORECAST BASED ON RADAR AND TEMPERATURE TRENDS...AS WELL AS THEIR IMPACTS ON PRECIPITATION TYPE AND INTENSITY. ALL TOLD...CHANGES WERE GENERALLY MINOR BASED ON THE PREVIOUS UPDATE. UPDATE ISSUED AT 752 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO POPS AND WEATHER FOR TONIGHT BASED ON THE LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND RADAR TRENDS. SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. HOWEVER...OF IMPORTANT NOTE IS THE DRASTIC DROP IN TEMPERATURES BEING REPORTED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FROM THE COLD AIR SURGING IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. A VERY TIGHT TEMPERATURE GRADIENT CAN BE SEEN OVER THAT REGION WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM THE MID 20S TO MID 30S WITH LOW 70S STILL BEING REPORTED IN FAR EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. THESE TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH ONGOING PRECIPITATION ARE RESULTING IN PRECIPITATION TYPES TRANSITIONING FROM SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO AREAS OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN. WITH HOW QUICKLY TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN DROPPING OVER THIS REGION...HAVE PUSHED UP THE TIMING ON MIXED PRECIPITATION ENTERING THE FAR NORTHWESTERN ZONES THIS EVENING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR JUST HOW FAR EAST THESE FREEZING TEMPERATURES WILL SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT AT THIS TIME MOST AREAS EAST OF A LINE FROM MARYSVILLE TO MANHATTAN AND COUNCIL GROVE SHOULD SEE PRECIPITATION STAYING MOSTLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN. HENNECKE && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 CONVECTION BEGINNING TO INCREASE ALONG THE COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. AREAS IN THE WARM AIR OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT REMAIN IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 70S WHILE TEMPERATURES BEHIND DROP SHARPLY. CONCORDIA STILL ONLY 40 DEGREES THIS HOUR WITH 30S NOT FAR WEST. THE MAIN LARGE SCALE UPPER LOW CURRENTLY OVER COLORADO CONTINUES TO MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD. WITH THE COLD AIR MOVING EASTWARD SO QUICKLY AND A WARM MID LEVEL CAP STILL IN PLACE...EXPECT MOST SHOWERS AND STORMS TO BE GENERATED ABOVE AND BEHIND THE FRONT AS IT PASSES. THIS BRINGS THE WIND AND TORNADO THREAT DOWN CONSIDERABLY...BUT THERE IS STILL A CHANCE FOR LOWER END SEVERE HAIL. THE SECONDARY CONCERN REMAINS THE COLD DOME MOVING INTO THE AREA. WHILE THE WARM NOSE REMAINS NEARLY 10C...THE COLD NOSE NEAR 910MB COOLS TO NEARLY -4C...AND WILL BE ABLE TO REFREEZE PRECIPITATION AS IT FALLS THROUGH THE COLD AIR...PARTICULARLY FOR SMALLER DROPLETS. WHILE CONVECTIVE CHANCES DECREASE THIS EVENING...BROAD ISENTROPIC LIFT IN A SATURATED LAYER NEAR 295K COULD MAKE FOR SEVERAL HOURS OF FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE. THINK ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT...BUT ENOUGH OF AN IMPACT TO WARRANT AN ADVISORY ACROSS OUR NORTH CENTRAL COUNTIES. THIS ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE SHIFTED SOUTH AND EAST AS THE NIGHT GOES ON...AS COOLER TEMPERATURES MAKE THEIR WAY EASTWARD. EXPECT TO SWITCH TO SLEET TOWARD SUNRISE AND DIMINISH IN COVERAGE. HIGHS NOT LIKELY TO MAKE IT MUCH OUT OF THE 30S WEST TO LOW 40S EAST. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 325 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 UPPER LOW DEEPENS RATHER QUICKLY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THOUGH MAIN TROF LOOKS TO PUSH THROUGH EARLY IN THE EVENING WITH ONLY SHALLOW MOISTURE REMAINING IN ITS WAKE. WILL LEAVE SOME SMALL POPS IN PLACE IN MAINLY NORTHEASTERN LOCATIONS. TEMPERATURE PROFILES WILL AGAIN SUPPORT WINTRY PRECIPITATION TYPES IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT ANYTHING BEYOND VERY LIGHT AMOUNTS SEEMS QUITE UNLIKELY. UPPER LOW EXITS TO THE EAST OF THE AREA BY LATE THURSDAY THOUGH LOW CLOUD CONTINUES TO APPEAR TO BE RATHER PREVALENT AND WITH THE AREA RECOVERING FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT COLD AIR ADVECTION AND HIGHS WILL STILL STRUGGLE INTO THE 40S WITH GOOD MIXING. SOME MODIFICATION WILL OCCUR FOR FRIDAY WITH INCREASING INSOLATION AND WEAKER WINDS. TEMPS CONTINUE TO WARM FOR THE WEEKEND BUT THE NEXT COLD FRONT LOOKS TO SLIDE IN LATE SUNDAY. THE WINDOW FOR MOISTURE TO RETURN WITH THIS FRONT IS NOT LARGE...BUT PERHAPS ENOUGH FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AREAS. A SECONDARY COLDER AIRMASS THEN COMES IN BEHIND A DEEPER SHORTWAVE AROUND TUESDAY WITH AT LEAST MINOR CONCERN FOR ANOTHER BOUT OF WINTRY WEATHER AS LOW LEVEL TEMPS DIVE. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1208 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013 THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT ALL TAF SITES FOR THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE TAF PERIOD...WITH THUNDER GENERALLY MOVING EAST OF MHK SHORTLY AND EAST OF TOP/FOE BY 09Z. EXPECT IFR CONDITIONS TO PERSIST THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR CIGS TO RAISE CLOSER TO 1200 FEET DURING THIS PERIOD. AT THIS TIME...FELT THAT IFR WAS A BETTER FORECAST. MHK SHOULD ALSO EXPECT PERIODS OF LIGHT FZRA BETWEEN 10Z AND 16Z...BUT THE FREEZING LINE WILL BE VERY CLOSE TO MHK AND A CHANGE OF 1 OR 2 DEGREES FROM THE FORECAST MAY BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHRA AND FZRA. OTHERWISE... DO EXPECT CIGS TO IMPROVE TO MVFR WITH PERHAPS A FEW BREAKS BY AFTERNOON. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING FOR KSZ008- 009-020>022-034>037. && UPDATE...BARJENBRUCH SHORT TERM...67 LONG TERM...65 AVIATION...BARJENBRUCH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 1006 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-110315- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 1006 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME SEVERE...WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH ANY SEVERE STORMS. BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...TEMPERATURES WILL FALL TO NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING TONIGHT THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS. PERIODS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE...FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ARE POSSIBLE GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A MARYSVILLE TO MANHATTAN TO COUNCIL GROVE LINE WITH LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE...GENERALLY LESS THAN A QUARTER INCH...MAINLY ON EXPOSED AND ELEVATED SURFACES. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM WEDNESDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL AND CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1050 PM CDT TUE APR 09 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1045 PM HAIL AMERICUS 38.51N 96.26W
04/09/2013 E1.00 INCH LYON KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KSANDERSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1106 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013
KSZ037-100430-
MORRIS-
1106 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL MORRIS COUNTY...
THROUGH 1130 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTH AT 40 MPH
ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MORRIS COUNTY. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING NICKEL
SIZE HAIL. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE PARKERVILLE
AND WHITE CITY.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.
&&
LAT...LON 3863 9683 3887 9682 3887 9681 3887 9659
3862 9669
TIME...MOT...LOC 0406Z 190DEG 37KT 3870 9674
$$ BARJENBRUCHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1108 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013
KSZ010-100430-
MARSHALL-
1108 PM CDT TUE APR 9 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY...
THROUGH 1130 PM CDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AT 45
MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN MARSHALL COUNTY. NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
NICKEL SIZE HAIL. SOME LOCATIONS THAT COULD BE AFFECTED INCLUDE
BEATTIE...AXTELL AND SUMMERFIELD.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT.
&&
LAT...LON 3988 9624 3967 9642 3969 9658 4000 9642
4000 9624
TIME...MOT...LOC 0408Z 203DEG 40KT 3973 9648
$$ BARJENBRUCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1233 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1233 AM FREEZING RAIN BELLEVILLE 39.82N 97.63W
04/10/2013 U0.00 INCH REPUBLIC KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
NO PROBLEMS ON THE ROADS YET BUT ICE IS ACCUMULATING ON
VEHICLES AND OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES. THICKNESS UNKNOWN.
&&
BARJENBRUCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1234 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1233 AM FREEZING RAIN CONCORDIA 39.57N 97.66W
04/10/2013 U0.00 INCH CLOUD KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
MINOR FREEZING RAIN ACCUMULATION ON BRANCHES AND OTHER
ELEVATED SURFACES.
&&
BARJENBRUCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
1235 AM CDT WED APR 10 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1233 AM FREEZING RAIN MINNEAPOLIS 39.12N 97.71W
04/10/2013 U0.00 INCH OTTAWA KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
REPORTS OF ICE ACCUMULATING ON ELEVATED
SURFACES...THICKNESS UNKNOWN. REPORTS OF SOME ICE
ACCUMULATION IN NORTHERN OTTAWA COUNTY...BUT NO TRAVEL
ISSUES REPORTED.
&&
BARJENBRUCHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
EM reported around one quarter inch of ice on elevated surfaces around Clay Center.
Law enforcement reported around one quarter inch of ice on elevated surfaces around Abilene in Dickinson County by mid morning.
Law enforcement reported around one quarter inch of ice on elevated surfaces around Ottawa County.
EM reported ice accumulation on elevated surfaces only to around one quarter inch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, April 2013
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: 433415, 433416, 433417, 433418.