During the late morning an outflow boundary from overnight storms in central Nebraska moved south into Northwest Kansas. By early afternoon thunderstorms had begun to develop along the boundary, following it southward.
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 GLD wrote it up.
During the late morning an outflow boundary from overnight storms in central Nebraska moved south into Northwest Kansas. By early afternoon thunderstorms had begun to develop along the boundary, following it southward. As the afternoon progressed storm coverage increased. A few of the thunderstorms were strong enough to produce quarter size hail in Sherman, Logan, and Wallace counties. One storm near I-70 blew a loaded semi off the road west of Goodland. Due to the slow storm movement flash flooding also occurred west of Russell Springs on Highway 25.
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 Aug 5, 10:50 AM MST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1150 AM MDT MON AUG 5 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 450 AM MDT MON AUG 5 2013 FORECAST CONCERNS WILL BE INCREASING CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION AND HIGH TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY HOW MUCH TO COOL OFF WEDNESDAY. SATELLITE SHOWING AN AMPLIFIED...COMPLICATED AND EVEN RETROGRESSIVE FLOW FROM THE CENTRAL PACIFIC INTO EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. SEVERAL SHORTWAVE TROUGHS EMBEDDED WITHIN THE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED NEAR THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA. AT MID LEVELS...THE GFS WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE CANADIAN AND UKMET. THE LATEST ECMWF AND NAM WERE DOING THE WORST. OF NOTE MODELS WERE NOT AMPLIFIED ENOUGH AND FAR ENOUGH WEST WITH THE WESTERN CANADIAN UPPER RIDGE. THE SREF WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE ECMWF/GFS ON THE LOW LEVEL PRESSURE/WIND FIELD. THE GFS WAS DOING A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE ECMWF AND CANADIAN ON THE LOW LEVEL THERMAL FIELD. TODAY/TONIGHT...THIS LOOKS TO BE THE BEGINNING OF WHAT COULD BE AN ACTIVE AND WET PERIOD FOR MOST OF THE AREA. INITIALLY WILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FOG. SO FAR FOG HAS ONLY BEEN LIGHT WITH THICK STRATUS. RUC HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AND IS KEEPING THE DENSE FOG OUTSIDE OF OUR FORECAST AREA. THERE WAS A MENTION OF DENSE FOG IN THE FORECAST. SO PULLED THAT OUT FOR NOW BUT WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH CLOSELY. MAIN JET STAYS NEAR THE NEBRASKA AND SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER THROUGH THE NIGHT. MODELS HAVE A HARD TIME IN RESOLVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH DETAILS. COMPOUNDING THAT PROBLEM IS SOME OF THE OUTPUT IS SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK ISSUES. AT THE SURFACE...MODELS HAVE INTO MORE OF A CONSENSUS OF KEEPING WEEK FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER OUR COLORADO COUNTIES UNTIL MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. CURRENT ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT BOUNDARY IN THAT GENERAL AREA. WITH THE PERSISTENT WESTERLY CROSS MOUNTAIN FLOW WHICH SHOULD STRENGTHEN LEE SIDE TROUGH...THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP THAT BOUNDARY TO THE WEST OF THE COLORADO BORDER. TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT DEWPOINTS ARE LOWER. TO THE EAST OF THE BOUNDARY A VERY MOIST LOW LEVEL AIR MASS RESIDES. BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THERE LOOKS TO BE LITTLE TO NO CAP...ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST...WHERE SURFACE CONVERGENCE SHOULD INITIATE STORMS. SLOW STORM MOTIONS SHOULD THEN MOVE THOSE STORMS EAST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. BECAUSE OF THE MOIST AIR MASS AND SLOW STORM MOTIONS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING IN THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF OUR AREA. IT HAS BEEN A FEW DAYS SINCE THE LAST HEAVY RAINFALL. THAT PLUS SOME UNCERTAIN OF TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF CONVECTION DID NOT LEAD TO ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH. DAY SHIFT WILL NEED TO LOOK INTO THIS MORNING. MOST OF THE RAINFALL SHOULD BE DONE BY 12Z WITH FOG DEVELOPING ONCE AGAIN. 06Z GUIDANCE COOLED OFF MAXES SOME FROM 00Z GUIDANCE. APPLYING THE APPROPRIATE TO THE 850 MB TEMPERATURES...SUPPORTS GOING COOLER. THIS COOLING TREND MAKES SENSE WITH THE EXPECTED CLOUD COVER... DEVELOPMENT OF PRECIPITATION AND UNFAVORABLE WIND FIELD. TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT...WILL BE AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. OVERNIGHT MESOSCALE AFFECTS COULD GREATLY AFFECT THE TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION FORECAST DURING THE DAY. IT LOOKS LIKE THE PREFRONTAL TROUGH BE OVER THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE AREA IN THE AFTERNOON. BY LATE IN THE DAY RIGHT REAR QUADRANT IS NEAR OR OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS REMAINS IN ABOUT THE SAME PLACE OR MOVES A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH DURING THE NIGHT AND LOOKS TO BE AFFECT THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA. SO DURING THE DAY DO EXPECT PRECIPITATION TO BE ABOUT ANYWHERE WITH THE MAIN CONCENTRATION ALONG THE SURFACE TROUGH. THIS BOUNDARY THEN MOVES SOUTH AND IS FOLLOWED BY A COLD FRONT LATER IN THE NIGHT INTO EARLY THE NEXT DAY. A COMPLICATED AND UNUSUAL SCENARIO THEN DEVELOPS WITH THE MODELS DEVELOPING AND THEN WEAKENING A MID LEVEL CIRCULATION. MODELS AGREE IN PRINCIPAL BUT DIFFER IN DETAILS. AFTER 06Z WHAT LOOKS TO BE A RATHER STRONGER SHORTWAVE TROUGH IN ADVANCE OF THIS UPPER LOW BEGINS TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA. SO THAT AREA WILL SEE AN INCREASED CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. WITH A MOIST AIR MASS IN PLACE AND WEAK WINDS ALOFT...THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL AGAIN. WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT...RIGHT REAR QUADRANT OF THE JET REMAINS NEAR THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY. THEN IT MOVES SOUTH AND AFFECTS THE ENTIRE AREA DURING THE NIGHT. THIS JET AND THE ABOVE MENTIONED COMPLEX AND SLOW MOVING SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE AREA THROUGH THIS PERIOD. MODEL HANDLING OF THESE KIND OF SYSTEMS ARE ALWAYS SUSPECT AND CONFIDENCE IS LOW. AIR MASS WILL BE COOLER BEHIND FRONT PLUS WILL HAVE STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL EASTERLY FLOW. AT MULTIPLE LEVELS THERE LOOKS TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF CLOUD COVER. THERE IS A 10 TO 20 DEGREE SPREAD MODEL HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECASTS. THE NAM TENDS TO BE THE COOLEST AND THE GFS THE WARMEST. CONSIDERING THE ABOVE REASONING...AM THINKING COOLER IS TO WORK OUT BETTER. EVEN THOUGH I DO THINK THE NAM SOLUTION IS POSSIBLE CHOSE TO NOT GO THAT FAR. TENDED TO GO ABOUT HALF WAY BETWEEN THE TWO EXTREMES. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 313 AM MDT MON AUG 5 2013 PRIMARY CHALLENGE FOR THE EXTENDED WILL BE TIMING OF SHORTWAVES IN WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND POTENTIAL CONVECTION THAT RESULTS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...SOUTHEASTERLY SURFACE FLOW WILL BECOME REESTABLISHED IN RESPONSE TO A RELATIVELY STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVING EASTWARD INTO THE AREA. UPSLOPE FLOW AND INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN COMBINATION WITH FORCING FROM THE SHORTWAVE SHOULD RESULT IN A DECENT CHANCE OF CONVECTION...BUT TIMING REMAINS IN QUESTION GIVEN INCONSISTENCY IN MEDIUM RANGE MODELS. LATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...DEEP MOISTURE SHIFTS EAST WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE SHORTWAVE. BY THE WEEKEND...AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE AREA BRINGING A RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES ALONG WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE OF DEEP MOISTURE. WEAK AND DIFFICULT TO DISCERN SHORTWAVES CONTINUE IN WESTERLY FLOW RESULTING IN CHANCES FOR CONVECTION CONTINUING THROUGH THE END OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1149 AM MDT MON AUG 5 2013 VFR TO MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD AT MCK AND GLD. PRIMARY CONCERN THIS AFTERNOON IS THUNDERSTORMS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO FORM NEAR THE COLORADO-KANSAS BORDER AND MOVE EAST THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. A RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM STORMS IN NEBRASKA LAST NIGHT IS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WHICH IS CAUSING A FEW WEAK SHOWERS TO DEVELOP...BUT AM EXPECTING THE STRONGER STORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE SURFACE TROUGH IN EASTERN COLORADO. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD...AND CEILINGS SHOULD REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. TONIGHT EXPECT PATCHY FOG AND STRATUS TO DEVELOP DUE TO A WEALTH OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AT BOTH SITES AND LIGHT EASTERLY WINDS SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHT. AT THIS TIME DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO INCLUDE IFR CONDITIONS...AS LOCAL CONDITIONS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON THE EVOLUTION OF STORMS TODAY. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...BULLER LONG TERM...BRB AVIATION...JJM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1039 AM MDT MON AUG 5 2013 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-061215- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 1039 AM MDT MON AUG 5 2013 /1139 AM CDT MON AUG 5 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON NEAR THE KANSAS-COLORADO BORDER. THESE STORMS WILL THEN MOVE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. SLOW STORM MOTION AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO LEAD TO A FLASH FLOODING THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY CONTINUED CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE EACH DAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE TO BE A THREAT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. JJM
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 12 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:28 UTC.
5 hail, 2 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A landspout tornado was seen from the weather office looking northeast. It dissipated after about two minutes while remaining over open country.
A second weak landspout tornado was observed northeast of the office. It also remained over open fields before dissipating.
There was a semi rollover at mile marker 25 on I-70. It was blown off the road by a wind gust from the south. The semi was loaded with freight.
Heavy rainfall also occurred.
Heavy rainfall and gusty winds were also observed. Some small branches were blown to the ground.
Heavy rainfall and ponding observed in yard.
Highway 25 closed between mile markers 157 and 158 due to flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2013Warnings in Kansas, August 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: 463634, 463635, 463796, 463627, 463625, 463626, 463629, 463631, 463624.