Several clusters of severe thunderstorms produced large hail during the late afternoon and evening hours. 5 inches in diameter during the late afternoon before moving south and dissipating.
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.
Several clusters of severe thunderstorms produced large hail during the late afternoon and evening hours. Storms near Oakley, Kansas dropped hail up to 2.5 inches in diameter during the late afternoon before moving south and dissipating. A second round of storms developed just before sunset over Yuma County Colorado and Cheyenne County Kansas which ultimately moved slowly north before dissipating. These supercells produced hail up to the size of golf balls. A window was broken in a home in western Cheyenne County as a result of golf ball size hail.
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 Jul 31, 5:20 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 520 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 252 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 AS OF 4 AM CDT...3 AM MDT...SKIES ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA FROM MOSTLY CLEAR TO CLOUDY. PATCHY FOG HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...MAINLY EAST OF A LINE FROM TRENTON NEBRASKA TO GOVE KANSAS. TEMPERATURES HAVE FALLEN INTO THE MID TO UPPER 60S. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING...HOWEVER ACTIVITY SEEMS TO BE ON A WEAKENING TREND AS THE STORMS MOVE TO THE SOUTHEAST ALONG A SURFACE BOUNDARY...AWAY FROM THE INFLUENCE OF A LOW LEVEL JET. FOR TODAY...FORECAST WILL BE SOMEWHAT COMPLICATED BY THE RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES AND ANY LINGERING SHOWERS OR FOG THIS MORNING. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE LOW 90S ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL DROP DOWN INTO THE REGION DURING THE MORNING HOURS WITH A WEAK LEE TROUGH DEVELOPING TO THE WEST. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN AREAS OF SURFACE CONVERGENCE THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE COLD FRONT. THE BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM MCCOOK NEBRASKA TO BURLINGTON COLORADO. WITH MODELS INDICATING CAPE VALUES OF 2000-3000 J/KG...LIFTED INDICES OF -7 TO -9...850-500 MB LAPSE RATES OF 7-8 C/KM...0-6 KM BULK SHEAR OF 35-45 KTS AND FAVORABLE HODOGRAPHS WOULD INDICATE A GOOD CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ONCE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP RAPIDLY THIS AFTERNOON. STORM MOTION SHOULD BE TO THE SOUTHEAST. STORM MODE WILL GENERALLY BE A MIX OF SUPERCELLS AND SOMEWHAT ORGANIZED MULTICELL SYSTEMS. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS. LCLS APPEAR TO BE SOMEWHAT HIGH AND UNFAVORABLE FOR A HIGHER TORNADO THREAT SO DO NOT THINK A MENTION OF ISOLATED TORNADOES IS NECESSARY IN THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK. FOR TONIGHT...CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE AND SLOWLY SLIDE TO THE SOUTH DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. HOWEVER...A LOW LEVEL JET WILL DEVELOP AGAIN...SIMILAR TO TONIGHT...AND ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AS THE MAIN THREAT. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOW TO UPPER 60S. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY VEER FROM THE EAST TO SOUTH DURING THE NIGHT AS THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLIDES BACK TO THE NORTHEAST. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 252 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 ON THURSDAY...A STRONGER UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE FORECAST AREA. A SURFACE LOW WILL DEVELOP AND DEEPEN TO THE WEST IN RESPONSE TO THIS DISTURBANCE. SOUTH WINDS WILL PICK UP AHEAD OF THE DEEPENING LOW AND COULD BECOME BREEZY TO GUSTY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP OVER THE TERRAIN TO THE WEST AND SURFACE CONVERGENT BOUNDARIES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. CAPE...SHEAR...LAPSE RATES AND SOUNDING ANALYSIS WOULD INDICATE THAT A BETTER SEVERE WEATHER SETUP IS EXPECTED FOR THURSDAY. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL AGAIN BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS. LCLS AND HODOGRAPHS ARE SOMEWHAT MORE FAVORABLE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF A ISOLATED TORNADO ON THURSDAY...GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE FROM TRENTON NEBRASKA TO GOVE KANSAS. EITHER WAY...THURSDAY LOOKS TO BE A LARGER AND MORE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EVENT COMPARED TO MORE RECENT EVENTS. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL AGAIN REACH THE LOW TO MID 90S ON THURSDAY. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ON THURSDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ELEVATED CONVECTION AND A MCS MOVING IN FROM WYOMING AND WESTERN NEBRASKA. FRIDAY MORNING SHOULD BE QUIET HOWEVER ATTENTION WILL YET AGAIN SHIFT TO THE WEST DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD REDEVELOP TO THE WEST OVER THE TERRAIN AND MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA. A FEW STORMS AREA ALSO POSSIBLE ALONG ANY REMAINING OUTFLOW OR FRONTAL BOUNDARIES IN THE EASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE AS WELL WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE MAIN THREATS. FOR THE EXTENDED FORECAST (SAT AUG 03 THRU TUE AUG 06)... PATTERN BEGINS WITH AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE HIGH PLAINS...WHICH WILL STRAIGHTEN AND GRADUALLY DRIFT WEST OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN DEPICTED BY GLOBAL GUIDANCE FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS...SO FEEL FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN THIS OVERALL PATTERN. ALL GUIDANCE IS COMING TO AGREEMENT ON A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH/VORT MAX MOVING ACROSS THE COLORADO ROCKIES AND INTO THE HIGH PLAINS ON SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY...RESULTING IN TERRAIN-BASED AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN EASTERN COLORADO AND MOVING WELL INTO KANSAS BY SATURDAY NIGHT. WHILE TOO FAR OUT TO PIN DOWN MORE PRECISE DETAILS...THE DEEP LAYER WINDS LOOKS TO BE CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. ON SUNDAY SLIGHT CHC TO CHC POPS FROM DIURNAL TERRAIN-BASED STORMS...THOUGH SYNOPTIC FORCING WILL NOT BE AS STRONG. ON MONDAY INTO TUESDAY A NUMBER OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION LEADING TO STORMS. TEMPS DURING THIS TIMEFRAME WILL BE NEAR NORMAL...HIGHS UPPER 80S TO LOW 90S AND LOWS IN THE MID 60S. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 520 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 PATCHY FOG/STRATUS HAS DEVELOPED AGAIN THIS MORNING. KMCK WILL SEE REDUCED VIS AND CIGS TO MVFR...POSSIBLY IFR...CONDITIONS BEFORE FOG/STRATUS DISSIPATES AFTER 15Z. KGLD MAY BE IN THE CLEAR FROM ANY FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS HOWEVER PATCH OF FOG/STRATUS 20 MILES TO THE WEST WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED. A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THIS MORNING...BRINGING NORTH WINDS. SHOWERS/STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. MENTIONED VCTS AT BOTH SITES. WAS MORE CONFIDENT IN CONVECTION AT KGLD SO ALSO INCLUDED A TEMPO GROUP. STORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST AND SHOULD BE FAR REMOVED FROM TAF SITES BY 00Z. STORMS COULD REDEVELOP TONIGHT AS A LOW LEVEL JET STRENGTHENS AND SURFACE FRONT REMAINS...HOWEVER CERTAINTY IS LACKING SO DID NOT PLACE IN THE TAF. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY VEER BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST TONIGHT AS A LOW BEGINS TO STRENGTHEN TO THE WEST. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...RRH LONG TERM...RRH/JJM AVIATION...RRH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 336 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-011400- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 336 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 /436 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG A WEAK COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM MCCOOK NEBRASKA TO BURLINGTON COLORADO. SOME STORMS WILL BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS REGION EACH DAY FROM THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. A MORE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS FORECAST FOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM TRENTON NEBRASKA TO GOVE KANSAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
142 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013
NEZ080-310750-
HITCHCOCK-
242 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL HITCHCOCK COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA...
AT 239 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF TRENTON...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30
MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
&&
LAT...LON 4008 10081 4000 10078 4000 10110 4004 10119
4020 10107
TIME...MOT...LOC 0742Z 300DEG 27KT 4008 10102
LUNDQUISTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
158 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1245 AM TSTM WND DMG STRATTON NE 40.15N 101.23W
07/31/2013 HITCHCOCK NE EMERGENCY MNGR
DOWNED LIVE TREE BRANCHES 4-5 INCHES IN DIAMETER. TIME
ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
JJMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 211 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 KSZ014-015-310830- SHERIDAN-THOMAS- 311 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEAST THOMAS COUNTY AND NORTHWEST SHERIDAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 307 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF REXFORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS AND TIMES OF ARRIVAL INCLUDE... REXFORD BY 325 AM CDT... 6 MILES NORTH OF MENLO BY 330 AM CDT... PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. && LAT...LON 3937 10038 3932 10105 3957 10116 3957 10042 TIME...MOT...LOC 0811Z 318DEG 23KT 3953 10082 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 229 AM MDT WED JUL 31 2013 KSZ014-015-310845- SHERIDAN-THOMAS- 329 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEAST THOMAS COUNTY AND NORTHWEST SHERIDAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 327 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES NORTH OF COLBY TO REXFORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. LOCATIONS AND TIMES OF ARRIVAL INCLUDE... GEM AND 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF COLBY BY 340 AM CDT... HALFORD AND MENLO BY 345 AM CDT... PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. && LAT...LON 3957 10115 3957 10049 3934 10036 3931 10106 TIME...MOT...LOC 0829Z 322DEG 25KT 3949 10101 3948 10071 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 338 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013 KSZ014-015-310850- SHERIDAN-THOMAS- 338 AM CDT WED JUL 31 2013 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL THOMAS COUNTY AND WEST CENTRAL SHERIDAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 335 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM HALFORD TO MENLO... MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH. LOCATIONS AND TIMES OF ARRIVAL INCLUDE... SEGUIN BY 345 AM CDT... ANGELUS BY 400 AM CDT... PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. && LAT...LON 3937 10100 3942 10050 3919 10038 3917 10091 TIME...MOT...LOC 0838Z 324DEG 39KT 3937 10086 3937 10066 LUNDQUIST
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:28 UTC.
7 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Large hail damaged trucks, tractors and buildings at a farmstead northwest of St Francis. Crop damage was also reported, but no estimate of dollar loss is available for the crops.
Numerous reports from emergency manager (EM), trained spotters and the public were received in a short period of time with hail sizes ranging from 1.25 up to 2.50 in diameter. The EM estimated at least 100 vehicles in town suffered some type of hail damage, with some having windshields or other glass broken. Two med-flight aircraft also had damage.
A window in a home was broken as a result of the hail.
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, July 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: 457307, 457286, 457287, 457288, 457289, 457290, 457291.