A couple severe thunderstorms spawned 2 weak tornadoes and produced ping-pong ball to golfball-sized hail in Barton & Lincoln counties early in the evening.
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 ICT wrote it up.
A couple severe thunderstorms spawned 2 weak tornadoes and produced ping-pong ball to golfball-sized hail in Barton & Lincoln counties early in the evening.
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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 28, 1:53 PM CST, 3 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 253 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 253 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THE GREAT BASIN INTO THE DESERT SW WITH THE MAIN PIECE OF ENERGY DIVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL GREAT BASIN. THERE ARE SOME MORE MINOR IMPULSES AHEAD OF THE MEAN TROUGH THAT ARE LIFTING NORTHEAST FROM IA DOWN INTO WESTERN OK. AT THE SURFACE...A WEAK NEARLY STATIONARY BOUNDARY EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL IA INTO CENTRAL KS AND THEN INTO WESTERN OK AND MAY PROVIDE THE FOCUS FOR LATE AFTERNOON STORM DEVELOPMENT. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THU) ISSUED AT 253 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 MUCH OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN THIS EVENING WILL BE DICTATED BY WHAT OCCURS ALONG THE QUASI-STATIONARY SURFACE BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON. STILL THINK THE BEST CONVECTIVE CHANCES WILL BE EARLY THIS EVENING OVER MAINLY CENTRAL KS AS THE SURFACE BOUNDARY LIFTS BACK TO THE WEST. HOWEVER...AT THIS POINT CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON HOW WIDESPREAD THE COVERAGE WILL BE. STILL FEEL THAT AFTER MIDNIGHT THE BETTER STORM COVERAGE WILL BE GENERALLY NORTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. OBVIOUSLY ANY STORM THAT GOES UP THIS EVENING WILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO BECOME SEVERE. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN OVER WESTERN KS ON WED AS AN UPPER WAVE APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. TO START THE DAY THE DRYLINE WILL BE OUT NEAR THE KS/CO BORDER BUT WILL MOVE OUT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT THE DRYLINE WILL STAY WELL WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE DAY. THE BIG QUESTION WILL BE HOW MUCH ACTIVITY DEVELOPS ALONG THE DRYLINE OVER WESTERN KS. THE NAM WOULD SUGGEST VERY LIMITED DEVELOPMENT WHILE THE GFS HAS MUCH BETTER CONVERGENCE. EVEN WITH THE WAVE LIFTING OUT...BOTH THE NAM AND GFS HAVE MAINTAINED QUITE A BIT OF CAPPING...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 14. WITH THE DRYLINE STAYING WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA AND CONFIDENCE LOW ON THE AMOUNT OF STORM COVERAGE ALONG IT...NOT ORALLY IMPRESSED WITH DAYTIME SURFACE CONVECTION ON WED...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-135. THE BIGGER STORY ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA WED MAYBE THE VERY STRONG SOUTH WINDS THAT WILL BE IN PLACE MOST OF THE DAY. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME GUSTS APPROACHING 45 MPH OVER CENTRAL KS. STILL CONFIDENT THAT THE MORE WIDESPREAD STORM ACTIVITY WILL BE FOR WED NIGHT AS AN MCS DIVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA. BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED WITH SEVERE WX POTENTIAL ON THU...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE KS TURNPIKE. THE WED NIGHT CONVECTION SHOULD PUSH THE BOUNDARY SOUTHEAST AND ALSO EXPECTING AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY TO BE OVER SOUTHERN KS. MORE IMPORTANTLY BOTH THE GFS AND NAM FINALLY BRING A STRONG UPPER JET OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KS AND ESPECIALLY OK. THE WEST/NW ORIENTATION OF THIS JET WILL SETUP A PRIME SHEAR PROFILE FOR SUPERCELLS. IN ADDITION...WITH BACKING LOW LEVEL WINDS AS SUNSET APPROACHES...TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM THAT CAN REMAIN MORE ISOLATED. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN WOULD BE ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE KS TURNPIKE. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 253 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 ANOTHER ACTIVE DAY IN THE SVR WX DEPARTMENT LOOKS TO BE ON TAP FOR FRI AS THE RICH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER EASTERN KS. IN ADDITION...A VERY STRONG JET WILL REMAIN THROUGH ALL OF KS PROVIDING GREAT SHEAR FOR SUPERCELLS. BY SAT AFTERNOON THE FRONT SHOULD FINALLY PUSH OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA ALLOWING SOME RELIEF FROM THE MUGGY CONDITIONS. PRECIP WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR SUN AND MON AS THE UPPER WAVE TRACKS OVER THE OHIO VALLEY. LAWSON && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1234 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 LOW CLOUDS WILL BEGIN TO SCATTER OUT THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS PERSISTING. STORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER WESTERN KANSAS AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE EASTWARD TONIGHT. THIS ACTIVITY COULD AFFECT A FEW TAF SITES IN CENTRAL KANSAS TONIGHT...BUT COVERAGE IS NOT WIDESPREAD ENOUGH TO MENTION AT ANY SITE AT THIS TIME. OTHERWISE SOUTH WINDS WILL BEGIN TO REALLY INCREASE DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY AS SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS UP. JAKUB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 69 79 67 82 / 20 20 60 40 HUTCHINSON 68 79 66 83 / 30 20 60 30 NEWTON 68 79 66 81 / 20 20 60 40 ELDORADO 69 79 66 80 / 20 10 70 50 WINFIELD-KWLD 69 79 67 81 / 10 10 60 40 RUSSELL 67 82 64 84 / 40 30 70 20 GREAT BEND 67 82 64 86 / 40 30 60 20 SALINA 69 81 65 81 / 30 20 70 40 MCPHERSON 68 80 66 82 / 30 20 60 40 COFFEYVILLE 70 81 69 78 / 10 10 60 60 CHANUTE 69 81 68 79 / 10 10 60 60 IOLA 69 81 67 79 / 10 10 60 70 PARSONS-KPPF 70 81 68 78 / 10 10 60 60 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR KSZ032-033- 047>052-067>069-082-083-091>093. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 417 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-291900- RUSSELL-LINCOLN-BARTON-ELLSWORTH-SALINE-RICE-MCPHERSON-MARION-CHASE- RENO-HARVEY-BUTLER-GREENWOOD-WOODSON-ALLEN-KINGMAN-SEDGWICK-HARPER- SUMNER-COWLEY-ELK-WILSON-NEOSHO-CHAUTAUQUA-MONTGOMERY-LABETTE- 417 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STRONG STORMS WITH HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS WILL BE POSSIBLE. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER CENTRAL KANSAS. LOCATIONS GENERALLY NORTH OF A HUTCHINSON TO NEWTON...TO COTTONWOOD FALLS LINE WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS...DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY VERY STRONG SOUTH WINDS WILL BE IN PLACE ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA ON WEDNESDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WIND ADVISORY FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY WEST OF INTERSTATE 135. HOWEVER...THE MORE WIDESPREAD STORM ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY ARRIVE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A LARGE COMPLEX OF STORMS DIVES SOUTHEAST. SEVERE STORMS WILL BE LIKELY ON THURSDAY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. ANY STORM THAT DEVELOPS IN THIS AREA WILL LIKELY PRODUCE VERY LARGE HAIL. ANY STORM THAT CAN REMAIN MORE ISOLATED WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE TORNADOES. SEVERE STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT FOR MAINLY LOCATIONS SOUTHEAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAYBE BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL KANSAS. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP LAWSON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
415 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
KSZ070-282145-
GREENWOOD-
415 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR GREENWOOD COUNTY...
AT 414 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES WEST OF EUREKA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 40 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3767 9650 3782 9653 3788 9652 3811 9634
3787 9609
TIME...MOT...LOC 2116Z 228DEG 35KT 3781 9648SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
436 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
KSZ049-282200-
SALINE-
436 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SALINE COUNTY...
AT 435 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CULVER...OR 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF
SALINA...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3896 9760 3884 9773 3895 9793 3896 9792
3897 9776
TIME...MOT...LOC 2137Z 223DEG 25KT 3894 9782SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
546 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
KSZ047-282330-
BARTON-
546 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BARTON COUNTY...
AT 544 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREAT BEND...AND MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3865 9899 3862 9848 3858 9847 3856 9847
3856 9848 3843 9848 3826 9848 3826 9904
TIME...MOT...LOC 2246Z 216DEG 20KT 3842 9869SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 606 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 KSZ032-047-048-050-282330- BARTON-ELLSWORTH-RICE-RUSSELL- 606 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BARTON...ELLSWORTH...RICE AND RUSSELL COUNTIES... AT 602 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS BARTON AND ELLSWORTH COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3863 9904 3886 9821 3856 9805 3826 9903 TIME...MOT...LOC 2305Z 178DEG 28KT 3845 9885
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
627 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
KSZ033-048-290000-
ELLSWORTH-LINCOLN-
627 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ELLSWORTH AND LINCOLN COUNTIES...
AT 626 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF ELLSWORTH...OR NEAR
ELLSWORTH...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3899 9809 3876 9793 3872 9793 3852 9847
3882 9849
TIME...MOT...LOC 2327Z 236DEG 46KT 3881 9816SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
629 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
KSZ047-290000-
BARTON-
629 PM CDT TUE MAY 28 2013
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BARTON COUNTY...
AT 626 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST BARTON
COUNTY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
&&
LAT...LON 3866 9904 3870 9848 3863 9847 3844 9848
3833 9903
TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 194DEG 14KT 3855 9880The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:37 UTC.
2 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A nearly stationary rope tornado was reported along the Rush/Barton county line. The tornado remained in the country and caused no damage.
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, May 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: 443677, 444419, 444420.