A slow-moving upper low pressure area stalled over Colorado, while ample low-level moisture moved in on southeast winds. The result was a period of very heavy rainfall from repeat episodes of thunderstorms.
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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.
A slow-moving upper low pressure area stalled over Colorado, while ample low-level moisture moved in on southeast winds. The result was a period of very heavy rainfall from repeat episodes of thunderstorms. By Friday morning, September 13th, a large area of 2-6 inches of rain with locally higher amounts to 9 inches, was observed from Limon to Burlington Colorado, east along the I-70 corridor to Goodland, Oakley and Quinter in Kansas. Numerous reports of flooded or washed out roads were received from law enforcement and county officials.
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 Sep 12, 10:25 AM MST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1125 AM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 905 AM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 UPDATED THE FORECAST FOR TODAY AND EARLY EVENING TO REFLECT CURRENT RADAR/MODEL DATA. OVERALL THE AREA IS UNDER A SATURATED ENVIRONMENT WITH VERY LOW TO NO STATIC STABILITY. AS A RESULT ANY LIFT THAT MOVES OVER THE AREA FROM THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO THE WEST WILL SPARK OFF SHOWERS/ISO T-STORMS. AFTER SOME ANALYSIS THE LARGER AREAS OF SHOWERS SEEM TO BE FORMING IN AREAS OF CONVERGENCE/DEFORMATION ZONE IN THE 700MB WIND PATTERN. THE CONVERGENCE/DEFORMATION ZONE CONTINUES OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY SO AM EXPECTING A BAND OF STORMS TO LINGER OVER THE AREA AS A RESULT. CANNOT RULE OUT STORMS DEVELOPING ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE AREA SO HAVE KEPT A BROAD 30-50% GOING THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY/EARLY EVENING. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 251 AM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 UPPER FLOW WILL BE SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AS A LOW OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA MOVES NORTH INTO SOUTHEAST IDAHO. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE HIGH PLAINS THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL MOVE INTO NORTHEAST COLORADO SATURDAY/SATURDAY NIGHT. PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND DISTURBANCES MOVING NORTHWARD IN THE FLOW ACROSS NORTHWEST KANSAS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS GOOD FORCING INDICATED AS WELL.PLAN TO GO WITH HIGH CHANCE AND LIKELY POPS FOR THESE PERIODS. INSTABILITY WILL BE LACKING TONIGHT/FRIDAY SO PRECIP SHOULD BE SHOWERS WITH POSSIBLY SOME ISOLATED THUNDER. FOR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. DYNAMICS MOVE NORTH OF THE FA AND H8-7 LAYER MEAN RH DECREASES CONSIDERABLY. EVEN THOUGH SOME SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW PARAMETERS ARE NOT AS FAVORABLE FOR PRECIPITATION. CONSEQUENTLY WILL LOWER POPS TO SLIGHT CHANCE. THERE ARE SOME CHANCE POPS OVER EASTERN COLORADO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THAT PART OF THE FA CLOSER TO THE DYNAMICS AND MOISTURE. LIFTED INDICES INDICATE THE LACK OF INSTABILITY SO WILL INSERT SHOWERS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. ADDED SOME PATCHY FOG IN FOR THIS MORNING AND AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. HIGH BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE AND LIGHT EASTERLY WIND WILL PROVIDE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS. HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON DURATION OF STRATUS. FORECAST TEMPERATURES FOR TODAY AND FRIDAY ARE AROUND 70/LOWER 70S IN THE EAST. LOWER 80S ARE EXPECTED SATURDAY. MIN TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO THE MID/UPPER 50S WARMING INTO THE LOWER 60S SATURDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 225 AM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 SUNDAY... HIGH AMPLITUDE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE HIGH PLAINS REGION. A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA AS HIGH PRESSURE SLIDES INTO THE MIDWEST. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE IN THE LOW TO MID 70S FOR MUCH OF THE TRI STATE AREA WITH CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AS INSTABILITY PARAMETERS ARE SUPPORTIVE FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE PRESENCE OF SOME POCKETS OF POSITIVE VORTICITY. RAIN SHOWERS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE OVERNIGHT SUNDAY...WITH NORTH WINDS BRINGING LOW TEMPERATURES INTO THE MID TO UPPER 50S. MONDAY... A SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY MORNING...BUT WEAKENS INTO MONDAY EVENING WITH ZONAL FLOW MOVING INTO THE HIGH PLAINS FROM THE WEST. AS THE UPPER PATTERN SHIFTS...A WARM FRONT WILL DEVELOP AND MOVE NORTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT WILL BRING MORE CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION TO THE ENTIRE AREA. INSTABILITY PARAMETERS ARE MARGINAL...INDICATING THAT CONVECTION IS LIKELY TO BE LIMITED AND SHALLOW AT BEST. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY... UPPER LEVEL FLOW SHIFTS TO SHORTWAVE RIDGE PATTERN OVER THE HIGH PLAINS...PROVIDING STABILITY AT THE UPPER LEVELS. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP WITH THE RETURN OF SOUTHERLY WIND FLOW AND SOME WEAKER WARM AIR ADVECTION...BRINGING HIGH TEMPERATURES BACK INTO THE LOW TO MID 80S FOR THE TRI STATE AREA. SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES EXIST AS A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...HOWEVER STRONGER CAP IN PLACE MAY BE INHIBIT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT. THEREFORE...POPS ARE SLIGHT FOR THE AREA AT THIS TIME. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1119 AM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS FORECAST FOR THE 18Z TAFS. A VERY MOIST ENVIRONMENT WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. DUE TO THE UNSTABLE NATURE OF THE ENVIRONMENT VERY LITTLE LIFT IS NEEDED TO GENERATE RAINFALL. AS A RESULT THIS WILL CAUSE UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING TIMING OF THE RAINFALL AND ANY VIS/CEILING RESTRICTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RAINFALL OR LACK THEREOF. IN GENERAL KGLD WILL HAVE THE BETTER CHANCE FOR STORMS FOR THE TAF AS WELL AS IFR CONDITIONS. KMCK WILL BE NORTH OF THE BETTER RAINFALL AREA UNTIL MID DAY FRIDAY WHEN THE STORM ACTIVITY SHIFTS NORTHWARD. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && UPDATE...JTL SHORT TERM...FS LONG TERM...MK AVIATION...JTL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1228 PM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-131530- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 1228 PM MDT THU SEP 12 2013 /128 PM CDT THU SEP 12 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE TRI STATE AREA. NO SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED BUT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. HOWEVER ANY RAINFALL REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED. JTL
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 2 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:37 UTC.
5 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall resulted in Road 21 just east of Goodland being closed between Roads 64 and 65 due to water over the roadway.
Interstate 70 was closed for approximately six hours due to water over parts of the highway after six inches of rain fell across the county overnight. This section of road is in a construction zone. Traffic was re-routed to nearby Highway 24.
Road 10 between Roads 59 and 64 was closed due to water over the road as a result of heavy rainfall.
Road 13 between Roads 52 and 55 was closed due to water over the road as a result of heavy rainfall. The Smoky Hill River was over the bridge at Road 13.
Road 17 between Roads 52 and 55 was closed due to water over the road as a result of heavy rainfall.
Road 68 between Roads 17 and 18 was closed due to water over the road as a result of heavy rainfall.
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, September 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: 472571, 472575, 472577, 472578, 472579, 472576.