A few severe thunderstorms struck parts of Central Kansas from late in the afternoon until late in the evening on the 31st.
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 few severe thunderstorms struck parts of Central Kansas from late in the afternoon until late in the evening on the 31st.
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 Aug 31, 2:09 PM CST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 309 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 309 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 THE MAIN FOCUS AND CHALLENGE REVOLVES AROUND THE PROSPECTS FOR EPISODAL DEEP MOIST CONVECTION TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. A PROGRESSIVE UPPER TROF IN THE STRENGTHENING UPPER FLOW ALOFT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL CONUS TONIGHT TO THE GREAT LAKES ON MONDAY. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR WILL PREVAIL EARLY THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING DRYLINE AND COLD FRONT AS IT MOVES INTO CENTRAL KANSAS. THE STOUT CAPPING INVERSION IN PLACE SHOULD BE OVERCOME BEFORE 00Z THIS EVENING AIDED BY SURFACE FRONTAL CONVERGENCE AND FORCING FROM UPPER TROF. THIS WILL RESULT IN STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION WHICH IS EXPECTED TO TRACK EAST ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. THE MAIN CHALLENGE REMAINS THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THIS ACTIVITY DUE TO THE AFOREMENTIONED WARM MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES. THE LATEST SHORT TERM/MESO MODELS ARE NOW MORE SUGGESTIVE OF DEVELOPING CONVECTION FURTHER SOUTH INTO PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS TONIGHT. THIS SUPPORTS AND INCREASES CONFIDENCE IN THE GOING POP FORECAST SO ONLY SUBTLE TWEAKS WILL BE NEEDED. WHILE THIS COMPLEX WILL LIKELY EXIT STAGE RIGHT BY MONDAY MORNING...THE EFFECTIVE SURFACE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO LAY OUT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL INTO EAST CENTRAL KANSAS DURING THE DAY. THE COMBINATION OF DIURNAL HEATING AND AN APPROACHING TRAILING SHORTWAVE ALOFT MIGRATING EAST ACROSS THE AREA SHOULD RESULT IN RENEWED CONVECTION BY LATE MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY AND SHEAR SHOULD GIVE RISE TO ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN KANSAS MONDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW LEVEL JET IMPINGES ON THE VERY MOIST/UNSTABLE LOW LEVEL AIRMASS WITH POTENTIAL FOR TRAINING CELLS ALONG THE FRONT. A POTENTIALLY VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS ALONG THE QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO GIVE RISE TO CONVECTIVE CHANCES TUESDAY...WITH THE FRONT SLOWLY MIGRATING NORTH OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY. HEAT INDICES COULD BECOME RATHER SULTRY ON WEDNESDAY. DARMOFAL .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 309 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 AN UPPER TROF TRAVERSING THE NORTHERN TIER/SOUTHERN CANADA LATE IN THE WEEK LOOKS TO PUSH A COLD FRONT SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA BY FRIDAY WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN ITS WAKE. WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY MODEST CHANCE POPS WITH THE FRONT THOUGH LATER REFINEMENT IN SPACE AND TIME IS EXPECTED. KED && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1229 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 MAIN ISSUE WILL BE THUNDER CHANCES AT KRSL AND KSLN DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. INITIALLY...STRONG SOUTH WINDS WILL AFFECT ALL SIGHTS TO THE WEST OF THE FLINT HILLS OR A COTTONWOOD FALLS TO SEDAN LINE. SOUTH WINDS OF NEAR 30 MPH ARE FORECAST AND SOME GUSTS TO NEAR 40 WILL PREVAIL. AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST...THE WINDS OVERNIGHT WILL BEGIN TO SWING TO A MORE NORTHERLY DIRECTION. IN THE MEAN TIME...STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND MOVE EAST. INITIALLY IT LOOKS LIKE A COUPLE OF ISOLATED CELLS MAY BE SUPERCELLULAR IN NATURE AND PRODUCE HAIL TO GOLF BALL SIZE AND HIGH WINDS UP TO 65 MPH. HOWEVER...AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES THE STORMS WILL TRANSITION INTO A LINEAR FORM AND RACE EAST POTENTIALLY PRODUCING WINDS UP TO 75 MPH. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT KRSL AND KSLN. KHUT WILL BE ON THE FRINGE AT THIS TIME. MORE STORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY AFTERNOON ALONG AND EAST OF THE KS TURNPIKE. THIS WILL LIKELY BE COVERED WITH FUTURE TAF ISSUANCES. CWH && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 73 92 69 90 / 30 30 50 40 HUTCHINSON 70 90 68 90 / 40 20 40 30 NEWTON 71 90 67 89 / 40 30 40 30 ELDORADO 73 93 67 90 / 40 40 50 40 WINFIELD-KWLD 74 94 70 90 / 20 50 50 40 RUSSELL 65 85 64 88 / 70 10 20 20 GREAT BEND 66 87 65 89 / 50 10 30 20 SALINA 69 87 65 90 / 70 10 20 20 MCPHERSON 69 89 67 89 / 70 20 30 20 COFFEYVILLE 75 94 71 90 / 30 50 60 40 CHANUTE 73 93 70 89 / 40 60 60 40 IOLA 73 92 69 88 / 40 60 60 40 PARSONS-KPPF 74 93 70 89 / 30 50 60 40 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 337 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-012045- 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- 337 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SOUTH WINDS NEAR 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL AFFECT AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE UNTIL DARK. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OR MOVE INTO CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING...GENERALLY TO THE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 50. DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH AND HAIL TO AROUND GOLF BALL SIZE WILL BE POSSIBLE. A COMPLEX OR LINE OR STORMS WILL MOVE EAST AND MAY EVENTUALLY BUILD SOUTHEAST INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER THE RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO LESSEN...THOUGH A FEW STRONG STORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS...ISOLATED LARGE HAIL AND FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE. WHILE THE SEVERE THREAT WILL WANE AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSES...THE THREAT FOR FLOODING WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT. STRONG STORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. HEAT INDICES WILL HOVER NEAR 100 DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-135. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA ON FRIDAY OR SATURDAY BRINGING ANOTHER THREAT OF STRONG STORMS TO THE AREA. IF YOU ARE CAMPING OR BOATING THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY...MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A WAY TO RECEIVE WARNINGS AND UPDATES. PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER AND HAVE A PLAN OF WHAT YOU WILL DO IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. EVERYONE IS URGED TO CHECK LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR WATCHES AND WARNINGS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING IN CENTRAL KANSAS AND ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP KED/HOWERTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
539 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KSZ032-312315-
RUSSELL-
539 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHERN RUSSELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...
* UNTIL 615 PM CDT
* AT 536 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTH OF PARADISE...OR 9
MILES NORTH OF RUSSELL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
PARADISE...LURAY...LUCAS AND WALDO.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THE STORM INTENSIFIES AND
BECOMES SEVERE, OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
&&
LAT...LON 3913 9904 3914 9888 3914 9849 3910 9848
3904 9849 3891 9904
TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 244DEG 20KT 3902 9889
BILLINGS WRIGHTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
551 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KSZ033-312315-
LINCOLN-
551 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHERN LINCOLN COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS...
* UNTIL 615 PM CDT
* AT 551 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES EAST OF HUNTER...OR 14 MILES
NORTH OF LINCOLN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BARNARD.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
&&
LAT...LON 3922 9793 3914 9792 3905 9849 3913 9848
3914 9850 3922 9850 3923 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 2252Z 245DEG 53KT 3924 9821
BILLINGS WRIGHTThe Dodge City radar (KDDC), 142 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:56 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Diameters ranged from pea to quarter-sized. Time of event estimated per Doppler.
No damage was reported.
Limbs from 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter downed. Power outages resulted.
Speeds were estimated from 55 to 60 mph.
Trees were blown down in town. Time of event is an approximation based on gust observations at the airport.
No damage was reported.
Reports were received, via Twitter, of a 6-inch diameter limb that was blown down. Time of event is estimated from radar.
A trained spotter reported 60 mph winds or higher along Interstate 135 north of McPherson.
Measured gust at the school weather lab site.
Measured wind gust at the school weather lab.
The gust was measured by a KDOT mesonet site.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 2014
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: 533877, 533878, 533879, 533882, 533880, 533883, 533881, 543369, 543370, 543371, 543372.