Very windy conditions prevailed across portions of central Kansas producing several areas of downed tree limbs and power lines. The winds generally were sustained around 40 mph for a couple of hours and the gusts reached into the upper 40 to middle 50 mph range.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Very windy conditions prevailed across portions of central Kansas producing several areas of downed tree limbs and power lines. The winds generally were sustained around 40 mph for a couple of hours and the gusts reached into the upper 40 to middle 50 mph range.
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 Feb 20, 5:48 AM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 548 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014 ...UPDATED FOR AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 316 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014 EXTREMELY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OVER WESTERN KANSAS WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS THIS MORNING...AS SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT SIGNIFICANTLY TIGHTENS. WE HAVE EXPANDED THE HIGH WIND WARNING A BIT FURTHER EAST AS THE INTENSE GRADIENT WINDS COULD IMPACT LOCATIONS ALONG AND WEST OF I-135/I-35...ALSO EXTENDED THE TIME OF THE WIND ADVISORY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS SINCE CLEARING SKIES COULD ALLOW A LONGER PERIOD OF DEEPLY MIXED LOW LEVELS. A DEFORMATION BAND OF SNOW WILL RACE EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS THIS MORNING...AND THE COMBINATION OF MODERATE SNOWFALL/EXTREME WINDS COULD DROP VISIBILITIES FROM THE BLOWING SNOW TO LESS THAN A HALF MILE. STILL EXPECTING SNOW ACCUMULATIONS TO BE AROUND 1 INCH ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. OTHERWISE...STRONG SUBSIDENCE WILL QUICKLY SPREAD OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON WITH CLEARING SKIES AND WARMING TEMPERATURES. A NICE WARM-UP LOOKS TO PREVAIL FOR FRIDAY ACROSS KANSAS WITH PREMIUM DOWNSLOPE EFFECTS BOOSTING TEMPERATES BACK INTO THE WARMER 60S WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN DROP SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY WITH DAYTIME HIGHS COOLER THAN FRIDAY BUT STILL A BIT ABOVE NORMAL. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 316 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014 EVEN COOLER AIR WILL SPREAD SOUTHWARD ON SUNDAY AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SINKS SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS...WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. MODELS SHOW A STRONGER UPPER WAVE RACING EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON MONDAY...WHICH WILL PUSH A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLDER AIR SOUTHWARD INTO KANSAS FOR MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY. WELL BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR TUESDAY WITH A SLIGHT MODERATION OF TEMPERATURES ON WEDNESDAY. JAKUB && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 538 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014 AVIATION CONCERNS WILL BE VERY STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF LOW VISIBILITIES DUE TO MODERATE SNOW THIS MORNING. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A POWERFUL SHORTWAVE LIFTING OVER KS/SOUTHERN NEBRASKA WITH A DEEP SURFACE LOW CENTERED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KS. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY LIFT NORTHEAST TODAY. VERY STRONG NW WINDS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SURFACE LOW WILL SPREAD OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KS THIS MORNING. SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 40 MPH WILL BE COMMON WITH GUSTS IN THE 50 TO 60 MPH RANGE. THESE STRONG WINDS SHOULD MOVE INTO THE KRSL-KHUT SITES AROUND 14Z AND KICT-KSLN AROUND 15Z. A BAND OF SNOW WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONG WINDS WITH VISIBILITIES REDUCED TO LESS THAN A MILE OVER CENTRAL KS. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THIS BAND WILL MOVE VERY FAST...ONLY AFFECTING A SITE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS...BUT FOR THOSE COUPLE OF HOURS VISIBILITIES WILL LIKELY BE LESS THAN A MILE. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT BY THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE IN PLACE AS WINDS START TO DECREASE. LAWSON && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 48 27 62 32 / 30 0 0 0 HUTCHINSON 48 27 61 29 / 70 0 0 0 NEWTON 47 28 61 30 / 60 0 0 0 ELDORADO 48 27 61 31 / 60 0 0 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 51 27 62 34 / 20 0 0 10 RUSSELL 46 26 61 26 / 90 0 10 10 GREAT BEND 47 26 61 27 / 90 0 0 10 SALINA 45 27 60 28 / 90 0 10 10 MCPHERSON 47 27 60 29 / 80 0 0 10 COFFEYVILLE 56 29 61 35 / 40 0 0 10 CHANUTE 53 26 61 32 / 50 0 10 10 IOLA 52 27 60 32 / 50 0 10 10 PARSONS-KPPF 55 27 61 33 / 40 0 0 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR KSZ052-053-069>072- 093>096-098>100. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR KSZ049-051- 068-083-092. WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR KSZ032-033-047>051-067-068-082-083-091-092. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR KSZ032-033- 047-048-050-067-082-091. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM CST THIS MORNING FOR KSZ032- 033-047>051. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 514 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-211115- 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- 514 AM CST THU FEB 20 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT EXTREME NORTHWEST WINDS OF 40 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH WILL AFFECT CENTRAL AND SOUTH KANSAS THIS MORNING. THE NORTHWEST WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...PLEASE REFER TO THE HIGH WIND WARNING AND WIND ADVISORY FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS. A BAND OF MODERATE SNOW WILL COMBINE WITH THE EXTREME NORTHWEST WINDS THIS MORNING OVER CENTRAL KANSAS...AND COULD CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW VISIBILITIES...PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MORE INFORMATION. IN ADDITION...VERY HIGH GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER LEVELS WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE COMBINATION OF DRY AIR AND GUSTY WINDS WILL CREATE VERY HIGH GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT (LOWERCASE) HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP CJ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts into the lower 50 mph range was also noted.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Sustained winds of 40 mph were noted for approximately two hours.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph across the west sections of the county.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph.
Wind gusts to 51 mph were also noted. Power lines were blown down and blocked a few lanes of traffic. Over 7000 people were without power.
Sustained winds across the area were estimated to be around 40 mph. A peak wind gust of 53 mph was also noted at the airport.
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, February 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: 504406, 504407, 504409, 504408, 504411, 504410, 504412, 504413, 504414, 504415, 504417, 504416.