A quasi stationary boundary was located over Southern Kansas during the afternoon of April 2nd, 2015. A very unstable airmass was located just to the south of this boundary over extreme Southeast Kansas.
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 quasi stationary boundary was located over Southern Kansas during the afternoon of April 2nd, 2015. A very unstable airmass was located just to the south of this boundary over extreme Southeast Kansas. Severe thunderstorms developed rapidly over Southeast Kansas and became supercellular during the evening hours. The supercell thunderstorms produced two brief tornadoes in Labette County. One tornado produced minor damage to a shed, while the other touched down in an open field.
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 Apr 2, 4:45 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 545 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 ...UPDATED FOR 00Z AVIATION DISCUSSION... .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 331 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE IS CONVECTIVE CHANCES/TRENDS TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. THE QUASI-STATIONARY SURFACE FRONT HAS NUDGED A BIT NORTHWARD AT MID-AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS TO NEAR WINFIELD IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS. DIURNAL HEATING WILL RESULT IN MLCAPE VALUES AROUND 2000 J/KG IN THE PRESENCE OF STRONG DEEP LAYER SHEAR BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE THE CAP CONTINUES TO WEAKEN IT MAY NOT BE UNTIL EARLY EVENING BEFORE CONVECTION INITIATES IN RESPONSE TO INCREASING LOW LEVEL FLOW AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING UPPER TROF. A PERIOD OF SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE THROUGH MID-EVENING FOR AREAS MAINLY EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF WICHITA. SOME OF THIS CONVECTION WILL FESTER INTO LATE EVENING...BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND OF ELEVATED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED TO EMANATE FROM THE HIGH PLAINS AND MOVE EAST-SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS OVERNIGHT. THIS ACTIVITY WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL AND WIND...BEFORE TRACKING INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. BRISK NORTH WINDS WILL DRIVE MUCH COOLER AND DRIER AIR ACROSS THE AREA DURING FRIDAY...WITH THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SETTLING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME PATCHY FROST IS POSSIBLE...THOUGH NO HEADLINES ARE PLANNED AS WE ARE STILL ABOUT A WEEK OR SO AWAY FROM OUR USUAL AVERAGE LAST FROST/FREEZE CLIMATOLOGY IN MANY AREAS. MILDER SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND WITH MAXS CLOSER TO SEASONAL CLIMO. DARMOFAL .LONG TERM...(MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 331 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 THE MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A MEAN UPPER TROF DEVELOPING ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH AN INCREASINGLY MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS FAR EASTERN KANSAS. LITTLE CHANGE TO THE GOING FORECAST WILL BE MADE WITH MODEST PRECIP/CONVECTIVE CHANCES TIED TO THE EVENTUAL EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE UPPER TROF OR PIECES THEREOF IN THE WEST-SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND POTENTIAL FOR A COLD FRONT TO VENTURE INTO THE AREA BY MID-WEEK. KED && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 538 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 STALLED SURFACE FRONTAL ZONE EXTENDS FROM NORTHWEST OK...ACROSS SOUTHEAST KS...TO SOUTHERN MO EARLY THIS EVENING. STRONG INSTABILITY/SHEAR EXISTS ALONG/SOUTH OF THE FRONT AND EXPECTING SCATTERED SEVERE STORMS TO ERUPT EARLY THIS EVENING IN THIS REGION. SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY COULD AFFECT THE CNU TERMINAL WITH HAIL/WINDS. ICT IS JUST NORTH OF THE FRONT AND WILL LEAVE TS MENTION OUT FOR THIS EVENING AND MONITOR TRENDS. ANOTHER BATCH OF CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST-SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE HIGH PLAINS ACROSS KANSAS OVERNIGHT. THIS COULD AFFECT ALL TAF SITES...BUT HIGHER PROBABILITIES FOR CENTRAL/SOUTHEAST KS. STRONG/GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS WILL DEVELOP FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...IN ASSOCIATION WITH STRONG PRESSURE RISES AND COLD AIR ADVECTION. STRATUS SEEMS LIKELY ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA FRIDAY MORNING. EXPECT CLEARING SKIES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TOWARD MIDDAY INTO AFTERNOON FRIDAY. JMC && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 331 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 INCREASING CHANCES FOR RAIN FROM SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL GIVE SOME AREAS BENEFICIAL WETTING RAINS TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY. BEST CHANCES APPEAR TO BE OVER CENTRAL INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS. HOWEVER...THINGS WILL DRY OUT AGAIN OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS HELPING TO ELEVATE THE GRASSLAND FIRE DANGER INTO THE VERY HIGH CATEGORY...PRIMARILY FROM THE FLINT HILLS WESTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. KED && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 46 58 35 66 / 40 40 0 0 HUTCHINSON 42 58 33 67 / 50 40 0 0 NEWTON 43 55 34 65 / 60 50 0 0 ELDORADO 46 58 34 66 / 60 50 0 0 WINFIELD-KWLD 49 59 34 66 / 40 30 0 0 RUSSELL 38 56 33 68 / 70 40 0 0 GREAT BEND 39 57 33 67 / 60 40 0 0 SALINA 41 57 33 68 / 70 50 0 0 MCPHERSON 42 56 33 66 / 70 50 0 0 COFFEYVILLE 51 58 34 64 / 60 40 0 0 CHANUTE 49 57 33 64 / 70 60 0 0 IOLA 48 57 33 64 / 70 60 0 0 PARSONS-KPPF 50 58 34 65 / 70 40 0 0 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 420 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-032130- 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- 420 PM CDT THU APR 2 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING PRIMARILY EAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. THE MAIN RISKS WILL BE LARGE HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE AND DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS TO 70 MPH. ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT...MOVING FROM CENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS INTO SOUTHEAST KANSAS. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF NICKEL TO QUARTER SIZE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR SNOW MIXED WITH RAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. HOWEVER NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. A FEW STORMS MAY LINGER ACROSS SOUTHEAST KANSAS ON FRIDAY MORNING...HOWEVER THEY ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE STRONG OR SEVERE. A VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER IS POSSIBLE IN RAIN-FREE AREAS FOR MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND THE FLINT HILLS ON FRIDAY...DURING THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER IS EXPECTED OVER THE WEEKEND DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...FROM THE FLINT HILLS WESTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS. THERE WILL BE SLIGHT CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS FROM LATE SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-135. CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA BY WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE RISK FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER APPEARS TO BE RELATIVELY LOW THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE...MAINLY THIS EVENING FOR LOCATIONS EAST OF THE KANSAS TURNPIKE. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/HWO.PHP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
711 PM CDT THU APR 02 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 PM FUNNEL CLOUD 9 N MOUND VALLEY 37.34N 95.40W
04/02/2015 LABETTE KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JMCThe Tulsa radar (KINX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:24 UTC.
3 tornado, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Very brief tornado touchdown over open country. The tornado width was 50 yards.
A brief touchdown occurred in open country and was 75 yards wide. It was observed by the Emergency Manager and a storm chasers video.
A trained spotter witnessed a brief touchdown that damaged a small shed (DI1 DOD1). The tornado width was 50 yards.
Pea to dime size hail was reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2015Warnings in Kansas, April 2015
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: 560751, 560437, 560438, 560429, 560430.