A series of severe thunderstorms moved across central Kansas dropping a plethora of hail in many locations across Russell and Lincoln counties. The severe thunderstorms also unleashed damaging winds that reached 80 mph.
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 series of severe thunderstorms moved across central Kansas dropping a plethora of hail in many locations across Russell and Lincoln counties. The severe thunderstorms also unleashed damaging winds that reached 80 mph. Two tornadoes were reported with one being rated as an EF1.
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 24, 1:17 PM CST, 2 hours 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 217 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 217 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 MESOSCALE FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... LATEST SATELLITE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS UPPER LEVEL WAVE WITH ASSOCIATED DRY SLOT OVER THE WESTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO RACE NORTHEAST AND INTO CENTRAL KANSAS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG SURFACE HEATING IS UNDERWAY OVER WESTERN KANSAS AND SPREADING EASTWARD RAPIDLY INTO CENTRAL/SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS HELPING TO DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. WE ARE EXPECTING THE WARM FRONT BOUNDARY TO SHARPEN UP ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS NEAR THE I-70 CORRIDOR...WITH LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE INCREASING AND INITIATING THUNDERSTORMS AROUND THE 3-4PM TIME FRAME. EVEN THOUGH ADVECTION OF THE HIGHER SURFACE DEWPOINTS ARE BEING HELD IN CHECK DUE TO MORNING/AFTERNOON CONVECTION ALONG THE RED RIVER AREA...UPPER 50S TO LOW 60S DEWPOINTS WILL STILL PROVIDE PLENTY OF INSTABILITY AS VERY STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE RATES OVERSPREADS THE REGION FROM APPROACHING UPPER WAVE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DUE TO VERY STRONG WIND SHEAR ALOFT WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY RISK...HOWEVER IF LOW LEVEL WINDS CAN MAINTAIN A SOUTHEAST OR SOUTH COMPONENT A TORNADO RISK WILL EXIST ALONG THE WARM FRONT. THE STORMS COULD THEN FORM INTO A COMPLEX OF STORMS THAT WOULD SINK SOUTHEAST TONIGHT. ADDITIONAL STORMS COULD TRY AND DEVELOP FURTHER SOUTH ALONG THE DRY LINE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS EITHER LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING...WITH A SLIGHTLY HIGHER RISK OF TORNADOES DUE TO BETTER QUALITY MOISTURE PUSHING NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA AND POSSIBLE DISCRETE NATURE OF THESE STORMS. JAKUB OVERNIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... STRONG TO SEVERE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION SHOULD EXIT SOUTHEAST KANSAS BY DAWN SATURDAY. THE DEEPER CYCLONE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI INTO CENTRAL ILLINOIS DURING SATURDAY AS A SURFACE COLD FRONT DROPS SOUTH AND BACKDOORS CENTRAL AND EASTERN KANSAS. IT APPEARS SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE POOLING ALONG AND JUST NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY COMBINED WITH DIURNAL HEATING MAY PROVIDE IMPETUS FOR ISOLATED LATE DAY CONVECTION ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA. IF SO...IT COULD LINGER INTO THE EARLY EVENING BEFORE WANING. OTHERWISE...COOLER AIR WILL GRADUALLY SETTLE SOUTH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY IN ADVANCE OF THE DEVELOPING CLOSED UPPER LOW ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS. MODEL DIFFERENCES STILL APPEAR ON THE TRACK OF THIS FEATURE EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH THE GFS CONTINUING ITS MORE NORTHERLY TRACK...WHERE AS THE ECMWF IS FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. FOR NOW WILL MAINTAIN RELATIVELY HIGHER CHANCES ACROSS SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. DARMOFAL .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 217 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 AFTER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS UPPER LOW MOVES EAST OF THE AREA BY TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...THE WEATHER PATTERN LOOKS DRY AND SEASONABLY MILD FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK. UPPER RIDGING DEVELOPING ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS IS EXPECTED TO SLIDE GRADUALLY EAST INTO THE PLAINS. KED && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1231 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 LOW CLOUDS WILL GRADUALLY CLEAR OUT FROM WEST TO EAST AND CEILING HEIGHTS RISE THIS AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL KANSAS NEAR THE WARM FRONT BOUNDARY LATER THIS AFTERNOON. SOUTH WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG AND GUSTY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS. THE STORMS COULD FORM INTO A LINE AND DROP SOUTHEAST DURING THE NIGHT HOURS. JAKUB && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 55 79 50 65 / 50 10 10 10 HUTCHINSON 53 77 47 63 / 60 10 10 10 NEWTON 54 76 47 62 / 70 10 10 10 ELDORADO 56 78 48 65 / 60 10 10 10 WINFIELD-KWLD 55 80 50 67 / 50 10 10 10 RUSSELL 51 76 45 60 / 80 10 10 10 GREAT BEND 52 77 46 61 / 80 10 10 20 SALINA 52 75 46 62 / 80 10 10 10 MCPHERSON 52 76 46 62 / 80 10 10 10 COFFEYVILLE 59 80 50 67 / 60 10 10 10 CHANUTE 59 77 49 65 / 60 10 10 10 IOLA 59 76 48 64 / 60 20 10 10 PARSONS-KPPF 59 79 50 67 / 60 10 10 10 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 309 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-252015- 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- 309 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL KANSAS... SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT CENTRAL KANSAS THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...WITH MORE ISOLATED STORMS DEVELOPING FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS DURING THE EVENING. SUPERCELL TYPE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH VERY LARGE HAIL UP TO TENNIS BALL SIZE...DAMAGING WINDS...AND A FEW TORNADOES. THE STORMS MAY MERGE INTO A COMPLEX BY LATE THIS EVENING...WHICH WILL SHIFT EAST TONIGHT ACROSS THE FLINT HILLS AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHERN KANSAS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH THIS ACTIVITY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL KANSAS AND PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...AND PERHAPS LATE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT FOR SOUTHEAST KANSAS. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 352 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 KSZ032-242130- RUSSELL KS- 352 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A * SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... NORTHWESTERN RUSSELL COUNTY IN CENTRAL KANSAS... * UNTIL 430 PM CDT * AT 349 PM CDT...SATELLITE IMAGERY AND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT THUNDERSTORMS WERE RAPIDLY DEVELOPING 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF YOCEMENTO...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS OR LARGER...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... GORHAM AND PARADISE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED WITH THIS STORM IF IT MAINTAINS INTENSITY AND MOVES INTO THE AREA. BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS. && LAT...LON 3913 9904 3913 9880 3881 9904 TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 225DEG 33KT 3899 9937 MCGUIRE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
514 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0514 PM TORNADO 4 SW PARADISE 39.07N 98.97W
04/24/2015 RUSSELL KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
BRIEF TOUCHDOWN. HEAVY RAIN MAKING IT HARD TO SEE
&&
SGSThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 146 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:15 UTC.
9 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Rain wrapped rope tornado that briefly touched the ground. The tornado was 40 yards wide.
One foot diameter tree limbs were downed near 179th and Decker by winds that ranged from 70 to 80 mph.
No damage was reported.
No damage was reported.
The hail was mostly nickel-sized.
The roof was peeled off of the high school gymnasium (DI16 DOD5) and the press box at the football stadium was completely demolished. The tornado was 40 yards wide.
The emergency manager reported that virtually every car and roof sustained significant damage in Lucas. All of the skylights at the middle school were broken.
The hail was reported on the east side of the lake.
No damage was reported.
The winds occurred along I-70 near mile marker 219. The report was relayed via KWCH Channel 12.
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: 564573, 566911, 566917, 566912, 566913, 566918, 566914, 566915, 564586, 566916, 566919, 566920, 566934, 566921.