During the afternoon and into the evening severe thunderstorms developed over Northwest Kansas. The strongest storm of the day produced hail 2 deep on Highway 27 8 N of Tribune.
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 GLD wrote it up.
During the afternoon and into the evening severe thunderstorms developed over Northwest Kansas. The strongest storm of the day produced hail 2 deep on Highway 27 8 N of Tribune. Later on the same storm produced a tornado 11 SE of Leoti, which continued into Scott county. During the evening a few more severe storms developed producing quarter size hail in Rawlins and Decatur counties.
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 Apr 24, 2:03 PM CST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 203 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 201 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 AT 1PM MDT VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SHOWED PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES FOR LOCATIONS ACROSS THE TRI STATE AREA WEST OF HIGHWAY 83...WITH LOWER BROKEN TO OVERCAST CONDITIONS EAST OF THE HIGHWAY AHEAD OF AN ADVANCING WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY. CUMULUS DEVELOPMENT WAS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ON RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY ALONG A TROUGH/DRY LINE IN EASTERN COLORADO. RAP AND WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWED AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH BEGINNING TO TAKE A NEGATIVE TILT INTO THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHER HIGH PLAINS. THE LATEST HRRR GUIDANCE WAS SHOWING CONVECTIVE INITIATION AT 20Z...ALTHOUGH CELLS ARE ALREADY BEGINNING TO DEVELOP. NMM AND ARW GUIDANCE IS ALSO A BIT BEHIND REALITY WITH HAVING CONVECTION DEVELOP BETWEEN 21Z AND 00Z. 0-1 KM AND 0-3 KM HELICITY WAS NOT IMPRESSIVE WITH WIDESPREAD VALUES UNDER 50 FOR THE FORECAST AREA...SO NOT EXPECTING TORNADOES TO BE A WIDESPREAD THREAT THIS AFTERNOON WITH DEVELOPING STORMS. HOWEVER...0-6 KM BULK SHEAR APPROACHING 35-40 KTS ACROSS THE AREA IN COMBINATION WITH 1500 J/KG OF CAPE SUGGESTS A LARGE HAIL THREAT. WITH DCAPE VALUES MOSTLY BETWEEN 400 AND 500 J/KG...ISOLATED SEVERE WIND GUSTS FROM STORMS IS POSSIBLE...BUT EXPECTING THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON TO PRIMARILY HAVE A LARGE HAIL THREAT. STORMS WILL GET GOING BY MID AFTERNOON AND LAST THROUGH THE EVENING. CLOUD COVER WILL BE PRESENT LATE THIS EVENING DUE TO A STEADY STREAM OF MOISTURE MOVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA...HOWEVER A SHORTWAVE RIDGE ALOFT WILL BEGIN TO FORM ACROSS THE AREA AND BRING DRIER AIR INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN NORMAL IN THE MID TO UPPER 40S. DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS WILL BE PRESENT TOMORROW WITH THE SHORTWAVE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA...ALTHOUGH DRY WEATHER WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS ANOTHER TROUGH WITH A CUT OFF LOW FEATURE MOVES INTO THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE AND BRINGS CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THERE ARE SOME LOCATIONS WITH CAPE VALUES APPROACHING 700 J/KG AND 0-6 BULK SHEAR APPROACHING 35 KTS...HOWEVER FORECAST AREAS IN MODELS DO NOT NECESSARILY LINE UP. THEREFORE...NOT EXPECTING A WIDE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL EXIST. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 201 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 SATURDAY NIGHT-MONDAY...LARGE SCALE UPPER LOW CLOSES OFF JUST SOUTH OF FOUR CORNERS REGION SATURDAY NIGHT AND MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH ACROSS THE THE CWA LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AND STALL SOUTH AND WEST OF OUR CWA. SOUTHERLY THEN EASTERLY FLOW WILL BRING VERY GOOD MOISTURE ADVECTION INTO OUR CWA AS THIS UPPER LEVEL FEATURE MOVES EAST WITH OVERRUNNING NORTH OF THE STALLED FRONTAL ZONE WHERE ELEVATED FRONT/FRONTOGENETIC FORCING WILL BE IN PLACE. BETTER PRECIP SIGNAL IS CURRENTLY SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE CWA...WHERE I CONTINUED TREND OF RAISING POPS. IT STILL LOOKS LIKE WE COULD SEE LIGHT PRECIP PERSIST AT LEAST THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE DRIER AIR BEGINS TO ADVECT SOUTH AND SUBSIDENCE BUILDS SOUTHWEST MONDAY. IF CURRENT SIGNAL/TREND CONTINUE I COULD SEE RAISING POPS TO CATEGORICAL LATE SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY...AND TO LIKELY CATEGORY SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. WHILE 40KM GUIDANCE SHOWS QPF AS FAR EAST AS NORTON/GRAHAM THROUGH THESE PERIODS...PATTERN TENDS TO FAVOR AREAS CLOSER TO FRONTAL ZONE/HIGHER TERRAIN IN COLORADO...SO I KEPT LOWERS POPS NORTHEAST/EAST. IN POST FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT WITH THICK STRATUS/LIKELY PRECIPITATION HIGH TEMPS WILL BE COOLER AND I CONTINUED THE TREND OF LOWER HIGHS ESPECIALLY SUNDAY WHEN HIGHS MAY STRUGGLE TO REACH THE UPPER 40S IN SOME AREAS. MONDAY NIGHT-FRIDAY...THERE IS A SECONDARY H3 JET ROTATING THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS BEHIND THE LARGE SCALE TROUGH...AND THIS COULD BRING ANOTHER QUICK SHOT OF LIGHT SHOWERS....OTHERWISE LARGE SCALE RIDGING WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS AND A WARMING TREND BACK TO THE REGION THROUGH THURSDAY. MUCH WARMER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BY NEXT FRIDAY (80S) AS LEE TROUGH STRENGTHENS. WHILE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF AGREEMENT AT THIS RANGE THE PATTERN DOES SUPPORT POSSIBLE AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN COLORADO MOVING EAST INTO THE WESTERN PORTIONS OF OUR CWA...SO SLIGHT CHANCE POPS WERE KEPT IN PLACE FRIDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1134 AM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 IN THE IMMEDIATE TERM FOR KMCK...A PESKY LAYER OF MVFR OVERCAST SKIES WILL CONTINUE FOR THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. LOWER CEILINGS SHOULD IMPROVE MY MID AFTERNOON. AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL BRING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE VICINITY OF THE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON. DUE TO LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN THE EXACT TRACK OF THE STORMS...ONLY PUT VCTS MENTION IN THE FORECAST. OVERCAST SKIES WILL BE PRESENT OVERNIGHT UNTIL THE MORNING HOURS WHEN SKIES BEGIN TO CLEAR. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR BOTH KMCK AND KGLD OVERNIGHT THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...MK LONG TERM...DR AVIATION...MK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1053 AM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-251700- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 1053 AM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE BEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE EAST OF THE COLORADO BORDER. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE ACROSS NORTHWEST KANSAS AND FAR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA WITH THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 83. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED FROM LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
318 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015
KSZ041-042-242145-
GREELEY KS-WICHITA KS-
318 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN GREELEY AND
SOUTHWESTERN WICHITA COUNTIES UNTIL 345 PM MDT/445 PM CDT/...
AT 317 PM MDT /417 PM CDT/...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF TRIBUNE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN
GREELEY AND SOUTHWESTERN WICHITA COUNTIES.
LAT...LON 3827 10167 3845 10166 3846 10149 3826 10147
3826 10150
TIME...MOT...LOC 2117Z 266DEG 11KT 3836 10160
LUNDQUISTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 324 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 COZ092-242145- CHEYENNE COUNTY CO- 324 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL CHEYENNE COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM MDT... AT 324 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHEYENNE WELLS...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... FIRSTVIEW. LAT...LON 3886 10271 3900 10264 3895 10243 3878 10255 TIME...MOT...LOC 2124Z 290DEG 13KT 3890 10259 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 438 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 KSZ002-242200- RAWLINS KS- 438 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN RAWLINS COUNTY UNTIL 500 PM CDT... AT 438 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ATWOOD TO 13 MILES SOUTHEAST OF MCDONALD...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWESTERN RAWLINS COUNTY. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN KANSAS. LAT...LON 3978 10092 3957 10111 3957 10136 3978 10119 TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 221DEG 15KT 3970 10116 3963 10122 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 341 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 KSZ041-042-242200- GREELEY KS-WICHITA KS- 341 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN GREELEY AND SOUTHERN WICHITA COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM MDT/500 PM CDT/... AT 341 PM MDT /441 PM CDT/...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES SOUTH OF TRIBUNE TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF LEOTI...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LEOTI...TRIBUNE...SELKIRK AND MARIENTHAL. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 3847 10183 3850 10115 3832 10117 3832 10186 TIME...MOT...LOC 2141Z 279DEG 8KT 3836 10178 3838 10132 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 356 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 COZ090-091-242215- YUMA COUNTY CO-KIT CARSON COUNTY CO- 356 PM MDT FRI APR 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL YUMA AND NORTH CENTRAL KIT CARSON COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM MDT... AT 356 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 19 MILES EAST OF COPE TO 10 MILES NORTH OF STRATTON. THESE STORMS WERE NEARLY STATIONARY. NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BETHUNE...KIRK AND IDALIA. THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS... INTERSTATE 70 IN COLORADO NEAR MILE MARKER 430. HIGHWAY 385 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 210 AND 216. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && LAT...LON 3972 10256 3971 10220 3928 10241 3936 10273 TIME...MOT...LOC 2156Z 131DEG 2KT 3964 10249 3945 10257 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 508 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 KSZ001-242230- CHEYENNE KS- 508 PM CDT FRI APR 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHEYENNE COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM CDT... AT 508 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 3 MILES SOUTH OF ST. FRANCIS TO 20 MILES WEST OF BIRD CITY...AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ST. FRANCIS AND WHEELER. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. LAT...LON 3957 10161 3958 10198 3976 10204 3980 10169 TIME...MOT...LOC 2208Z 328DEG 10KT 3972 10179 3969 10192 LUNDQUIST
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:06 UTC.
4 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado continued into Scott County.
Nickel size hail 2 inches deep fell on Highway 27. The snowplows had to be dispatched to clear the highway.
Spotter reported hail from dime to quarter size with the storm.
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: 573040, 566439, 566440, 566441, 566442.