On the morning of the 22nd, a couple severe thunderstorms visited Sedgwick and Sumner counties where quarter to golfball-sized hail occurred. Later that afternoon and evening, more storms moved across the central sections of the state producing hail and wind gusts.
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.
On the morning of the 22nd, a couple severe thunderstorms visited Sedgwick and Sumner counties where quarter to golfball-sized hail occurred. Later that afternoon and evening, more storms moved across the central sections of the state producing hail and wind gusts.
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 22, 2:40 AM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 340 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 340 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 TODAY & TONIGHT: THE STAR OF THE SHOW CONTINUES TO BE A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL SURGE SE ACROSS KS. A SHARP UPPER-DECK SHORT WAVE THAT IS SITUATED OVER MT EARLY THIS MORNING WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT PUSHES SE. AS THE SHORTWAVE CROSSES THE DAKOTAS TODAY THE FRONT WILL RAPIDLY DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHWESTERN PLAINS & SURGE SE. THE FRONT SHOULD CURVE FROM CENTRAL NEBRASKA...THRU NORTHWEST KS...TO EASTERN CO THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THE UPPER-DECK SHORTWAVE UNDERGOING RAPID CYCLOGENESIS AS IT BEGINS TO MOVE DUE E OVER THE MN/SW ONTARIO BORDER LATE TONIGHT...THE COLD FRONT WILL RECEIVE A SWIFT KICK SE ACROSS CENTRAL KS TONIGHT WITH THE FRONT LIKELY TO VENTURE INTO CENTRAL & NORTHEAST OK EARLY SUN MORNING. PRIOR TO THE COLD FRONTS ARRIVAL...VERY HIGH OCTANE FUEL WILL SURGE N/NE. SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 70S ARE LIKELY OVER MOST OF CENTRAL & EASTERN KS THIS AFTERNOON & WITH SKIES CLEARING...THE AIRMASS WILL DESTABILIZE QUICKLY. MLCAPES ARE LIKELY TO SKY-ROCKET INTO THE 3500-5000 J/KG RANGE THIS AFTERNOON. THE MOST PRONOUNCED UPPER-DECK DYNAMICS WILL BE SITUATED OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS BUT WITH THE COLD FRONT SURGING SE...COUPLED WITH DEEPENING & INCREASING SHEAR (6-KM BULK SHEARS FROM 30-40 KTS ARE LIKELY OVER PRIMARILY CENTRAL KS THIS AFTERNOON & THIS EVENING) SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TO SPREAD ACROSS CENTRAL KS & PERHAPS TO THE KS TURNPIKE. LARGE HAIL UP TO AROUND 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER NOW APPEAR POSSIBLE FOR CENTRAL KS EARLY THIS EVENING. AS THE FRONT SURGES SE THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT WOULD BE DAMAGING WINDS. WITH PRECIPITABLE WATERS JUMPING INTO THE 2.0 TO 2.25 INCH RANGE OVER EASTERN KS LATE TONIGHT VERY HEAVY RAINS ARE SURE TO OCCUR...SO NO DOUBT FLOODING WILL BECOME AN INCREASING CONCERN AS WELL. SUN-MON: AS THE AFORE-MENTIONED CYCLONE ENCOUNTERS A SHARPENING NEGATIVELY TILTED UPPER RIDGE PUNCHING NW FROM QUEBEC TO HUDSON BAY THE CYCLONE WOULD OCCLUDE OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO SUN & SUN NIGHT. THIS SHOULD PUSH THE FRONT WELL INTO OK...ENABLING THE RAIN TO QUICKLY END EARLY SUN MORNING. A MASSIVE MID-UPPER DECK RIDGE SPREADING E ACROSS THE GREAT PLAINS INSURES NICE WEATHER TO START THE WORK WEEK. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 340 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 WITH THE MASSIVE MID-UPPER RIDGE COVERING THE WESTERN & CENTRAL THIRDS OF THE U.S. CHANCES FOR RAIN NEXT WEEK ARE VERY SLIM FOR MOST OF THE UPCOMING WEEK. A MID-LEVEL TROF IS PROGGED TO DEVELOP OVER KS THU NIGHT & MAY INDUCE A FEW THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1151 PM CDT FRI AUG 21 2015 LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION HAS CONTINUED TO LEAD TO MVFR CIGS ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHERN KS....WITH EVEN SOME IFR CIGS NEAR KHUT. THINK THE MVFR CIGS WILL LINGER THE LONGEST NEAR KSLN/KHUT AND KICT...POSSIBLY ALL NIGHT. WILL SEE THE MVFR CIGS DISSIPATE ELSEWHERE. SOME POTENTIAL FOR SOME IFR CIGS TO LINGER NEAR KHUT AND POSSIBLY KICT. A SMALL CONVECTIVE COMPLEX OF STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT EAST ACROSS NRN OK OVERNIGHT...STAYING TO THE SOUTH OF THE KS/OK BORDER. THERE IS STILL A CONCERN OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY SAT MORNING WITH INCREASING MID LEVEL MOIST WARM ADVECTION OVERNIGHT ACROSS MOST OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL KS...MAINLY WEST OF I-135. THINK INCREASED MOISTURE WILL STEEPEN LAPSE RATES ENOUGH FOR A CHANCE OF SHRA/TSRA FOR AREAS SW OF THE KICT TAF...SO WILL REMOVE ANY MENTION OF VCTS OVERNIGHT. COULD SEE A STORM POSSIBLY IN CLOSE TO THE KICT TAF SITE...BUT WILL NOT MENTION IT IN THE TAF FOR NOW. AFTER THE MORNING SHOWER/STORM THREAT ENDS...EXPECT SOUTHERLY BREEZES ACROSS THE AREA...WITH SOME LINGERING MVFR CIGS NEAR THE KCNU TAF SITE. FOCUS AT THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD TURNS TO AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT THAT WILL PUSH ACROSS NORTHERN KS INTO CENTRAL KS LATE SAT AFTERNOON/SAT EVENING. WILL INSERT A VCTS FOR THE KRSL AND KSLN TAFS BY AROUND 22-23Z/SAT...AS THE FRONT WILL BE LAYING ACROSS CENTRAL KS WITH PLENTY OF INSTABILITY FOR A TSRA CHANCE. EXPECT THIS FRONT TO RAPIDLY PUSH SOUTH ACROSS THE WHOLE FORECAST AREA ON SAT EVENING WITH A POTENTIAL SQUALL LINE OF STORMS DROPPING SOUTH INTO KICT/KHUT AFTER 03-04Z/SUN. KETCHAM && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... WICHITA-KICT 92 67 80 59 / 10 70 10 0 HUTCHINSON 92 64 79 56 / 10 80 10 0 NEWTON 91 63 78 58 / 10 80 10 0 ELDORADO 90 66 79 57 / 10 80 10 0 WINFIELD-KWLD 91 68 80 60 / 10 80 20 0 RUSSELL 94 59 79 56 / 20 70 0 0 GREAT BEND 93 61 79 56 / 20 70 10 0 SALINA 93 62 80 56 / 20 80 10 0 MCPHERSON 91 63 79 56 / 10 80 10 0 COFFEYVILLE 88 69 81 59 / 30 80 20 0 CHANUTE 88 67 79 58 / 20 80 20 0 IOLA 88 67 78 57 / 10 80 20 0 PARSONS-KPPF 88 68 80 58 / 30 80 20 0 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 453 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-231000- 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- 453 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...THAT MAY PRODUCE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS...SHOULD OCCUR ACROSS EXTREME SOUTH-CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST KANSAS UNTIL MID-MORNING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER CENTRAL KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON AS A STRONG SOUTHEAST-MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHES. THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN INCREASE CONSIDERABLY AS THEY SPREAD SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WITH LARGE HAIL AND WINDS AROUND 70 MPH. IN CENTRAL KANSAS...THE HAIL MAY REACH AROUND 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER. LATER TONIGHT...DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY HEAVY RAINS WOULD BECOME THE PRIMARY THREATS...ESPECIALLY FOR SOUTHEAST KANSAS WHERE FLOOD WARNINGS MAY BE REQUIRED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE OVER SOUTHEAST KANSAS SUNDAY MORNING BUT WOULD BE NEITHER STRONG NOR SEVERE. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FOR AREAS WEST OF I-135 WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WITH WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. SMALL HAIL AND 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN CENTRAL KANSAS. && FOR A GRAPHICAL VERSION OF THIS INFORMATION...SEE OUR WEBPAGE AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/WICHITA/HWO/ ES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
335 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015
KSZ091-092-220915-
HARPER KS-SUMNER KS-
335 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHEASTERN HARPER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
SOUTHWESTERN SUMNER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
* UNTIL 415 AM CDT
* AT 334 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTH OF ARGONIA...OR 12
MILES EAST OF ANTHONY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CALDWELL...ARGONIA...MILAN...DANVILLE AND FREEPORT.
LAT...LON 3700 9782 3727 9794 3734 9772 3701 9752
3700 9769
TIME...MOT...LOC 0834Z 245DEG 16KT 3715 9781
CARUSOSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 405 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 KSZ092-220930- SUMNER KS- 405 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A * SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTH CENTRAL SUMNER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS... * UNTIL 430 AM CDT * AT 403 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTH HAVEN...OR 9 MILES EAST OF CALDWELL...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... SOUTH HAVEN AND HUNNEWELL. LAT...LON 3701 9756 3715 9750 3715 9731 3700 9732 TIME...MOT...LOC 0903Z 294DEG 38KT 3706 9744 CARUSO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS
507 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015
KSZ091-092-221045-
HARPER KS-SUMNER KS-
507 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A
* SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
NORTHEASTERN HARPER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
NORTHWESTERN SUMNER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS...
* UNTIL 545 AM CDT
* AT 506 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR ARGONIA...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF CONWAY SPRINGS...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS...AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CONWAY SPRINGS...ARGONIA...MAYFIELD AND MILAN.
LAT...LON 3724 9786 3739 9783 3739 9781 3742 9781
3735 9748 3712 9764
TIME...MOT...LOC 1006Z 288DEG 22KT 3731 9778
CARUSOSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WICHITA KS 540 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 KSZ092-221130- SUMNER KS- 540 AM CDT SAT AUG 22 2015 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WICHITA HAS ISSUED A * SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR... SOUTHWESTERN SUMNER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL KANSAS... * UNTIL 630 AM CDT * AT 538 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER CALDWELL... MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES AND PONDING OF WATER OR MINOR FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... CALDWELL...SOUTH HAVEN AND HUNNEWELL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS...SHOULD THE RISK FOR MINOR LOW-LAND FLOODING BECOME MORE IMMINENT. && LAT...LON 3700 9772 3714 9768 3708 9737 3700 9740 TIME...MOT...LOC 1038Z 208DEG 3KT 3704 9760 CARUSO
The Wichita radar (KICT), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:36 UTC.
9 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dime to quarter-sized hail was reported to have occurred for the past few minutes.
The spotter reported the golf ball sized hail occurred along with hail of various other sizes that eventually covered the ground.
The quarter-sized hail was reported, via face book, on the west of side of Valley Center. The time of occurrence is estimated from radar.
Pea sized hail was also reported with the strong winds.
The hail fell on the north side of town.
Hail stones were completely covering the ground. Sixty five mph winds were also reported.
A measured wind gust was reported by local law enforcement.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 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: 595884, 600872, 600873, 595887, 595888, 600874, 600875, 600876, 600877, 600878, 600879.