Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 13, 2015

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, July 13, 2015
Start: 2015-07-13T16:59
End: 2015-07-13T19:03
Location: Kansas

July 13, 2015 · NWS TOP · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

On the afternoon of the 13th a very unstable atmosphere was in place as a boundary stretched across the area. Once storms were able to develop they were explosive and quickly became severe.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TOP wrote it up.

On the afternoon of the 13th a very unstable atmosphere was in place as a boundary stretched across the area. Once storms were able to develop they were explosive and quickly became severe. Given all the instability the storms produced large hail up to golf ball sized.

What forecasters said that day

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 13, 2:32 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 2:32 PM CST, 2 hours 27 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 2:47 PM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 13, 4:59 PM CST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
559 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0559 PM     HAIL             1 SW CARLTON            38.68N 97.31W
07/13/2015  E1.25 INCH       DICKINSON          KS   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EH

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dickinson

When: July 13, 4:59 PM CST to 5:02 PM CST
Where: Dickinson County, 1.62 mi W of Carlton
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.680, -97.310

Hail, Osage

When: July 13, 6:17 PM CST to 6:20 PM CST
Where: Osage County, 3.86 mi NE of Carbondale
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.860, -95.580

Hail, Osage

When: July 13, 6:19 PM CST to 6:22 PM CST
Where: Osage County, 3.86 mi NE of Carbondale
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.860, -95.580

Hail, Osage

When: July 13, 6:30 PM CST to 6:33 PM CST
Where: Osage County, 0.54 mi W of Overbrook
Measured: 1.25 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.780, -95.560

Hail, Douglas

When: July 13, 6:53 PM CST to 6:56 PM CST
Where: Douglas County, 2.26 mi WSW of Lone Star
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 38.860, -95.390

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: July 13, 7:00 PM CST to 7:03 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, Ottawa
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.620, -95.270

There was an 8 inch diameter tree limb down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Franklin

When: July 13, 7:00 PM CST to 7:03 PM CST
Where: Franklin County, Ottawa
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 38.620, -95.270

Tree damage through Ottawa including large mature trees snapped at the trunk.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, July 2015

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 583244, 583245, 583246, 583247, 583248, 583249, 583250.