During the overnight hours a line of severe thunderstorms moved east over Northwest Kansas. Wind gusts of 63 MPH were measured at the Hill City airport as the storms moved through.
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 overnight hours a line of severe thunderstorms moved east over Northwest Kansas. Wind gusts of 63 MPH were measured at the Hill City airport as the storms moved through. Wind from the line of severe storms blew down large limbs from a cottonwood tree at Sheridan State Fishing Lake near Hoxie. The winds also blew down trees, large limbs and power lines in Bogue.
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 Jul 18, 11:32 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1132 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 837 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 ADDED ADDITIONAL KANSAS COUNTIES TO SEVERE WATCH 439 EFFECTIVE TIL 07Z. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 646 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 UPDATED GRIDS AND ZONES FOR THE ISSUANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 439 EFFECTIVE UNTIL 07Z. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 256 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 FOR THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD...AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL INITIALLY BEFORE AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AS THIS HAPPENS...PRECIPITATION CHANCES SHOULD GRADUALLY COME TO AN END DEPENDING ON THE RIDGE STRENGTH. FORECAST GUIDANCE PORTRAYS LARGE VARIATIONS BETWEEN THEM SO CONFIDENCE WITHIN THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD LOWERS BEYOND WEDNESDAY. BEGINNING WITH SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...ANTICIPATE A LARGE COMPLEX OF STORMS TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION. THIS FORECAST SCENARIO SEEMS ALMOST ASSURED GIVEN THE DEGREE OF GUIDANCE AGREEMENT BUT LARGE DIFFERENCES IN FAVORED LOCATIONS REMAIN. FEEL PART OF THE DISAGREEMENT STEMS FROM THE GLOBAL MODEL'S NORTH BIAS WITH RESPECT TO PRECIPITATION PLACEMENT. ACCOUNTING FOR THIS...THEN MOST GUIDANCE INDICATES A WIDE SWATH OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70. A FEW STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY THREATS. OF LARGER CONCERN MAY BE THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES...BETWEEN 1.70" AND 1.90" ARE FORECAST TO BE IN THE 75TH TO 99TH PERCENTILE RANGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. AS OF NOW...DID NOT CONSIDER A FLASH FLOOD WATCH AS LOCATIONS UNDER HIGHEST THREAT OF HEAVY RAIN HAVE BEEN QUITE DRY OVER THE PAST 14 DAYS...10 TO 50 PERCENT OF NORMAL. WITH POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT...A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MAY BE NEEDED EVENTUALLY FOR TOMORROW NIGHT IF IT APPEARS LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE SEVERAL ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAIN. CONVECTION SHOULD OCCUR PRIMARILY OVERNIGHT WITH SHOWERS/STORMS EXITING THE REGION NEAR SUNRISE MONDAY. AFTER A BRIEF LULL IN CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MONDAY MORNING...AN ADDITIONAL ROUND OR TWO OF STORMS SEEMS PLAUSIBLE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TWO AREAS OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ARE POSSIBLE... 1. ALONG A COLD FRONT MOVING SOUTH ACROSS NEBRASKA INTO NORTH KANSAS AND 2. THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE WITH STORMS DRIFTING NORTHEAST. PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE NOT AS HIGH MONDAY DUE TO THE LACK OF A MORE SIGNIFICANT SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH. BEGINNING MONDAY NIGHT AND PERSISTING THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING... ANTICIPATE A WARM AIR ADVECTION REGIME TO DEVELOP ALONG WITH PERSISTENT ISENTROPIC LIFT. ONCE AGAIN...GUIDANCE IS IN STRONG AGREEMENT BUT DIFFER SLIGHTLY WITH PRECIPITATION PLACEMENT. A LOW LEVEL JET AND VERY LOW CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS INDICATE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR ELEVATED SHOWER/STORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME. WAS HESITANT TO INITIALLY RAMP UP POPS SIGNIFICANTLY MONDAY NIGHT BUT IF MODEL AGREEMENT PERSISTS...FURTHER POP RAISING WOULD BE NEEDED. ANOTHER STRONGER SHORTWAVE TROUGH SHOULD ROLL THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING SO AGREED WITH CR INITIALIZATION PROCEDURE ON THIS BEING THE HIGHEST CHANCE FOR POPS DURING THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. BEHIND TUESDAY NIGHTS TROUGH PASSAGE...THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS ONCE AGAIN. THE STRENGTH OF THIS HIGH SHALL DETERMINE THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF POTENTIAL CONVECTION THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK. WITH A STRONGER HIGH PRESSURE...CONVECTION MAY BE CONFINED FURTHER NORTH WITH HOT AND DRY CONDITIONS LIKELY OVER THE TRI-STATE REGION. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SUNDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1126 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 SOME MVFR CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT KMCK EARLY IN THIS FORECAST AS STORMS MOVE THROUGH THAT AREA. CONDITIONS AT KGLD SHOULD CONTINUE TO IMPROVE TO VFR WITH THE BACK EDGE OF STORMS MOVING EAST. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AT BOTH SITES INDICATE STRATUS POSSIBLE TOWARD SUNRISE AND CONTINUE THROUGH MID MORNING. VFR WILL RETURN BY MID TO LATE MORNING AT BOTH SITES. LATER SUNDAY EVENING ANOTHER ROUND OF STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && UPDATE...FS SHORT TERM...FS LONG TERM...RRH AVIATION...FS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 318 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-192130- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 318 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM LEOTI TO BURLINGTON TO WRAY. THIS CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT EARLY IN THE ONSET OF THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE ANTICIPATED SUNDAY EVENING INTO MONDAY MORNING GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM YUMA COLORADO TO NORTON KANSAS. A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY THREATS. FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE FOR LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAINFALL. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ARRIVE TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS...AS WELL AS LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN THREATS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
910 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0909 PM TSTM WND GST ST. FRANCIS 39.77N 101.80W
07/18/2015 M62 MPH CHEYENNE KS AWOS
&&
KOCHASICSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1028 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2015 KSZ002-014-190345- THOMAS KS-RAWLINS KS- 1028 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2015 AT 1026 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS EXTENDED ALONG A LINE FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF BIRD CITY TO 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF SHARON SPRINGS...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 62 MPH AT ST. FRANCIS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE OUTFLOW WINDS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... COLBY...ATWOOD...BREWSTER...LEVANT...REXFORD...MCDONALD...HERNDON... GEM...LUDELL AND MENLO. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 70 IN KANSAS BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 36 AND 74. 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. && A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN KANSAS. LAT...LON 3914 10072 3914 10139 3999 10140 4000 10074 TIME...MOT...LOC 0326Z 262DEG 24KT 3981 10162 3909 10186 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1057 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2015 NEZ080-190415- HITCHCOCK NE- 1057 PM CDT SAT JUL 18 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN HITCHCOCK COUNTY UNTIL 1115 PM CDT... AT 1056 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR PALISADE...OR 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HAYES CENTER...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... TRENTON AND PALISADE. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA. LAT...LON 4016 10104 4033 10131 4035 10129 4035 10076 TIME...MOT...LOC 0356Z 308DEG 24KT 4039 10113 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1038 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 KSZ002-NEZ079-080-190500- RAWLINS KS-DUNDY NE-HITCHCOCK NE- 1038 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN RAWLINS...WESTERN HITCHCOCK AND SOUTHEASTERN DUNDY COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM MDT/MIDNIGHT CDT/... AT 1038 PM MDT /1138 PM CDT/...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STRATTON...OR 13 MILES EAST OF BENKELMAN...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... STRATTON AND MAX. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. && A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM MDT/200 AM CDT/ FOR NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA. LAT...LON 3990 10131 4021 10159 4034 10124 3990 10097 TIME...MOT...LOC 0438Z 270DEG 21KT 4008 10128 LUNDQUIST
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1102 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015
KSZ002-NEZ079-080-190515-
RAWLINS KS-DUNDY NE-HITCHCOCK NE-
1102 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTH CENTRAL RAWLINS...HITCHCOCK
AND EAST CENTRAL DUNDY COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 PM MDT/1215 AM CDT/...
AT 1101 PM MDT /1201 AM CDT/...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF STRATTON...OR 8 MILES WEST OF
TRENTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
TRENTON...PALISADE AND STRATTON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
&&
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 100 AM MDT/200 AM
CDT/ FOR NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA.
LAT...LON 4004 10076 4003 10076 3996 10093 3988 10121
4024 10146 4035 10113 4035 10098
TIME...MOT...LOC 0501Z 239DEG 22KT 4019 10118
LUNDQUISTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1216 AM CDT SUN JUL 19 2015
KSZ002-NEZ080-081-190530-
RAWLINS KS-HITCHCOCK NE-RED WILLOW NE-
1216 AM CDT SUN JUL 19 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN RAWLINS...HITCHCOCK
AND SOUTHWESTERN RED WILLOW COUNTIES UNTIL 1230 AM CDT...
AT 1216 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR TRENTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
TRENTON...CULBERTSON AND STRATTON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
&&
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA.
LAT...LON 4000 10062 4000 10074 3996 10074 3991 10118
4023 10130 4035 10099 4035 10092
TIME...MOT...LOC 0516Z 228DEG 18KT 4015 10107
LUNDQUISTThe Goodland radar (KGLD), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:44 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large limbs from old cotton wood trees were blown down at Sheridan State Fishing Lake. Estimated time of report from radar.
Trees, large tree branches, and power lines were blown down in town. Estimated time of report from radar.
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, July 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: 587744, 587681, 587745.