Wind gusts up to 55 MPH accompanied a cold front across Northwest Kansas during the afternoon. The strong winds created blowing dust for locations which had not received a wetting rainfall recently.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Wind gusts up to 55 MPH accompanied a cold front across Northwest Kansas during the afternoon. The strong winds created blowing dust for locations which had not received a wetting rainfall recently. Visibilities fell to zero at Grinnell due to the blowing dust, which lead to an accident on I-70.
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 5, 5:59 PM CST, 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 559 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 241 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 AS OF 18Z, AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS SHIFTING EASTWARD OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS IN PLACE ACROSS MEXICO AND THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. MID TO UPPER LEVEL CLOUDINESS HAS INCREASED ACROSS NORTHEASTERN COLORADO OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON. CUMULUS CLOUDS HAVE ALSO FORMED ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. THE ATMOSPHERE HAS BECOME UNSTABLE ENOUGH THAT IF STORMS DUE FORM, THEY WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF BECOMING SEVERE WITH WINDS OVER 60 MPH BEING THE MAIN CONCERN. TOWARDS THE SURFACE, A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS CURRENTLY EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL NEBRASKA SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTHWESTERN KANSAS AND INTO EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. THIS FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SAG SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS INTO THIS EVENING. WINDS BEHIND THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY ARE FROM A NORTHERLY DIRECTION WITH WIND GUSTS OVER 25 MPH AT TIMES. TEMPERATURES AT 18Z WERE GENERALLY IN THE LOWER 70S. HIGHS THIS AFTERNOON LOOK TO TOP OUT IN THE LOWER 70S ACROSS NORTHEASTERN COLORADO AND FAR NORTHWESTERN KANSAS TO UPPER 70S ACROSS PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 122 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING THEN QUICKLY PUSH SOUTH OUT THE AREA BY MIDNIGHT. SKIES LOOK BECOME MOSTLY CLOUDY BY EARLY THIS EVENING BUT THEN DECREASE IN COVERAGE AFTER MIDNIGHT AS DRIER AIR FUNNELS INTO THE AREA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT LEADING TO NORTHERLY WINDS THIS EVENING SHIFTING TO MORE OF A NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION AFTER MIDNIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE LOCATED WEST OF THE AREA TOMORROW WITH CONTINUED NORTHWEST WINDS WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE CWA. AS FOR TEMPERATURES, LOWS TONIGHT LOOK TO RANGE FROM THE LOWER 30S ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO TO LOWER 40S ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. HIGHS TOMORROW ARE EXPECTED TO RISE INTO THE MID 60S. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 241 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY, AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILD ACROSS THE EASTERN UNITED STATES AND SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD. MEANWHILE, AN UPPER LEVEL LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THIS WILL PLACE THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS UNDER NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS FLOW IN COMBINATION OF HIGH PRESSURE BEING THE DOMINATE FEATURE AT THE SURFACE WILL BRING PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND DRY CONDITIONS TO THE CWA. WINDS THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME LOOK TO BE FROM THE NORTHWEST WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY THEN BECOME LIGHT AND VARIABLE THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST FRIDAY. AS FOR TEMPERATURES, LOWS WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT WITH HIGHS THURSDAY IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S AND IN THE LOWER 70S FRIDAY. MODELS THEN SUGGEST AN UPPER LEVEL LOW TO ENTER THE DESERT SOUTHWEST FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY THEN INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. HIGH CLOUDS WILL INCREASE AS THIS FEATURE APPROACHES WITH CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL ALSO SHIFT TO MORE OF A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION AS LEE TROUGHING DEVELOPS ACROSS EASTERN COLORADO. A SHORTWAVE IS THEN EXPECTED TO EJECT OUT FROM THIS FEATURE AND INTO THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. PRECIPITATION WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME, OTHERWISE EXPECT PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES. A COLD FRONT LOOKS TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SOMETIME DURING THE DAY MONDAY WITH DRY CONDITIONS RETURNING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION. AS FOR TEMPERATURES, HIGHS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WILL GENERALLY BE IN THE 70S DECREASING INTO THE 60S MONDAY AND TUESDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 548 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING OVER BOTH KGLD AND KMCK TERMINALS AND SHOULD CLEAR OF THE TERMINALS BY 03Z. THERE MAY BE BRIEF DROPS TO MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO HEAVIER POCKETS OF PRECIP. WINDS WILL ALSO BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY 03Z (THOUGH REMAIN ABOVE 12KT). A STRONG LLJ WILL REMAIN IN PLACE RESULTING IN A PERIOD OF LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. WIND SHEAR WILL END MAINLY AS A RESULT OF INCREASING SURFACE WINDS AFTER 12Z. GUSTS 30-40KT WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE EXITING UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HOVORKA_42 SHORT TERM...HOVORKA_42 LONG TERM...HOVORKA_42 AVIATION...DR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 309 AM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-060915- YUMA COUNTY-KIT CARSON COUNTY-CHEYENNE COUNTY-CHEYENNE-RAWLINS- DECATUR-NORTON-SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE- GREELEY-WICHITA-DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 309 AM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 /409 AM CDT TUE APR 5 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR THE SHOWERS AND STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... FIRE DANGER WILL BE ELEVATED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SOUTH OF A LINE FROM KIT CARSON TO CHEYENNE WELLS IN SOUTHERN CHEYENNE COUNTY COLORADO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 300 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-052300- YUMA COUNTY-KIT CARSON COUNTY-CHEYENNE COUNTY-CHEYENNE-RAWLINS- DECATUR-NORTON-SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE- GREELEY-WICHITA-DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...YUMA...WRAY...BURLINGTON...ARAPAHOE... CHEYENNE WELLS...ST. FRANCIS...BIRD CITY...ATWOOD...OBERLIN... NORTON...GOODLAND...COLBY...HOXIE...HILL CITY...SHARON SPRINGS... OAKLEY...QUINTER...GRINNELL...GRAINFIELD...TRIBUNE...LEOTI... BENKELMAN...CULBERTSON...TRENTON...STRATTON NE...PALISADE... MCCOOK 300 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 /400 PM CDT TUE APR 5 2016/ THROUGH 5 PM MDT (6 PM CDT)...NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING UP TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. LOCATIONS RECEIVING THE STRONGER WIND GUSTS COULD ALSO SEE SOME BLOWING DUST AND SHARPLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
346 PM MDT TUE APR 05 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0335 PM NON-TSTM WND GST KIT CARSON 38.76N 102.80W
04/05/2016 M52.00 MPH CHEYENNE CO MESONET
0344 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 9 NNE KIT CARSON 38.88N 102.73W
04/05/2016 E45.00 MPH CHEYENNE CO CO-OP OBSERVER
ESTIMATED WIND GUST BY COOP OBSERVER. VISIBILITY IS 3/4
MILE TO 1 MILE DUE TO BLOWING DUST/DIRT.
&&
RHUSTEDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 446 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-060100- YUMA COUNTY-KIT CARSON COUNTY-CHEYENNE COUNTY-CHEYENNE-RAWLINS- DECATUR-NORTON-SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE- GREELEY-WICHITA-DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...YUMA...WRAY...BURLINGTON...ARAPAHOE... CHEYENNE WELLS...ST. FRANCIS...BIRD CITY...ATWOOD...OBERLIN... NORTON...GOODLAND...COLBY...HOXIE...HILL CITY...SHARON SPRINGS... OAKLEY...QUINTER...GRINNELL...GRAINFIELD...TRIBUNE...LEOTI... BENKELMAN...CULBERTSON...TRENTON...STRATTON NE...PALISADE... MCCOOK 446 PM MDT TUE APR 5 2016 /546 PM CDT TUE APR 5 2016/ THROUGH 7 PM MDT (8 PM CDT)...NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING AROUND 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. LOCATIONS RECEIVING THE STRONGER WIND GUSTS COULD ALSO SEE SOME BLOWING DUST AND SHARPLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES BELOW ONE MILE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Near zero visibilities from the blowing dust caused a traffic accident on I-70 at Grinnell. There was no report of injuries due to the accident.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, April 2016
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: 622231.