High winds developed behind a strong cold front, accompanied by high based showers with sprinkles which accelerated downward momentum. A few locations reported thunder in the eastern counties.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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 DDC wrote it up.
High winds developed behind a strong cold front, accompanied by high based showers with sprinkles which accelerated downward momentum. A few locations reported thunder in the eastern 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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 5, 2:38 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 338 PM CDT TUE APR 5 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 307 PM CDT Tue Apr 5 2016 A strong and progressive shortwave trough and accompanying cold front will pass across the central plains this evening. This system will amplify over the Midwest by late Wednesday, with weak surface high pressure building into the high plains region. In the wake of the Midwestern system, surface high pressure is expected move southward into western Kansas by Thursday night. Another upper level system is will move into the northern Rockies this weekend, with lee troughing over western Kansas. By Monday, this system is expected to move across the central plains, with an accompanying cold front. Another upper level system may approach Kansas by the middle of next week. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Tue Apr 5 2016 Models are advertising up to 50kt winds at 850mb over parts of southwestern Kansas for this evening in the wake of the cold front. Winds could reach close to high wind warning criteria for a brief time, but opted not to issue high wind warning since it looks marginal. A few high based thunderstorms are expected this evening and downburst winds are possible in addition to the winds behind the front. This could lead to localized wind gusts as high as 55 to 60 mph. Lows tonight will be in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Temperatures will be a little cooler on Wednesday than today with highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday) Issued at 307 PM CDT Tue Apr 5 2016 The coolest morning this week should be on Friday as the aforementioned area of surface high pressure arrives. Temperatures not far above freezing are likely by Thursday night, with widespread readings in the mid to upper 30s. A warming trend can be expected over the weekend as lee troughing develops, with highs rising to well into the 70s. Cooler air will move into western Kansas by early next week with highs in the 60s. There is also a small chance of showers and thunderstorms as the upper level system passes Sunday night and early Monday. Lows could be well down into the 30s by Tuesday. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 1251 PM CDT Tue Apr 5 2016 A strong cold front will pass the TAF sites preteen 23 and 01z. Winds will increase to 30-35 kts with higher gusts for a couple of hours behind the front before diminishing to 15kts. A shower or thunderstorm could affect the TAF sites between 00 and 04z in the wake of the front. Some blowing dust is also possible. Otherwise, VFR conditions can be expected. Winds will increase to 20 kts by 15z with daytime heating. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 300 AM CDT Tue Apr 5 2016 Red Flag Warning remains in effect for parts of southwestern and central Kansas for this afternoon. Critical fire weather conditions may exist for far southwestern Kansas for Wednesday afternoon. Given that winds will be dropping later in the afternoon and since RH values are only expected to fall below 15% for a brief time, opted not to issue red flag products at this time per collaboration. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 43 71 40 73 / 20 0 0 0 GCK 39 71 40 71 / 20 0 0 0 EHA 39 71 39 73 / 10 0 0 0 LBL 41 72 40 73 / 20 0 0 0 HYS 44 69 43 72 / 30 0 0 0 P28 48 71 43 76 / 30 0 0 0 && .DDC Watches/Warnings/Advisories... Red Flag Warning until 8 PM CDT this evening for KSZ065-066- 074>081-084>090. && SYNOPSIS...Finch SHORT TERM...Finch LONG TERM...Finch AVIATION...Finch FIRE WEATHER...Finch
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 931 AM CDT TUE APR 5 2016 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-061215- TREGO-ELLIS-SCOTT-LANE-NESS-RUSH-HAMILTON-KEARNY-FINNEY-HODGEMAN- PAWNEE-STAFFORD-STANTON-GRANT-HASKELL-GRAY-FORD-EDWARDS-KIOWA- PRATT-MORTON-STEVENS-SEWARD-MEADE-CLARK-COMANCHE-BARBER- 931 AM CDT TUE APR 5 2016 /831 AM MDT TUE APR 5 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. DISCUSSION...A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LOCATIONS SOUTH OF LARNED TO CIMARRON TO HUGOTON LINE THIS AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THIS RED FLAG WARNING. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... LIMITED HAIL RISK. LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK. LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK. ELEVATED NON THUNDERSTORM WIND RISK. SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER RISK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. HAZARDS WEATHER RISK... WEDNESDAY... ELEVATED NON THUNDERSTORM WIND RISK. SIGNIFICANT FIRE WEATHER RISK. THURSDAY... ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER RISK. FRIDAY... LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. SATURDAY... LIMITED NON THUNDERSTORM WIND RISK. LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. SUNDAY... LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK. ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER RISK. MONDAY... LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK. LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL KANSAS. && FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT OUR WEBPAGE HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC/EHWO
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:11 UTC.
12 high wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts to 58 MPH were observed at the Scott City airport.
Power poles blown down 1 mile WSW of Kinsley.
A wind gust of 66 MPH was recorded at the Syracuse airport.
A wind gust of 60 MPH was observed at the Garden City airport.
A wind gust of 62 MPH was observed at the Garden City airport.
A wind gust of 60 MPH was observed at the Ulysses airport.
A wind gust of 59 MPH was recorded at the Ulysses airport.
A wind gust of 58 MPH was recorded at a location 10 miles ENE of Hudson.
This report was relayed by Emergency Management.
Measured at a location 2 miles east of Ulysses.
A wind gust of 61 MPH was measured at a location 8 miles north of Elkhart.
A wind gust of 58 MPH was recorded at the Liberal airport.
Recorded at the Dodge City airport.
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: 632208, 632221, 632215, 632209, 632211, 632210, 632214, 632213, 632222, 632223, 632219, 632217, 632220.