Thunderstorms developed along a weak front that was draped across the area after the atmosphere became unstable in afternoon heating.
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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.
Thunderstorms developed along a weak front that was draped across the area after the atmosphere became unstable in afternoon heating.
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 Aug 11, 12:56 PM CST, 2 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 156 PM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 ...Updated Short term and Long term Discussions... .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday) Issued at 153 PM CDT Thu Aug 11 2016 Scattered thunderstorms are still expected to develop late today along a surface boundary which will extend from north central Kansas to the Panhandle of Oklahoma. These thunderstorms will then increase in coverage early tonight given the improving upper level dynamics, based on the location of the right entrance region of an upper level jet, along with better low level moisture and late day instability near and east of this surface boundary. Although some decent mid level instability will be located in this area late day and early tonight...0-6km shear however is forecast to be around 20 knots or less. At this time it appears that the chance for large hail late today will be small, however some gusty winds can not be ruled out from these storms. Periods of heavy rainfall can also be expected early tonight given the high precipitable water forecast in western and especially central Kansas. As a surface cold front crosses southwest Kansas overnight there will continue to be a chance for thunderstorms through the early morning hours. The location that appears more favorable for an extended period of convection overnight will be across south central and portions of north central Kansas. The chance for ongoing convection will continue across south central and portions of southwest Kansas early Friday as the cold front moves south into Oklahoma and an upper level trough begins to move out into the Central High Plains. As this convection tapers off and the upper trough crosses western Kansas during the day there will be a chance for some clearing skies, especially in north central and west central Kansas. Given this clearing potential along with the 850mb temperatures forecast at 00z Saturday the guidance may be close for highs where more afternoon sunshine will be possible. Further south will favor undercutting guidance by several degrees. .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday) Issued at 153 PM CDT Thu Aug 11 2016 Another chance for convection will be possible Friday night, mainly near the Oklahoma border given the moist up slope flow north of the cold front and late day instability. Confidence is not high how far north this next chance for this precipitation will be Friday night in southwest Kansas given the discrepancy on the cold front location Friday evening. As a result will trend chances down north of the Arkansas river while retaining chances for convection further south. Models continue to favor dry and cool conditions over the weekend period as a surface ridge axis builds across Kansas. With the easterly flow in the lower levels and 850mb temperatures hovering around 20C at 00z Sunday and 00z Monday will favor highs both days in the low to mid 80s. A surface trough of low pressure will begin to develop along across eastern Colorado early next week as a westerly down slope flow begins to improve across the Central Rockies. A gradual warming trend will begin with highs rebounding back to more seasonal levels by mid week. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon) Issued at 1215 PM CDT Thu Aug 11 2016 Models remain fairly consistent with the previous runs in developing afternoon convection near a surface boundary that will extend from north central Kansas to the Panhandle of Oklahoma. This area of developing convection will likely impact all three taf sites at times between 21z Thursday and 03z Friday. Another round of convection will be possible with a cold front which will cross southwest Kansas between 06z and 12z Thursday, especially in the Hays area and locations east of Dodge City. As this cold front crosses western Kansas overnight the southerly winds at 10 to 15 knots will shift to the north northeast. Models soundings indicating the lower cloud bases with the thunderstorms late today and overnight will be at or above 5000ft AGL. A brief period of MVFR or even IFR ceilings and visibilities will be possible in the steadier and heavier showers && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 97 68 84 64 / 30 50 20 30 GCK 95 67 83 62 / 40 40 20 30 EHA 95 65 82 62 / 40 40 30 40 LBL 97 69 82 63 / 50 60 30 40 HYS 98 69 84 63 / 50 60 20 20 P28 100 73 87 68 / 20 50 50 40 && .DDC Watches/Warnings/Advisories... NONE. && SHORT TERM...Burgert LONG TERM...Burgert AVIATION...Burgert
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 419 AM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-120930- 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- 419 AM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 /319 AM MDT THU AUG 11 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL...SOUTH CENTRAL...SOUTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS CENTRAL AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST KANSAS. A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE CLOSER TO THE I-70 CORRIDOR WITH WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL THE MAIN THREATS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING. WEATHER HAZARDS EXPECTED... LIMITED HAIL RISK. LIMITED THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE RISK. LIMITED FLOODING RISK. ELEVATED LIGHTNING RISK. ELEVATED EXCESSIVE HEAT RISK. LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. DISCUSSION...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL DECREASE THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY WITH LITTLE CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HAZARDS WEATHER RISK... FRIDAY... LIMITED FLOODING RISK. LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK. SATURDAY... LIMITED FLOODING RISK. LIMITED LIGHTNING RISK. SUNDAY... LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. MONDAY... LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. TUESDAY... LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. WEDNESDAY... LIMITED FIRE WEATHER RISK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE TODAY IN VICINITY OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR. && FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT OUR WEBPAGE HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/DDC/EHWO
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 327 PM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 KSZ086-087-112145- SEWARD KS-MEADE KS- 327 PM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN SEWARD AND SOUTHWESTERN MEADE COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM CDT... AT 326 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTH OF TURPIN...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF LIBERAL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LIBERAL AND HAYNE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 3723 10103 3709 10037 3700 10049 3700 10105 TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 220DEG 13KT 3694 10091 RBURG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DODGE CITY KS 407 PM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 KSZ078-087-088-112200- FORD KS-MEADE KS-CLARK KS- 407 PM CDT THU AUG 11 2016 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN FORD...NORTHWESTERN CLARK AND NORTHEASTERN MEADE COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CDT... AT 407 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES WEST OF MINNEOLA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MINNEOLA...FOWLER...FORD AND BLOOM. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 3733 10001 3731 10021 3771 10016 3775 9957 TIME...MOT...LOC 2107Z 217DEG 24KT 3744 10009 RBURG
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 51 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:50 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds were estimated to be 65 MPH with tree limbs observed to be broken.
Winds were estimated to be 60 MPH.
Winds were estimated to be gusting to 70 MPH.
Two power poles were blown down along highway K4.
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, August 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: 658782, 658783, 658784, 658781.