A line of thunderstorms moved eastward across the area, producing numerous damaging wind reports.
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 TOP wrote it up.
A line of thunderstorms moved eastward across the area, producing numerous damaging wind reports.
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 28, 5:06 PM CST, 3 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Topeka KS 606 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2016 ...Update to aviation forecast discussion... .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Friday) Issued at 324 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2016 Profiler and water vapor data suggests a shortwave moving towards the area within the northwest flow aloft, and is likely responsible for the MCS moving into northwestern KS. At the surface, a weak boundary has been set up near NEB/KS state line and is gradually becoming more diffuse. With the shortwave evident in satellite imagery, think there isn't much to keep the MCS from continuing to move southeast along the instability axis and the HRRR seems to be catching on with some consistent outputs the last couple hours. The RAP tends to want to mix out the the boundary layer moisture quite a bit across northeast KS resulting in the better instability mainly across the southwestern counties. The latest OBs tend to support this idea as dewpoints have fallen into the lower 60s over Brown and Marshall counties. So the expectation is for storms to move more towards south central KS. With better mid level flow, models are showing 0- 6KM shear around 40KT so some organization is probable with the MCS and the main reason for a damaging wind risk. Freezing levels remain fairly high for large hail, but there could be some marginally severe hail with some of the stronger updrafts. Have continued with some chance POPs into the morning Friday with indication from the models that there could still be some vorticity overhead. Although the expectation is for the chance to diminish through the day with the vorticity moving southeast of the area and surface ridging building in. Have not changed the temp forecast much from the previous shift. Lows could be a little tricky if rain cooled air knocks reading down into the lower 60s. Otherwise would anticipate lows in the mid 60s for most area. Models show good mixing of the boundary layer to near 800MB. However there is also progged to be cooler air advecting in. So highs in the lower and middle 80s seems to be in the ballpark. .LONG TERM...(Friday Night through Thursday) Issued at 324 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2016 Friday Night through Sunday... Upper flow transitions from northwest to west during the weekend periods. Low level winds respond with a slow increase from the southwest with a stronger low level jet develop Saturday night. Best convergence Friday night into Saturday looks to be to the southwest of the area, with Saturday night into early Sunday bringing much better convergence, moisture, and instability. Severe weather threats look low given elevated nature, warm temps aloft, and meager lapse rates. Temperatures become somewhat of a challenge, with little wind and potentially rather clear skies Friday night, then ongoing precip into Sunday for uncertainty in daytime heating. Have trended a bit cooler Friday night, and tightened the gradient Sunday with temps pushing the mid 90s west. Sunday Night through Thursday... The biggest take away from the extended period is: THE HEAT IS BACK! A few showers and thunderstorms are possible Sunday night as a weak shortwave within the northwest flow moves across the Central Plains. The better chances look to be north and east of the outlook area. The stubborn upper-level ridge across the Western US, will migrate eastward early next week, setting up its axis across the Plains. Guidance suggests high temperatures will remain above average for the period with highs in the middle to upper 90s. With predominately southerly low-level flow, plentiful BL moisture will remain in place with surface dew points in the upper 60s and lower 70s (West to East). The combination of heat and humidity will result in the heat indices in the 100 to 105 degree range Monday through Wednesday. These heat indices may continue into Thursday, however confidence is lower due to the possibility of showers and thunderstorms associated with a weak cold front. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday Evening) Issued at 603 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2016 Main concern is the cluster of TSRA northwest of the sites. Expect the severity to decrease as it impacts KMHK aft 02Z and KTOP/KFOE aft 03Z. Still could see some gusts up to 50 kts on the leading edge and on the back side of the TSRA. Temporary MVFR to perhaps IFR conditions are possible through 06Z before activity diminishes southeast and conditions return to VFR for the remainder of the period. && .TOP Watches/Warnings/Advisories... NONE. && SHORT TERM...Wolters LONG TERM...Baerg/65 AVIATION...Prieto
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS 344 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2016 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-292045- REPUBLIC-WASHINGTON-MARSHALL-NEMAHA-BROWN-CLOUD-CLAY-RILEY- POTTAWATOMIE-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-OTTAWA-DICKINSON-GEARY-MORRIS- WABAUNSEE-SHAWNEE-DOUGLAS-LYON-OSAGE-FRANKLIN-COFFEY-ANDERSON- 344 PM CDT THU JUL 28 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND INTO EAST CENTRAL KANSAS. THE MOST LIKELY AREA FOR STORMS IS ALONG AND SOUTHWEST OF A LINE FROM CONCORDIA TO EMPORIA. DAMAGING WINDS WITH GUSTS OF 60 TO 70 MPH IS THE MAIN HAZARD...ALTHOUGH THERE COULD ALSO BE SOME HAIL WITH THE STORMS. THESE STORMS COULD BEGIN TO MOVE INTO THE CONCORDIA AND MINNEAPOLIS AREAS BETWEEN 6 AND 8 PM AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE EMPORIA AREA AROUND 9 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. HEAT INDICES ARE FORECAST TO BE AROUND 105 DEGREES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL KANSAS FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED OVER NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS THIS EVENING. && MORE DETAILED INFORMATION CAN BE ACCESSED AT... HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/TOP/SITREP WOLTERS
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:10 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Estimated winds sustained at 55 mph with gusts to 70 mph, possibly higher.
Estimated winds 70-80 mph. Tree damage unknown.
Trees 18 inches in diameter were snapped and numerous 3-5 inch limbs are down.
Estimated wind gust.
Wind gusts estimated to be 50-60 mph.
Estimated wind gust.
Delayed report of 4-5 inch diameter tree limb snapped. Picture and report via Twitter.
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, July 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: 651636, 651637, 651638, 651639, 651640, 651641, 651642, 651643.