A supercell, moving out of eastern Yuma and Kit Carson county in Colorado, crossed into Kansas during the evening of May 26th. The supercell produced large hail, damaging wind gusts, and several reports of tornadoes.
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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 GLD wrote it up.
A supercell, moving out of eastern Yuma and Kit Carson county in Colorado, crossed into Kansas during the evening of May 26th. The supercell produced large hail, damaging wind gusts, and several reports of tornadoes. Following this storm were two more lines of severe storms aligned with a theta-e axis that moved from west to east through the evening, producing additional hail, damaging wind gusts, and flash flooding.
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 May 26, 4:42 PM MST, 2 hours 8 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 542 PM MDT Fri May 26 2017 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 304 PM MDT Fri May 26 2017 Latest upper air analysis shows a trough over the Northern Rockies. Southeast of this trough smaller short wave troughs were beginning to form over Colorado. At the surface a dry line was extending northwest from the southeast corner of Colorado toward Denver. For the rest of the afternoon am expecting strong to severe storms to move into East Central Colorado around 4 or 5 PM MT as the upper level short wave trough approaches from the west. As the trough approaches, lift will increase along the dry line which will cause some isolated to scattered storm development. Due to the drier environment and weaker lift south of the main short wave trough, do not anticipate much storm coverage. However these storms will be in a much better environment to become severe. CAPE sharply increases in a corridor east of the dry line until the surface winds turn more to the southeast than south. Given the proximity to the surface low, fairly low cloud bases, and 0-1km shear on the low end for tornado development, cannot rule out the possibility of a tornado. This will mainly be a factor for Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties in Colorado. Further east into Kansas the environment becomes more stable which should limit the potential for tornadoes to form. Comparing conditions to SPC tornado stats favor EF1 tornadoes. Deep layer shear is even stronger than yesterday and CAPE is a bit higher as well, so foresee a chance for hail up to baseball size based on what happened yesterday. Damaging winds will also be likely with any storms that develop. This evening storms will move east across the rest of the Tri-State Area. Am expecting a cluster of storms to remain north of Highway 24. The main threat with these storms will be heavy rainfall due to precipitable water values in the 90th percentile. Don't have quite enough confidence to issue a watch at this time due to the storms moving just fast enough to negate a flood threat. Along and south of Highway 24 elevated CAPE will form and may be strong enough for severe storms to form. If the elevated CAPE advertised is not capped off, hail up to baseball size is possible. The threat for damaging winds should end by 9 or 10 PM local time. This round of storms should move east of the forecast area by midnight. Another round of strong to severe storms will move in from the northwest over the east half to third of the forecast area. Am anticipating this to be more of a line storms. These storms will be be along/behind a cold front moving through. As with the storms with the first round, if the elevated CAPE advertised is not capped off hail up to baseball size is possible. Due to the inversion in place am not expecting straight-line winds with these storms. Saturday the storms over the east part of the forecast area will push east by mid morning. During the latter part of the afternoon the upper level trough axis swings over the west part of the forecast area. This will be enough for a few storms to develop, but not expecting any severe weather to occur. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 304 PM MDT Fri May 26 2017 Saturday night-Sunday: Rain showers linger through the evening over southwest portions of the CWA as the main trough axis moves downstream of the area. Upper level ridge will build through Sunday bringing drier conditions to the area. Temperatures will be near to slightly below normal. Monday-Tuesday: Cold front moves into the area during the day Monday and becomes stalled with a northwest to southeast orientation across the CWA. Showers and a few thunderstorms will be possible Monday night through Tuesday night. Wednesday-Friday: Models do not have very good agreement for this period. GFS and ECMWF differ in synoptic setup and timing of when upper level ridging will eventually push east of our area. General consensus is for this period to be wet with periodic chances of rain and thunderstorms. Heaviest rain appears to be favored for the eastern half of our area, coming Wednesday night and Thursday morning. The forecast for this time frame is certain to change, but will need to be monitored by future shifts since most models do indicate an active period for this timeframe. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Saturday evening) Issued at 542 PM MDT Fri May 26 2017 Thunderstorm activity should spread out of eastern Colorado towards northwest Kansas and across southwest Nebraska. Better coverage will tend to be towards the Nebraska state line, and there is some question as to how strong (or severe) the activity will be when it moves within the vicinity of the terminals. I held off on introducing lower conditions in the first 6hr of TAF for now. A cold front will move through tonight and we are still looking at a period of low level wind shear and IFR stratus at GLD. Most guidance shows improvement by midday (first at GLD), so I try to stay optimistic. It is still possible that MVFR cigs linger at KMCK into the afternoon. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JTL LONG TERM...SME AVIATION...DR
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 1059 AM MDT Fri May 26 2017 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-271700- Yuma County-Kit Carson County-Cheyenne County-Cheyenne-Rawlins- Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove- Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 1059 AM MDT Fri May 26 2017 /1159 AM CDT Fri May 26 2017/ This hazardous weather outlook is for east central Colorado... extreme southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Strong to severe storms will develop late this afternoon over Eastern Colorado, spreading east tonight. Large hail up to baseball size is possible with these storms, with the odds of giant hail increasing overnight. A tornado or two may occur over Kit Carson or Cheyenne counties in Colorado late this afternoon into the early evening along with damaging wind gusts up to 70 MPH that may stretch from these counties into Sherman and Wallace County. A second round of severe storms may move through overnight, moving over McCook, Oberlin, Norton, and Hill City areas. Giant hail up to baseball size is possible with these storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... Any strong to severe storms from tonight will exit Norton and Graham counties around 8 AM CDT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. Any weather reports by phone or social media are very helpful. JTL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
609 PM MDT FRI MAY 26 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM HAIL ABARR 39.85N 102.72W
05/26/2017 E0.50 INCH YUMA CO TRAINED SPOTTER
WIND REPORTS ESTIMATED 30 TO 40 MPH
&&
BWARRENPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
617 PM MDT FRI MAY 26 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 PM HAIL 5 E JOES 39.66N 102.59W
05/26/2017 M1.25 INCH YUMA CO STORM CHASER
STORM CHASER MEASURED HAIL OF 1.25 INCH DIAMETER.
&&
SMEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
650 PM MDT FRI MAY 26 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0645 PM TORNADO 7 WSW BONNY RESERVOIR 39.58N 102.29W
05/26/2017 YUMA CO NWS EMPLOYEE
TORNADO OBSERVED BY NWS EMPLOYEE AS HE WAS TRAVELING
NORTHWEST OF GOODLAND LOOKING TO THE WEST. LOCATION OF
TORNADO ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
&&
SMEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
656 PM MDT FRI MAY 26 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0650 PM HAIL 6 WSW IDALIA 39.68N 102.41W
05/26/2017 M1.00 INCH YUMA CO STORM CHASER
STORM CHASER REPORTED HAIL OF 1 INCH DIAMETER.
&&
SMEThe Goodland radar (KGLD), 10 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:49 UTC.
18 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind, 3 flash flood, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
NWS Goodland employee reported an estimated 65 mph wind gust.
Prolonged heavy rainfall caused water to washout part of CR 74 east of the CR 74/CR 21 intersection.
Delayed report, caused extensive damage to wheat crop.
NWS Goodland employee reported a 63 mph wind gust.
NWS Goodland employee reported a 60 mph wind gusts as well as large amounts of dime sized hail.
Prolonged heavy rainfall caused water to washout part of CR 75.2 east of the CR 25/CR 75.2 intersection. The large amount of water also created a hole in the road near the ditch.
Prolonged heavy rainfall caused water to washout part of CR 75.2 west of the CR 28/CR 75.2 intersection.
Trained storm spotter reported 1.25 inch diameter hail.
NWS Goodland employee reported 60 mph wind gusts as well as large amounts of nickel and dime sized hail.
Wind driven 1.0 inch hail shattered the back of a car window. Winds estimated at 75 to 80 mph.
Farmer reported a brief tornado. Report relayed by Sheridan County Sheriff's Office.
Chaser reported a rotating wall cloud with a visible debris swirl on the ground.
Public report of an estimated 80 mph wind gust.
EM reported zero visibility due to blowing dust along with nickel sized hail.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2017Warnings in Kansas, May 2017
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: 705057, 702121, 705037, 705056, 705058, 705038, 702122, 702123, 705039, 705036, 705059, 705040, 705041, 705042, 705043, 705044, 705045, 705046, 705047, 705048, 705049, 705050, 705051, 705054, 705055, 705060, 705052, 705061, 705053, 705062, 705063.