Isolated severe storms produced quarter size hail on August 28.
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.
Isolated severe storms produced quarter size hail on August 28.
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 Aug 28, 5:30 AM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 630 AM CDT Tue Aug 28 2018 ...Update to aviation forecast discussion... .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 332 AM CDT Tue Aug 28 2018 A warm and humid airmass is observed across northeast Kansas this morning with dewpoints hovering in the low 70s while overnight lows are slowly falling into the upper 70s. Currently tracking a plume of mid level moisture advecting northeastward into southern Kansas with isolated showers beginning to develop near the KS and OK border. Aided by a 45 kt low level jet and decent mid level lapse rates, short term models are consistent with developing scattered showers and thunderstorms in the 10-12Z time frame. While these storms are not expected to be severe, gusty, sub-severe winds and small hail may be possible with the more robust updrafts. Focus turns toward the north and west with the main upper trough axis over Montana and an embedded vort max stretching into the northern plains and Great Lakes region. Meanwhile the sfc front and trough axis stretches from eastern CO towards southern NE. As the main upper trough lifts eastward, the sfc front will gradually propagate southeast during the afternoon, dropping temperatures into the upper 60s and lower 70s across north central areas by late afternoon. Meanwhile much of northeast Kansas may reach the lower 90s, resulting in heat indices in the 100-103 degree range over far east central Kansas. As the frontal boundary is far displaced from the optimal upper level ascent, confidence still remains low on how convection will evolve later this afternoon, heightened by latest forecast guidance showing varying solutions for precip chances, or lack thereof. Overall, current thinking is that the stout capping inversion noted on DDC 00Z sounding should temper more organized, sfc development during the afternoon hours. With the frontal position showing some signs of slowing, believe the better convergence may lie with the sfc trough progged to push eastward during the afternoon period. A very warm, buoyant airmass exists over east central KS with forecast sfc based CAPE values in excess of 4000 J/KG while effective shear values are in excess of 30 kts. While much of the wind profile veers with height, there are some indications of sfc winds backing towards early evening. Therefore, IF convection is able to overcome the capping inversion layer, severe weather would be likely with a semi-discrete storm mode. Damaging wind gusts, large hail, and an isolated tornado could not be ruled out. Timing for this occurring is after 3 PM. After giving the worst case scenario, it appears more likely that the capping inversion holds with thunderstorms developing into the evening hours along and behind the front. Mean winds parallel to the boundary suggest broken clusters as the storm mode, posing a damaging wind threat. The potential exists for redevelopment and backbuilding behind the front as PWAT values exceed 2 inches overnight. The threat for localized flooding is possible, especially if we are able to get more semi-discrete storms earlier in the day. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 332 AM CDT Tue Aug 28 2018 By early Wednesday morning, the surface front is expected to extend from the middle Mississippi Valley to Oklahoma City to the Texas South Plains. Behind the front, northerly surface winds will be advecting a continental/drier air mass into the region, giving way to cooler conditions on Wednesday with slightly below-normal high temperatures -- i.e., in the upper 70s to around 80F. Sufficient dynamic ascent associated with the equatorward intrusion of denser post-frontal air, coupled with moist isentropic ascent atop the sloped frontal surface, could support a few areas of lingering isolated precipitation across southern parts of east-central KS Wednesday morning. This activity should advance south/east of the forecast area by mid-day Wednesday, as drier air continues to overtake the region from the north, while surface high pressure tracks eastward across the middle Missouri Valley. Otherwise, during the mid/late week timeframe, the midlevel flow pattern will assume a quasi-zonal character in the wake of the departing shortwave trough. This will facilitate deepening of a lee trough over the High Plains vicinity, establishing return flow along the western periphery of a surface ridge accompanying the migratory surface high. Associated warm advection and poleward moisture fluxes should commence by late Wednesday night into Thursday. In turn, isentropic ascent should favor isolated to scattered shower and thunderstorm development, with modest precipitation chances continuing through late week. Sufficient deep shear may accompany a persistent belt of 20-30-kt midlevel westerlies in support of non- zero organized-convection/strong-storm and heavy-rain potential. However, without any salient midlevel perturbations offering predictable zones of differential cyclonic vorticity advection and/or opportunities for synoptically-strengthening boundaries, the predictability of convective hazards is low at this time. Temperatures will moderate to near-normal readings through late week in response to warm advection amid the return-flow pattern. For this weekend into early next week, the latest medium-range model guidance suggests somewhat more amplified and progressive disturbances transiting a multi-stream flow pattern draped across the northwest and north-central states. Forcing for ascent accompanying these features, and episodic enhancements to lee surface cyclogenesis, should result in more appreciable convective chances, with richer Gulf moisture having become established across the forecast area. Present indications are that Saturday will feature the greatest potential for showers and thunderstorms. However, the overall limited predictability of the aforementioned disturbances extends to the accompanying conditional strong- thunderstorm/heavy-rain risk. Correspondingly, no specific mention of hazards has been included within forecasts/messaging for the local area at this time. Temperatures should remain near normal into early next week. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning) Issued at 620 AM CDT Tue Aug 28 2018 VFR prevails for much of the forecast period. Weak showers with isolated thunder are currently lifting northeast across southern KS. Coverage is fairly isolated and confidence is low on any impacts to terminals. If it were to occur, it would be in the 15Z- 17Z time frame. Otherwise scattered TSRA develops along and ahead of a frontal boundary approaching from Nebraska aft 20Z. Initial cloud bases are relatively high before deeper low level moisture arrives behind the front. Gusty south winds veer to the north between 02Z- 04Z with post frontal MVFR stratus settling in through sunrise. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...Prieto LONG TERM...Cohen AVIATION...Prieto
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 542 AM CDT Tue Aug 28 2018 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-291045- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 542 AM CDT Tue Aug 28 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for east central...north central and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Isolated thunderstorms are possible this morning. Wind gusts to 40 mph may be possible. There is a chance for a few severe thunderstorms to develop during the late afternoon and evening across portions of northeast and east central Kansas. If thunderstorms develop in this time frame, damaging wind gusts, localized flooding and large hail are the primary hazards. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out through early evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. && More detailed information can be accessed at... http://www.weather.gov/top/sitrep
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:17 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Damage to barn roof and siding of house due to estimated 60 to 70 mph winds.
Damage to machine shed and 3 trees were blown down.
Quarter size hail reported.
Quarter size hail reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 2018
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: 783217, 783218, 783215, 783216.