During August the drought status for Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties improved slightly, with the coverage of D3 Extreme Drought Status decreasing over these counties due to above normal rainfall occurring. However, the D3 status was still over roughly the southwest half of Cheyenne County and part of the western half of Yuma County.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 GLD wrote it up.
During August the drought status for Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties improved slightly, with the coverage of D3 Extreme Drought Status decreasing over these counties due to above normal rainfall occurring. However, the D3 status was still over roughly the southwest half of Cheyenne County and part of the western half of Yuma County. D2 Severe Drought Status covered the rest of Cheyenne County, and the western half of Kit Carson and Yuma counties. Average rainfall for the month for these counties ranged from 0.02 to 0.52. Total monthly rainfall ranged from 0.40 to 4.31, with the high rainfall amounts tied to the Wray area due to heavy rainfall occurring.
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 Jul 31, 9:40 PM MST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 1040 PM MDT Fri Jul 31 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 232 PM MDT Fri Jul 31 2020 The forecast concern over the next few days is the possibility of thunderstorms over mainly far eastern Colorado and the immediately adjacent areas of southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas. The high amplitude pattern remains over the U.S. through the weekend with the ridge of higher pressure extending from the high center over the southwest U.S. into the northern Rockies and adjacent high plains region. The upper flow over the central High Plains will remain northerly. This will bring a series of impulses showing up mainly as diurnally driven convective activity over the Rockies southward along the Front Range and into the western fringes of the High Plains region on Saturday and Sunday. This will interact with the surface trough in position along the Front Range to provide an additional focus for convective development. A Marginal Risk of severe thunderstorms each afternoon and evening over the western portions of the forecast area as a result with large hail and damaging wind being the main threats. The airmass in place at the surface under the upper high will moderate through Saturday with temperatures warming into the middle to upper 80s. On Sunday, the northerly flow will allow a cooler surface high pressure area to slip southward into the plains states with the back side of the surface high pushing southward through the forecast area. This will bring high temperatures back down to around 80 degrees. Overnight lows should remain in the middle 50s to around 60. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Friday) Issued at 143 PM MDT Fri Jul 31 2020 Starting the work week an upper level ridge remains amplified from the Desert Southwest into southern Canada. This ridge will likely diminish any potential chances for precipitation. Highs for Monday will remain cooler from the effects of the cold front passage the previous day with highs in the upper 70's to low 80's. Starting Tuesday the upper level ridge begins to shift off to the east leaving the Tri-State area in more northwesterly flow, in result allowing the potential for disturbances to affect the region. A disturbance coming off of the Front Range on Tuesday creates the risk for some thunderstorms and measurable precipitation during the afternoon and evening hours, uncertainty exists on exact locations and amount of precipitation. Going into Wednesday and towards the end of the forecast period, confidence becomes lower as the GFS has multiple disturbances tracking across the Central Plains. Right now its difficult to determine the strength and location of any potential rainfall as models also show a cutoff low from the Pacific Northwest which may impact the overall placement and strength of the disturbances. Upper level support for any instability should be present however and surface RH values around 50-55% should at lest create a risk for some precipitation in the region with high temperatures warming into the mid to upper 80's. This timeframe will need to be monitored until more certainty comes into place regarding the timing and strength of the disturbance. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Saturday night) Issued at 1040 PM MDT Fri Jul 31 2020 For KGLD and KMCK, vfr conditions through the period. A light west wind will be common at both terminals from taf issuance through about 13z before veering to the northwest around 16z then north- northeast at speeds around 11kts by 22z. For Saturday evening winds continue to veer to the northeast and east at speeds under 10kts. No precipitation is currently expected. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...LOCKHART LONG TERM...TT AVIATION...99
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 835 PM MDT Fri Jul 31 2020 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-011200- Yuma County-Kit Carson County-Cheyenne County-Cheyenne-Rawlins- Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove- Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 835 PM MDT Fri Jul 31 2020 /935 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2020/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... A few strong to severe thunderstorms are possible over far eastern Colorado and the adjacent areas of southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas during the afternoon and evening hours on both Saturday and Sunday. Large hail and damaging winds will be the main threats. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Goodland KS 806 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2020 KSZ014-028-010130- Thomas KS-Logan KS- 806 PM CDT Fri Jul 31 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN THOMAS AND NORTHWESTERN LOGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM CDT... At 805 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles northwest of Winona, or 14 miles south of Brewster, moving south at 25 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Winona. 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. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 3921 10135 3920 10120 3905 10119 3907 10143 TIME...MOT...LOC 0105Z 008DEG 20KT 3917 10131 AW
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The county continued to be in D2 to D3 Drought Status. Total precipitation for the month ranged from 0.43-1.75, with the higher precipitation amounts occurring over the eastern part of the county. Average rainfall amounts ranged from 0.02-0.28.
The western half of the county had D2 to D3 Drought Status for the month. The Drought Status did improve from D3 to D2. Total precipitation for the month ranged from 0.33 to 2.06, with the higher precipitation amounts occurring over the eastern part of the county. The average precipitation for the month ranged from 0.01-0.52.
The drought status changed little through the month, with D2 and D3 Drought Status over the western half of the county. Total precipitation for the month ranged from 0.40-4.31, with the highest amounts occurring over the Wray area due to heavy rainfall. The average precipitation for the month ranged from 0.10 to 0.50.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, August 2020
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: 917826, 917829, 917830.