A weak disturbance aloft in northwest flow was enough to produce isolated thunderstorms. One thunderstorm briefly became severe in the vicinity of Dighton.
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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.
A weak disturbance aloft in northwest flow was enough to produce isolated thunderstorms. One thunderstorm briefly became severe in the vicinity of Dighton. An apparent microburst produced damage.
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 1, 1:46 PM CST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 246 PM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 ...Updated Long Term... .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday) Issued at 1242 PM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 Upper level NW flow will remain established over the central plains through Sunday. Recent surface analysis indicates a weak cold front is draped near the KS/NE border owing to an upper level disturbance over central NE. This front will propagate south this afternoon and evening through western KS, and could provide sufficient lift for thunderstorms in the 20-01Z time frame. However, CAM guidance is in good agreement that most of this activity will remain east of our area, and therefore I have only included mentionable PoPs in our far eastern counties. Tonight, mostly clear skies and light N/NE winds should allow temperatures to drop into the upper 50s. Sunday will be slightly cooler thanks to the previous day's frontal passage, with areas near I-70 struggling to reach 80 to mid-80s near the KS/OK border. Some elevated showers may develop Sunday morning mainly west of US 283 along a weak instability axis, however these are expected to be weak and short lived. A better chance of thunderstorms exists late Sunday afternoon through the evening as thunderstorms that form over the higher terrain in CO track east. Considerable uncertainty remains how far east this activity will reach, and trends will need to continue to be monitored. .LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday) Issued at 148 PM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 The fairly amplified large scale upper pattern will not change appreciably over the next several days. An upper level ridge over the desert southwest will slowly weaken as it gradually moves east. Concurrently, an upper level trough over the Great Lakes/southeastern Canada will slowly lift northeastward. This dipole leaves most of the central plains under northwest flow throughout the long term period. At the surface, high pressure will build in behind today's cold front and move slowly east throughout the period. The weak pressure gradient associated with the high pressure should keep winds relatively weak, with Tuesday being the only clear exception. Temperatures will remain below normal for much of the period, with only a gradual warming trend expected. By late next week, temperatures should be approaching normal as heights begin to rise on the northern periphery of the upper ridge. Shortwave disturbances embedded within the NW flow will likely bring daily thunderstorm chances, mainly in the late afternoon and evening, and the amplified upper pattern is allowing mid level flow to be stronger than the early August climatological normal. This, combined with the at least modest instability, should promote a non-zero severe weather risk. However, uncertainty regarding placement and timing of any forcing precludes mentioning specific day(s). && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1215 PM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 VFR flying conditions are expected at all terminals this TAF period as light N/NE winds and mostly clear skies should prevail through tomorrow. A slight chance of thunderstorms exists at HYS and DDC in the 20-01Z time frame, however low confidence precludes including VCTS in the TAFs. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 89 59 81 58 / 10 20 20 10 GCK 88 60 80 57 / 10 20 20 20 EHA 89 61 84 59 / 10 10 30 40 LBL 90 61 84 59 / 10 10 20 30 HYS 87 60 80 56 / 20 10 10 0 P28 89 63 84 59 / 20 20 10 10 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...Springer LONG TERM...Springer AVIATION...Springer
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Dodge City KS 258 AM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-020900- 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- 258 AM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 /158 AM MDT Sat Aug 1 2020/ This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of central...south central...southwest and west central Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Day 1 Discussion ---------------- Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon and early tonight. A few of the stronger storms will be capable of producing wind gusts up to 50 mph. Day 1 Hazards ------------- * Lightning: Limited risk .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Days 2-7 Discussion ------------------- There will be a chance for thunderstorms each day from Sunday through Friday. A few strong to marginally severe thunderstorms will be possible late Sunday and Monday. The main hazards from the strongest storms will be wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph, hail and periods of heavy rainfall. Days 2-7 Hazards ---------------- * Sunday - Lightning: Limited risk - Severe thunderstorm: Limited risk * Monday - Lightning: Limited risk * Tuesday - Lightning: Limited risk - Non thunderstorm wind: Limited risk * Wednesday - Lightning: Limited risk * Thursday - Lightning: Limited risk - Excessive heat: Limited risk * Friday - Lightning: Limited risk - Excessive heat: Limited risk .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. && For more details visit our webpage https://weather.gov/crh/ghwo?sid=ddc
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Dodge City KS 326 PM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 KSZ065-079-012115- Pawnee KS-Edwards KS- 326 PM CDT Sat Aug 1 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL PAWNEE AND NORTHERN EDWARDS COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM CDT... At 324 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Ash Valley, moving south at 30 mph. Half inch hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Kinsley, Lewis, Garfield, Rozel, Belpre, Ash Valley, Sanford, Frizell and Zook. LAT...LON 3834 9944 3834 9920 3794 9903 3790 9946 TIME...MOT...LOC 2024Z 342DEG 27KT 3831 9931 UMSCHEID
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 93 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:34 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Power poles were blown down along highway 23 near county Road 160.
A building was heavily damaged from an apparent microburst. Blowing gravel broke out the windows of a vehicle and injured the occupant of the vehicle. There were also power poles blown down in this location.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, 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: 920159, 920160.