The drought status for Greeley and Wichita counties largely remained unchanged. The D3 drought status expended eastward some into Greeley County, while Wichita County remained unchanged.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
The drought status for Greeley and Wichita counties largely remained unchanged. The D3 drought status expended eastward some into Greeley County, while Wichita County remained unchanged.
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 31, 11:31 PM CST, 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 1131 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 .UPDATE... Issued at 1018 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 Have included a mention of showers and thunderstorms late this evening across the far eastern portion of the region (mainly Norton and Graham counties). Thunderstorms have developed in this area; however, activity is anticipated to exit to the east fairly quickly. && .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 235 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 Tonight-Monday night...low level convergence wind and moisture convergence is expected to be maximized roughly along a line extending from near McCook to Goodland and Kit Carson in the 5 PM MDT to 7 PM MDT timeframe shifting slightly west to a Trenton to Goodland and Cheyenne Wells line by 9 PM MDT based on the 15z RAP40. As convergence is maximized convective inhibition should erode enough to generate isolated to scattered thunderstorms. The primary threats will be wind gusts to 60 mph and hail below one inch in diameter. Given fairly slow storm motions some locally heavy rain is also possible. Mid level moisture continues to rotate into the area mentioned above after midnight around an upper level high pressure center located in southeast Kansas. Precipitation chances should come down fairly quickly leaving only some cloudiness. As precip chances do decrease some hints from the 15z and 17z HRRR suggest a heat burst type event possibly occurring based on relative humidity values below 20 percent, weak showers and localized potentially very strong wind gusts and much warmer temperatures compared to their surroundings in or around Yuma, Dundy, Cheyenne (KS) counties. Typically the 06z-09z timeframe has had these events happen over the years and the HRRR was suggesting one around 07z-08z. Low temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 50s to mid 60s. For Monday and Monday night a similar scenario. Mid level moisture rotates into the northwest 1/2 of the area during time of peak heating supporting slight chance pops for thunderstorms through mid to late evening. High temperatures are expected to be in the low to upper 90s. Low temperatures are expected to be in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Tuesday...well see another chance for thunderstorms from late afternoon through about midnight as mid level moisture and a little better jet energy traverses east across the northern and western 1/2 of the forecast area. High temperatures are expected to be in the upper 80s to mid 90s. Low temperatures again in the mid 50s to mid 60s. Wednesday...the upper flow has shifted to a more west/west-northwest flow around an upper high centered from Mexico toward the four corners. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible in the afternoon, primarily across far eastern Colorado. High temperatures look to be a little "less hot" with readings in the mid 80s to low 90 .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Sunday) Issued at 157 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 Upper ridge will migrate from the desert southwest to start the period, across the souther plains and into the Mississippi River valley by the weekend. Proximity to the ridge will result in above to much above normal temperatures. Thunderstorm chances, while low, will be a daily occurrence in the afternoon and evening hours, with best chances in western areas where storms may move off the higher terrain of Colorado. Risk of severe chances will be low as well, hampered primarily by deep layer shear values forecast to be 20-25kts through the period. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) Issued at 1131 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 Vfr conditions are expected at both KGLD and KMCK terminals through the TAF period. Starting off the period, some LLWS has been included at KMCK through 10z. South to southwest winds are expected overnight, gusting 20 to 30 knots before sunrise, then gradually tapering off into Monday morning. Southerly winds continue through the remainder of the period, increasing slightly in the afternoon. As thunderstorms dissipate tonight or move away from the region, skies should gradually clear, yielding mostly sunny skies by midday. However, an increase in cloud cover is expected again in the evening as thunderstorms develop in eastern Colorado. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && UPDATE...JBH SHORT TERM...99 LONG TERM...024 AVIATION...JBH
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 934 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-020345- Yuma County-Kit Carson County-Cheyenne County-Cheyenne-Rawlins- Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove- Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 934 PM MDT Sun May 31 2020 /1034 PM CDT Sun May 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...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... Elevated fire weather conditions are possible across Cheyenne and Kit Carson counties in Colorado Monday afternoon and again Saturday afternoon. An isolated severe storm cannot be ruled out along and north of Highway 36 on Tuesday, mainly during the late afternoon and evening hours. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Total precipitation for the month ranged from 1.79 to 3.54. This was roughly an inch below to a half inch above normal for the month. The drought rating remained unchanged at D2 for the month.
Precipitation for the month was on either side of two inches for the county. This was 0.93 to 0.81 below normal for the month. The southwest corner of the county worsened to D3 drought during the month.
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, June 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: 904574, 904572.