A weak shortwave trough moved across northern portions of the area and into northwest Kansas, sparking a few thunderstorms that moved southward. Decent mid-level lapse rates and low level shear gave enough instability to produce damaging winds and quarter size hai.
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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 shortwave trough moved across northern portions of the area and into northwest Kansas, sparking a few thunderstorms that moved southward. Decent mid-level lapse rates and low level shear gave enough instability to produce damaging winds and quarter size hai.
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 Jun 4, 4:50 PM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 550 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 ...Updated aviation section... .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday) Issued at 1206 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 At the time of this discussion a 700 mb shortwave with some instability has produced some isolated storms between Garden City and Ulysses. These storms should continue to move east and gradually diminish through the early afternoon. Later this afternoon and tonight another shortwave out of eastern Colorado will move into southwest Kansas and the Oklahoma-Texas panhandles. Isolated storms are expected to develop along a dryline around Springfield, Colorado and move eastward into southwest Kansas. Another area of storms is expected to develop west of Goodland which may cross into areas north of Garden City towards sunset this evening. With CAPE values in the 1500-2000 range and steep low level lapse rates...both hail and downburst winds will be the main threats. Once you get east of highway 283 the storms should fizzle out as the CAP will be much stronger. For Friday the upper level ridge in the southwest slowly starts moving towards the central plains...another hot day is expected with highs nearing 100. A residual boundary is forecast to lift into southwest Kansas during the day and stall out from Elkhart to Hays. The 12Z HRRR model is forecasting some afternoon convection to break out along the boundary...and a few other CAM models are starting to hint at this as well. With the hot temperatures reaching the convective temperature shouldn't be a problem so there is the possibility of more isolated to scattered storms possible along the boundary in our northern zones. .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Thursday) Issued at 146 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 Hot and windy conditions for the the weekend into Monday as the upper level ridge crosses into the central plains. Expect highs in the mid-upper 90s with winds 20-35 mph. By Tuesday a trough and a good push of cooler air moves into Kansas which should drop highs back into the mid-upper 80s. Storm chances at this point look to stay mainly from the I-70 corridor on north. This front should keep much of the tropical storm moisture which is expected to move into eastern Oklahoma and Kansas by Tuesday afternoon. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday evening) Issued at 549 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 A few isolated thunderstorms will be possible around the GCK terminal this evening. However, VFR conditions will prevail through tomorrow. Winds will generally be less than 12 knots through tomorrow morning. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DDC 65 98 70 98 / 20 20 20 0 GCK 63 98 69 98 / 20 20 10 0 EHA 64 101 70 98 / 20 0 0 0 LBL 64 100 69 98 / 20 0 0 0 HYS 66 96 70 98 / 20 20 10 0 P28 68 99 72 98 / 20 0 20 0 && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...Tatro LONG TERM...Tatro AVIATION...Hovorka_42
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Dodge City KS 423 AM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-051000- 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- 423 AM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 /323 AM MDT Thu Jun 4 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 later this afternoon and evening. Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible with quarter size hail and wind gusts to 60 mph. Day 1 Hazards ------------- * Hail: Limited risk * Thunderstorm wind damage: Limited risk * Lightning: Limited risk * Excessive heat: Limited risk .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Days 2-7 Discussion ------------------- Temperatures are expected to reach the 100 degree mark on Friday with the very warm to hot temperatures continuing into the weekend. Days 2-7 Hazards ---------------- * Friday - Excessive heat: Limited risk * Saturday - Excessive heat: Elevated risk - Non thunderstorm wind: Limited risk - Fire weather: Elevated risk * Sunday - Excessive heat: Limited risk - Non thunderstorm wind: Limited risk - Fire weather: Elevated risk * Monday - Lightning: Limited risk - Excessive heat: Limited risk - Non thunderstorm wind: Limited risk - Fire weather: Elevated risk * Tuesday - Fire weather: Elevated risk * Wednesday No hazards. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter reports for severe weather may be needed after 4 pm across parts of central and southwest Kansas. && For more details visit our webpage https://weather.gov/crh/ghwo?sid=ddc
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
415 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020
KSZ043-062-063-042200-
Finney KS-Kearny KS-Scott KS-
415 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN KEARNY...
NORTHWESTERN FINNEY AND SOUTHWESTERN SCOTT COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM
CDT...
At 415 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16
miles north of Deerfield, moving east at 20 mph.
Half up to one half inch is possible.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northeastern
Kearny, northwestern Finney and southwestern Scott Counties.
LAT...LON 3826 10137 3826 10113 3833 10112 3833 10092
3803 10094 3814 10140
TIME...MOT...LOC 2115Z 285DEG 18KT 3821 10122
TURNERSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Dodge City KS 540 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 KSZ062-063-042330- Finney KS-Kearny KS- 540 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... At 539 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Deerfield, moving east at 15 mph. Hail up to one half inch is possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Garden City, Lakin, Holcomb and Deerfield. LAT...LON 3794 10126 3815 10123 3814 10076 3784 10083 TIME...MOT...LOC 2239Z 278DEG 14KT 3802 10116 TURNER
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Dodge City KS 608 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 KSZ061-062-050000- Kearny KS-Hamilton KS- 608 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN HAMILTON AND NORTHWESTERN KEARNY COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM CDT/600 PM MDT/... At 607 PM CDT/507 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles north of Coolidge, moving east at 40 mph. Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and areas of blowing dust are expected. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of northern Hamilton and northwestern Kearny Counties. LAT...LON 3826 10204 3826 10151 3796 10149 3812 10205 TIME...MOT...LOC 2307Z 285DEG 33KT 3822 10201 TURNER
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Dodge City KS 645 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 KSZ061-062-050030- Kearny KS-Hamilton KS- 645 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN HAMILTON AND NORTHERN KEARNY COUNTIES UNTIL 730 PM CDT/630 PM MDT/... At 644 PM CDT/544 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 16 miles north of Kendall, moving east at 30 mph. Wind gusts to near 55 mph and areas of blowing dust are expected. Locations impacted include... Deerfield. LAT...LON 3826 10160 3826 10111 3796 10112 3804 10164 TIME...MOT...LOC 2344Z 279DEG 27KT 3817 10153 TURNER
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Dodge City KS 725 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 KSZ043-044-062-063-077-050115- Gray KS-Finney KS-Kearny KS-Lane KS-Scott KS- 725 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN KEARNY...WESTERN FINNEY...SOUTHERN SCOTT...SOUTHWESTERN LANE AND NORTHWESTERN GRAY COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM CDT... At 724 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9 miles north of Holcomb, moving east at 30 mph. Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and areas of blowing dust are expected. Locations impacted include... Garden City, Holcomb, Deerfield, Pierceville and Friend. LAT...LON 3795 10116 3829 10112 3831 10055 3783 10067 TIME...MOT...LOC 0024Z 280DEG 25KT 3812 10104 TURNER
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Dodge City KS 739 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 KSZ062-063-075-076-050115- Finney KS-Kearny KS-Grant KS-Haskell KS- 739 PM CDT Thu Jun 4 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN KEARNY... SOUTHWESTERN FINNEY...NORTHEASTERN GRANT AND NORTHWESTERN HASKELL COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM CDT... At 738 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 12 miles north of Ulysses, moving east at 30 mph. Hail to one half inch is expected. This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern Kearny, southwestern Finney, northeastern Grant and northwestern Haskell Counties. LAT...LON 3767 10144 3785 10141 3786 10088 3756 10091 TIME...MOT...LOC 0038Z 276DEG 25KT 3776 10133 TURNER
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:42 UTC.
4 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Large branches were blown down by winds estimated to be greater than 60 MPH.
This wind gust was observed at the Garden City airport.
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: 907047, 907042, 907043, 907048, 907044, 907045.