Strong thunderstorms in northwest Kansas on the evening of March 30th produced a large swath of dime to nickel size hail in Wallace County which accumulated several inches deep along US Hwy 40.
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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 GLD wrote it up.
Strong thunderstorms in northwest Kansas on the evening of March 30th produced a large swath of dime to nickel size hail in Wallace County which accumulated several inches deep along US Hwy 40.
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 Mar 30, 1:01 PM MST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 201 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday) Issued at 141 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 The open trough aloft moving east of the Rockies across the southern and Central High Plains region this afternoon will continue east over the southern plains states tonight. The associated surface low will track across the panhandle region this afternoon and the southern high plains overnight. Short wave ridging will follow over the central high plains region and central Plains states on Tuesday into early Wednesday ahead of the next low pressure system moving through northwest U.S. on Wednesday and central Rockies by Wednesday night. Meanwhile south to southwest near surface flow will provide dryer conditions ahead of a deepening surface trough Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night. As high temperatures reach into the upper 60s and lower 70s, elevated fire weather conditions are expected across mainly far east central Colorado with minimum relative humidity values Tuesday afternoon between 15-20 percent with wind speeds of 15-25 mph. By Wednesday, the surface trough deepens into a surface low center over eastern Colorado that tracks across western Kansas Wednesday night, dragging a cold front with it. Ahead of that cold front, high temperatures on Wednesday will be in the lower to middle 70s. Afternoon relative humidity values will be in the 15-20 percent range again, although wind speeds may be a little lower over the area of lowest RH values as the center of the surface low moves into the forecast area. As weak short wave activity lifts out along the southwest flow ahead of the upper low complex and the front moves through the area Wednesday, there will be a chance of light rain mainly north of Interstate 70. .LONG TERM...(Thursday through Monday) Issued at 200 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 Synopsis... An unsettled weather pattern is expected for the Tri- State area for the long term forecast period. Chances for rain and snow will be possible across the forecast area Thursday through Friday morning, Friday evening through Saturday morning, and again overnight Saturday and Sunday. It is difficult to say with confidence at this point who will receive how much of what kind of precipitation, but wetter weather is generally expected. High temperatures will start out a bit chilly in the 40s and 50s on Thursday and Friday before warming up into the 70s by this weekend and early next week. Discussion... A moderately strong upper-level trough is expected to be present over the Mountain West Thursday and slowly progress eastward into this weekend. This trough should provide robust chances for precipitation Thursday and Friday with most of the precipitation expected as rainfall. However, chilly overnight low temperatures into the 20s will make snowfall, moderate at times, a real possibility overnight Thursday into early Friday across the Tri- State area. Not expecting any headlines as of right now given the low snow amounts and relatively weak surface winds, but some hazardous travel conditions will be possible during this time with snowy conditions. For this weekend and early next week, long term model guidance from the GFS and the Euro seem to agree that a series of weak upper-level troughs developing over the western United States could lead to continue increased chances for precipitation. However, current model guidance does not appear to have any particularly strong trough development affecting the Central High Plains during that time period. With a weaker synoptic signal, it is difficult to say anything with confidence about timing, amounts, and precipitation type for Saturday through Monday, but what can be expected is the chance for some more active weather at times. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Tuesday afternoon) Issued at 1125 AM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 VFR conditions will persist at GLD with a period of light rain showers possible between 23-02Z. MCK will see VFR conditions with intermittent rain showers at the site and in the vicinity through about 02Z. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...LOCKHART LONG TERM...PATTON AVIATION...LOCKHART
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 142 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-311645- Yuma County-Kit Carson County-Cheyenne County-Cheyenne-Rawlins- Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove- Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 142 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 /242 PM CDT Mon Mar 30 2020/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are possible over southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas through the remainder of this afternoon and evening. A few storms may produce small hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... Elevated fire weather conditions are possible Tuesday afternoon southwest of a line from Flagler to Cheyenne Wells, Colorado. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Goodland KS
558 PM CDT Mon Mar 30 2020
KSZ001-002-302345-
Rawlins KS-Cheyenne KS-
558 PM CDT Mon Mar 30 2020
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
At 555 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a nearly stationary
thunderstorm 5 miles south of McDonald, or 19 miles west of Atwood.
This storm will produce torrential rainfall south of Highway 36 in
southeast Cheyenne county and southwest Rawlins county.
Locations impacted include...
Bird City and McDonald.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall with this storm may lead to localized flooding.
Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3967 10112 3957 10138 3957 10160 3968 10167
3986 10129
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 142DEG 1KT 3970 10139
VincentSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Goodland KS 512 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 KSZ041-310000- Greeley KS- 512 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN GREELEY COUNTY UNTIL 600 PM MDT... At 511 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Horace, or 5 miles northwest of Tribune, moving east at 15 mph. Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 45 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Tribune and Horace. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Torrential rainfall with this storm may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3842 10193 3861 10194 3870 10157 3836 10157 TIME...MOT...LOC 2311Z 269DEG 12KT 3850 10185 Vincent
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Goodland KS 514 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 KSZ027-028-310000- Wallace KS-Logan KS- 514 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN WALLACE AND NORTHWESTERN LOGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM MDT/700 PM CDT/... At 514 PM MDT/614 PM CDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7 miles northeast of Wallace, or 15 miles east of Sharon Springs, moving east at 10 mph. Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 45 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Winona and Russell Springs. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Torrential rainfall with this storm may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3887 10158 3908 10158 3913 10114 3882 10113 TIME...MOT...LOC 2314Z 268DEG 10KT 3898 10149 Vincent
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Goodland KS 529 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 KSZ013-310015- Sherman KS- 529 PM MDT Mon Mar 30 2020 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN SHERMAN COUNTY UNTIL 615 PM MDT... At 529 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Goodland, moving east at 15 mph. Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 45 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Goodland and Edson. This includes Interstate 70 in Kansas between mile markers 13 and 35. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Torrential rainfall with this storm may lead to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. && LAT...LON 3927 10184 3948 10178 3943 10139 3917 10139 TIME...MOT...LOC 2329Z 285DEG 12KT 3937 10171 Vincent
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
533 PM MDT MON MAR 30 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0515 PM HAIL 13 N EDSON 39.51N 101.57W
03/30/2020 E0.25 INCH SHERMAN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
VINCENTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
534 PM MDT MON MAR 30 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0532 PM HAIL 1 NNE GOODLAND 39.37N 101.70W
03/30/2020 M0.70 INCH SHERMAN KS OFFICIAL NWS OBS
DIME SIZE HAIL AT NWS GOODLAND AT 5:32 PM
MDT.
&&
VINCENTThe Goodland radar (KGLD), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:38 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A member of the public shared photos with NWS Goodland on social media which showed several inches of accumulated hail along the roadway along US Hwy 40. The individual hail stones ranged from dime to nickel size.
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, March 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: 877689.