During the afternoon hours of March 14th, a landspout tornado occurred near Wheeler. Around the same time, two grain bins were destroyed as a result of downburst winds from a developing thunderstorm.
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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.
During the afternoon hours of March 14th, a landspout tornado occurred near Wheeler. Around the same time, two grain bins were destroyed as a result of downburst winds from a developing thunderstorm.
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 14, 11:03 AM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 1103 AM MDT Sun Mar 14 2021 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Tuesday night) Issued at 445 AM MDT Sun Mar 14 2021 Today-tonight...a 540mb upper level low pressure area over southeast Colorado this morning is forecast to remain nearly stationary today then drift into Nebraska and central Kansas as two separate lows within a larger closed upper low tonight. At the surface a 997mb low is forecast to deepen around the Oklahoma panhandle by the end of the day then drift east-northeast toward south central Kansas tonight. Today: followed the NAM/RUC/HRRR solution. A dry slot is forecast to lift north-northeast into parts of western Kansas late this morning before filling back in with cloudiness this afternoon. There will be a wide range in high temperatures and will be heavily dependent on cloud cover. Am advertising highs in the mid 30s to low 40s in far eastern Colorado with mid 40s to around 60 east of the CO/KS border. The warmest temperatures are expected in the Hill City area. East to southeast winds of 15 to 25 mph with higher gusts are expected. Surface based instability develops in the dry slot with low level wind and 850mb theta-e convergence near the KS/NE border this afternoon. Low and mid level lapse rates steepen as 500mb temperatures associated with the upper low moves in. Bottom line is that strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible within the dry slot this afternoon with all modes of severe weather possible. Elsewhere scattered to numerous showers and possibly a rumble of thunder expected. Tonight: surface winds gradually back to the northeast and north at 10 to 20 mph as the surface low moves east. Low clouds also fill back in behind the low. Wraparound precipitation resumes with chance to categorical pops. Low temperatures are expected to range from the mid 20s to around 30 in far eastern Colorado with low to mid 30s elsewhere. Snow is expected with the colder temperatures west of a line from Trenton to Colby and Leoti. Currently looking at a trace to 3 inches...highest from Yuma to Burlington and Flagler west. Given the variations in the low level temperature profiles the past few days will let the day shift get another look at 12z data and adjust the amounts as needed. Its possible that a Winter Weather Advisory may be needed. Monday-Monday night...precipitation chances come to an end during the day from southwest to northeast as drier air aloft moves in. The NAM is holding on to more moisture/clouds in the boundary layer compared to the GFS and the current forecast has quite a bit of cloudiness. This will likely impact the high temperature forecast. Will go with highs ranging from the mid 30s to low 40s in far eastern Colorado to the low to upper 40s elsewhere. Low temperatures range from the mid 20s to around 30. Tuesday-Tuesday night...precipitation chances increase Tuesday afternoon and night as another upper low moves toward the area. Rain is expected during the afternoon changing over to snow from west to east during the night. Snowfall amounts of a trace to perhaps two inches are currently expected. High temperatures are forecast to reach the low 40s to low 50s. Low temperatures fall into the mid 20s to low 30s. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Saturday) Issued at 147 AM MST Sun Mar 14 2021 The start of the long term period features a system moving across the Oklahoma Panhandle into south central Kansas. Guidance is fairly consistent with the timing as the NAM and GFS are nearly identical, whereas the ECMWF is about 6 hours slower with the system. The main bulk of the precipitation will occur just earlier of this forecast period, but starting Wednesday morning some remaining snow/rain showers will be present from the wrap around portion of the system. Current thinking is the precipitation should be wrapping up around the early afternoon hours, I did however raise POPS and extend the precipitation changes slightly due to the slower progression that the ECMWF was showing. Wednesday is looking to be gusty on the backside of the system, some blowing snow may be present if still falling in the morning hours mainly along and west of Highway 27. Any snow that falls should be a fairly wet snow which should mitigate any snow blowing from the ground. Temperatures for Wednesday are expected to be fairly cool due to the blustery northerly wind. Thursday, the storm system moves off to the east of the High Plains allowing an upper level ridge to settle in along with dry weather. Winds will continue to be out of the northwest as thats the overall flow of the atmosphere as the ridge moves overhead. The northwesterly flow will continue to keep temperatures a little cooler but warmer than Wednesday as widespread upper 40s to low 50's are expected. Friday and Saturday, guidance has the upper level ridge firmly over the High Plains, southerly winds will also allow WAA to overspread the CWA allowing warmer temperatures in the upper 50's to mid 60's. The dry weather will continue each day. The end of the forecast period hints at another disturbance dropping down towards the Baja Peninsula and approaching the plains. There is quite a bit of uncertainty with this system but will continue to be monitored in future forecasts. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) Issued at 1042 AM MDT Sun Mar 14 2021 Both MCK and GLD will see gusty east to northeast winds through about 00Z this evening. Conditions at GLD will bounce between MVFR and IFR as lower clouds pass over the site through 20Z. VFR conditions are possible after 20Z, but will be short lived with a return of MVFR by 03Z and IFR conditions after 05Z as more light rain and snow moves in. MCK will be IFR to LIFR through 20Z with MVFR conditions briefly between 20-00Z. Conditions will be IFR after 00Z with LIFR expected after 04Z as more light rain and lower clouds move over the site. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...99 LONG TERM...TT AVIATION...LOCKHART
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 405 AM MDT Sun Mar 14 2021 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-151100- Yuma-Kit Carson-Cheyenne-Rawlins-Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas- Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock- Red Willow- 405 AM MDT Sun Mar 14 2021 /505 AM CDT Sun Mar 14 2021/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... There is a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms this afternoon generally east of a line from Atwood to Oakley. The primary hazards will be large hail and perhaps brief landspout tornadoes. For tonight snow is expected west of a line from Trenton to Colby and Leoti. Snowfall amounts ranging from a few tenths of an inch to as much as 3 inches are expected, highest across far eastern Colorado. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Another storm system will cross the Rockies and track east across the Central and Southern Plains late Tuesday into Wednesday, bringing another chance of rain and snow to the entire Tri-State area. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon across parts of western Kansas. We would also appreciate rainfall and snowfall amounts via telephone and social media.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1110 AM MDT SUN MAR 14 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0800 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 NW CULBERTSON 40.24N 100.85W
03/14/2021 M2.29 INCH HITCHCOCK NE COCORAHS
24 HOUR RAINFALL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1112 AM MDT SUN MAR 14 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 7 W DANBURY 40.03N 100.53W
03/14/2021 M3.08 INCH RED WILLOW NE COCORAHS
24 HOUR RAINFALL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1113 AM MDT SUN MAR 14 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 7 SSW MCCOOK 40.11N 100.67W
03/14/2021 M2.75 INCH RED WILLOW NE COCORAHS
24 HOUR RAINFALL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1114 AM MDT SUN MAR 14 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 WNW INDIANOLA 40.26N 100.50W
03/14/2021 M2.01 INCH RED WILLOW NE COCORAHS
24 HOUR RAINFALL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1125 AM MDT SUN MAR 14 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1100 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 WSW WRAY 40.07N 102.24W
03/14/2021 M3.50 INCH YUMA CO PUBLIC
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT OF STORM TOTAL RAINFALL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1134 AM MDT SUN MAR 14 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1120 AM HEAVY RAIN 4 SE HALE 39.58N 102.07W
03/14/2021 M2.25 INCH YUMA CO COCORAHS
SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT OF STORM TOTAL RAINFALL.
&&The Goodland radar (KGLD), 42 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:42 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Two grain bins were blown off their foundation. A grain bin was blown into the road (County Road 16 south-southeast of St. Francis). Key impacts: property damage, straight-line winds.
Landspout tornado reported near the Wheeler landfill. Key impacts: tornado.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2021Warnings in Kansas, March 2021
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: 951598, 951597.