A prolonged period of dry conditions and an unusually dry beginning to May, led to Severe (D2) drought worsening during the first part of May, to extreme (D3) drought. This was especially true across central Kansas.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 ICT wrote it up.
A prolonged period of dry conditions and an unusually dry beginning to May, led to Severe (D2) drought worsening during the first part of May, to extreme (D3) drought. This was especially true across central Kansas. By the end of the month, welcome rainfall actually led to drought conditions improving by the end of the month.
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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 30, 10:41 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 1141 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday night) Issued at 318 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 Northwest winds will diminish this evening with rather tranquil weather expected for the rest of the weekend as shortwave ridging aloft and at the surface transitions eastward across the area on Sunday. Then focus will turn to the next upper trof/low which is just moving into the Pacific Northwest this afternoon. This system will dive southeastward across the intermountain West on Sunday before emerging eastward across the central Plains on Monday. While taking a somewhat similar track, the main concern is how far north the surface warm front will get into south central and southeast Kansas Monday afternoon. Prior to this, strong low and mid-level moisture transport will occur Sunday night into Monday morning across central and southern Kansas. This will result in moderate elevated instability with sufficient cloud bearing shear for strong to marginally severe convection with potential MCS affecting portions of the forecast area. The NAM is more bullish in moving the warm front northward which would put locations along and east of the turnpike in the very unstable air ahead of the dry-line (DL) Monday afternoon. If so, we would be dealing with another conditional chance for significant supercells with large hail and tornado potential, as it looks like a similar setup to Friday, with bulk shear normal to the DL, decent 0-3km cape and helicity. Convective inhibition may not be as prevalent by late afternoon either with mid-level cooling taking place to erode the cap a bit earlier. Either way, increasing forcing for ascent with the upper trof and cold frontal merger will eventually initiate deep convection toward 00z. So again, a window for significant supercell storms with all hazards along the DL will exist with quasi-linear convection later in the evening. Just a matter if it will impact southern Kansas or be further south into Oklahoma. Drier and much cooler in the wake of the departing upper trof on Tuesday. Darmofal .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Saturday) Issued at 318 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 The next in a series of upper trofs/lows will venture eastward from the western conus across the central Plains Wednesday into Thursday. The ECMWF remains with its slower evolution/movement which would mean holding on to precip chances longer into the latter portion of the week. So for continuity and until we get somewhat better agreement, plan to hold on to precip chances into Thursday night and maybe Friday into southeast Kansas. Temperatures look to average close to early May climo. KED && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night) Issued at 1140 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 VFR conditions expected over the next 24 hours. Winds will remain light and gradually flip around towards out of the southeast. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 318 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 Lighter winds on Sunday and periodic and rather widespread rainfall and storm chances from Sunday night and Monday through much of next week are expected to keep fire danger low to moderate. KED && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Wichita-KICT 45 75 55 74 / 0 0 70 90 Hutchinson 42 74 52 71 / 0 0 70 90 Newton 43 73 53 70 / 0 0 70 90 ElDorado 44 74 54 72 / 0 0 70 90 Winfield-KWLD 45 75 56 76 / 0 0 70 90 Russell 40 74 47 62 / 0 0 70 90 Great Bend 40 74 49 68 / 0 10 70 90 Salina 42 74 49 66 / 0 0 60 90 McPherson 42 73 50 68 / 0 0 70 90 Coffeyville 45 75 55 74 / 0 0 60 90 Chanute 45 74 54 72 / 0 0 50 90 Iola 45 73 52 70 / 0 0 50 90 Parsons-KPPF 45 75 54 72 / 0 0 50 90 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...KED LONG TERM...KED AVIATION...JC FIRE WEATHER...KED
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 712 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-020015- Russell-Lincoln-Barton-Ellsworth-Saline-Rice-McPherson-Marion-Chase- Reno-Harvey-Butler-Greenwood-Woodson-Allen-Kingman-Sedgwick-Harper- Sumner-Cowley-Elk-Wilson-Neosho-Chautauqua-Montgomery-Labette- 712 PM CDT Sat Apr 30 2022 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Thunderstorms will become likely late Sunday night through Monday evening. A locally strong storm will be possible Sunday night into midday Monday. Then a chance for severe storms will exist late Monday afternoon and evening, mainly across south central and southeast Kansas. While damaging winds and large hail will be the main threats, a tornado will be possible, especially closer to the Oklahoma border. Check later forecasts and outlooks on more specific information in the next day or so. Periodic chances for thunderstorms will exist from Wednesday through Friday. Locally heavy rainfall and a few strong storms will be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://weather.gov/crh/ghwo?sid=ict
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Extreme drought (D3) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the first half of the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved the drought to severe (D2) by the end of the month.
Extreme drought (D3) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the first half of the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved the drought to severe (D2) by the end of the month.
Extreme drought (D3) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the first half of the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved the drought to severe (D2) by the end of the month.
Extreme drought (D3) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the first half of the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved the drought to severe (D2) by the end of the month.
Extreme drought (D3) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the first half of the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved the drought to severe (D2) by the end of the month.
Severe drought (D2) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved conditions to a (D1) drought by the end of the month.
Severe drought (D2) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the month. Welcome rainfall towards the middle of the month, improved conditions to abnormally dry (D0) by the end of the month.
Severe drought (D2) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved conditions to a (D1) drought by the end of the month.
Severe drought (D2) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved conditions to a (D1) drought by the end of the month.
Severe drought (D2) continued across the county, due to below normal rainfall during the month. Welcome rainfall towards the end of the month, improved conditions to a (D1) drought by the end of the month.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, May 2022
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: 1025326, 1025327, 1025328, 1025329, 1025330, 1025331, 1025332, 1025333, 1025334, 1025335.