Dust Storm and Hail in Kansas, April 19, 2023

Name: Dust Storm and Hail in Kansas, April 19, 2023
Start: 2023-04-19T18:00
End: 2023-04-19T23:22
Location: Kansas

April 19, 2023 · NWS GLD · 9 events in 7 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $60,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.

During the evening of April 19th, a cold front passed through Northwestern Kansas that produced damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph in the region. Blowing dust was also reported in the region due to these high winds that reduced visibilities down to near zero in some locations. An isolated thunderstorm also developed within the region due to the cold front passage that yielded hail up to a penny in size.

What forecasters said that day

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 Apr 19, 5:57 PM MST, 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 5:57 PM MST, 3 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 19, 6:00 PM MST, 0 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 19, 5:08 PM MST, 52 minutes before

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Local storm report, Apr 19, 5:24 PM MST, 36 minutes before

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Local storm report, Apr 19, 5:34 PM MST, 26 minutes before

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Local storm report, Apr 19, 5:54 PM MST, 6 minutes before

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Local storm report, Apr 19, 5:57 PM MST, 3 minutes before

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Local storm report, Apr 19, 5:58 PM MST, 2 minutes before

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The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 2 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high wind, 1 dust storm, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Sherman

When: April 19, 6:00 PM MST to 9:17 PM MST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $48,000
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 39.351, -101.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High wind gusts of 58 mph or greater were observed in Sherman County. The maximum wind gust of an estimated 70 mph was reported 13 miles north of Edson, KS. Blowing dust caused by the high winds reduced visibility down to near zero in some locations. Damage caused by the high winds included irrigation pipes blown onto Interstate 70 at mile marker 2, a power pole blown down 6 miles north of Goodland, KS on Highway 27 as well as up to 10 downed powerlines reported 3 miles north-northeast of Caruso, KS.

Dust Storm, Sherman

When: April 19, 6:00 PM MST to 7:40 PM MST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 39.351, -101.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Visibility as low as near-zero statute miles reported within Sherman County due to high winds causing blowing dust. The lowest visibility of near-zero statute miles was reported 13 miles north of Edson, KS with an estimated 70 mph wind gust. Time range estimated using other local storm reports and KGLD ASOS observations.

High Wind, Thomas

When: April 19, 8:00 PM CST to 8:14 PM CST
Where: Thomas forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $12,000
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.351, -101.055 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High wind gusts of 58 mph or greater were observed in Thomas County. The maximum wind gust of 60 mph was reported at a Mesonet station located 8 miles west-southwest of Mingo, KS. Blowing dust caused by the high winds reduced visibility down to 3 statute miles within the county. A semi was reported to have blown over 2 miles south-southwest of Colby, KS causing 2 injuries.

High Wind, Logan

When: April 19, 8:05 PM CST to 11:22 PM CST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 38.917, -101.148 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High wind gusts of 58 mph or greater were observed in Logan county. The maximum wind gust of 63 mph was reported at the KOEL AWOS located 2 miles east-southeast of Oakley, KS. Blowing dust from the high winds reduced visibilities down to 4 statute miles.

High Wind, Rawlins

When: April 19, 8:30 PM CST
Where: Rawlins forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.785, -101.076 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A Mesonet station located 2 miles north of Atwood, KS reported a 58 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Wichita

When: April 19, 8:34 PM CST
Where: Wichita forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.482, -101.347 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A Mesonet station located 8 miles north of Marienthal, KS reported a 58 mph wind gust.

High Wind, Gove

When: April 19, 8:37 PM CST
Where: Gove forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 38.916, -100.483 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A Mesonet station located in Campus, KS reported a wind gust of 63 mph.

High Wind, Sheridan

When: April 19, 9:04 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 39.350, -100.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A Mesonet station located 5 miles south of Selden, KS reported a 68 mph wind gust.

Hail, Rawlins

When: April 19, 10:13 PM CST
Where: Rawlins County, 2 mi SW of Herndon
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 39.880, -100.807

Hail up to pennies in size reported at location. Time is radar estimated.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Dust Storm: Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, April 2023

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1095855, 1095998, 1095852, 1095840, 1095841, 1095850, 1095839, 1095848, 1095842.