Kansas, 2023

Dust Storm in Kansas, July 13, 2023

July 13, 2023 · NWS GLD · 1 event in 1 county or zone

During the afternoon a narrow corridor of dust was blowing across Highway 27 in southern Cheyenne County. The dust was thick enough to lower the visibility to less than a quarter mile for a few hundred yards.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
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  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 afternoon a narrow corridor of dust was blowing across Highway 27 in southern Cheyenne County. The dust was thick enough to lower the visibility to less than a quarter mile for a few hundred yards.

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 Jul 13, 1:14 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 1:14 PM CST, 2 hours 38 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 12:29 PM CST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Goodland KS
1229 PM MDT Thu Jul 13 2023

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-141830-
Yuma-Kit Carson-Cheyenne-Rawlins-Decatur-Norton-Sherman-Thomas-
Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-Greeley-Wichita-Dundy-Hitchcock-
Red Willow-
1229 PM MDT Thu Jul 13 2023 /129 PM CDT Thu Jul 13 2023/

This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska...
northwest Kansas and east central Colorado.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT...

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for portions of eastern
Colorado, southwest Nebraska, and northwestern Kansas until 8 PM MDT.

Isolated severe thunderstorms capable of producing large hail and
damaging winds are possible this afternoon into this evening, mainly
in eastern Colorado and adjacent Kansas and Nebraska border counties
between 2 PM and 9 PM MDT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

Scattered thunderstorms may develop along and east of Highway
83 Friday afternoon. While an isolated severe storm cannot be ruled
out, severe weather may largely be confined southeast of the Tri-
State area, over portions of central and southern Kansas.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be required.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 13, 1:22 PM CST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 13, 1:41 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 13, 2:00 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 13, 2:04 PM CST, 1 hour 48 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 13, 2:37 PM CST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jul 13, 3:01 PM CST, 51 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Dust Storm, Cheyenne

When
July 13, 3:52 PM CST
Where
Cheyenne forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.786, -101.731 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Roughly eight miles south of Wheeler a corridor of dust was being blown across Highway 27. The dust was coming from a bare field next to the highway. The corridor of dust was a few hundred yards wide, with visibility under a quarter mile in the dust.

What these are

Dust Storm
Blowing dust that reduced visibility to a quarter mile or less.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, July 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: 1130756.