Kansas, 2023Tornado and Hail in Kansas, October 3, 2023
October 3, 2023 · NWS GLD · 19 events in 4 counties and zones
During the afternoon hours, multiple waves of thunderstorms moved across Northwest Kansas. These storms generally moved as lines producing thunderstorm wind gusts up to 75 mph with damage in Norton and Decatur counties.
Every event with a place to put it. 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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $53,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 19
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.
During the afternoon hours, multiple waves of thunderstorms moved across Northwest Kansas. These storms generally moved as lines producing thunderstorm wind gusts up to 75 mph with damage in Norton and Decatur counties. Large hail was also produced, ranging from pea to large apple in size across Sherman, Logan, Decatur, and Norton counties. The largest hail fell near the city of Norton at the Keith Sebelius Reservoir. A brief EF-1 tornado also occurred in northern Norton County causing damage to several buildings at a residential property.
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 Oct 3, 12:46 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 3, 12:46 PM CST, 37 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 3, 12:49 PM CST, 34 minutes before
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</html>Event by event
12 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Decatur
- When
- October 3, 1:23 PM CST
- Where
- Decatur County, 0.17 mi SSE of Oberlin Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Social Media
- Coordinates
- 39.828, -100.529
Report received of a large amount of dime to penny sized hail falling in Oberlin.
Hail, Logan
- When
- October 3, 1:24 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 4.84 mi S of Mc Allaster
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 38.930, -101.405
Pea to penny sized hail. Most of the hail ranged from pea to dime in size.
Hail, Logan
- When
- October 3, 1:35 PM CST to 1:36 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 4.45 mi SE of Smoky Hill
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 38.976, -101.309
Dime to half dollar size with the largest hail at the beginning of the storm and lasting only a minute.
Hail, Logan
- When
- October 3, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 1.23 mi SW of Monument
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 39.089, -101.038
Report of hail with a few up to the size of golf balls. Mostly smaller hail around quarter size fell over the location.
Hail, Logan
- When
- October 3, 2:06 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 2 mi NE of Monument
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 39.123, -100.998
Hail up to half dollar in size reported.
Hail, Logan
- When
- October 3, 2:13 PM CST
- Where
- Logan County, 4.1 mi ENE of Monument
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
- Coordinates
- 39.113, -100.945
Hail up to quarters in size reported. Most hail was smaller in size.
Hail, Decatur
- When
- October 3, 2:52 PM CST
- Where
- Decatur County, 1.21 mi W of Dresden
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.618, -100.443
Pea to nickel sized hail reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:05 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 0.59 mi N of Clayton
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.739, -100.180
Trained spotter estimated thunderstorm winds 40-60 mph.
Hail, Sherman
- When
- October 3, 2:07 PM MST
- Where
- Sherman County, 3.65 mi NNW of Caruso
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 39.380, -101.801
Pea to quarter sized hail reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Decatur
- When
- October 3, 3:14 PM CST
- Where
- Decatur County, 0.9 mi NW of Norcatur
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- Mesonet
- Coordinates
- 39.840, -100.190
Station KKSNORCA2 reported a 65 mph wind gust.
Thunderstorm Wind, Decatur
- When
- October 3, 3:14 PM CST
- Where
- Decatur County, 0.62 mi NNW of Norcatur
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Social Media
- Coordinates
- 39.838, -100.185
Report of a healthy tree uprooted.
Hail, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:20 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 3.81 mi WSW of Norton
- Measured
- 3 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 39.805, -99.944
Hail ranging from two to three inches in size fell at the Keith Sebelius Reservoir.
Hail, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:22 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 1.03 mi W of Norton
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 39.830, -99.899
Two inch hail reported on the west side of Norton.
Hail, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:24 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 0.84 mi SE of Norton Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 2 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.840, -99.891
Spotter reported one to two inch hail.
Thunderstorm Wind, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:24 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 0.71 mi NW of Norton
- Measured
- 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.837, -99.890
Trained spotter estimated 65 mph gusts with the storm.
Hail, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:25 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 4.48 mi S of Calvert
- Measured
- 1.25 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 39.786, -99.759
Trained spotter reported hail mostly pea to dime size with largest up to one and a quarter inches.
Tornado, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:25 PM CST to 3:26 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 9.6 mi N of Norton Muni Arpt to 9.66 mi N of Norton Muni Arpt
- Rating
- EF1
- Path length
- 0.08 mi
- Path width
- 30 yd
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 39.987, -99.926
NWS Storm Survey concluded that a brief EF-1 Tornado occurred in norther Norton County. Estimated winds were 95-105 mph along with a path width of 30 yards and path length of 0.08 miles. Tornado started at 425 CDT and ended at 426pm CDT. Damage to a large building, and other outbuildings at a residence were noted.
Thunderstorm Wind, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:25 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 10.49 mi NNW of Norton Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 39.998, -99.944
Water tank was thrown 15 feet onto the road by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be 70 mph.
Thunderstorm Wind, Norton
- When
- October 3, 3:25 PM CST
- Where
- Norton County, 9.49 mi N of Norton Muni Arpt
- Measured
- 65 kt (75 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- NWS Storm Survey
- Coordinates
- 39.987, -99.887
A large tree trunk was split in half due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 75 mph.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Nebraska, October 3, 2023$922,000 · EF0 · 46 events
- Flash Flooding and Dust Storm in Texas, October 3, 2023$46,000 · 2 in hail · 20 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, October 3, 2023$75,000 · 1.75 in hail · 8 events
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, October 3, 2023EF1 · 19 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, October 3, 20232.75 in hail · 17 events
- Dense Fog in Pennsylvania, October 3, 20236 events
- Dense Fog in New Jersey, October 3, 20235 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 3 to 4, 20232 in hail · 5 events
- Hail in Kansas, October 3, 20233 in hail · 3 events
- Hail and Sleet in Idaho, October 3, 2023$8,000 · 0.25 in hail · 3 events
- Hail in North Dakota, October 3, 20231.5 in hail · 3 events
- Drought in Georgia, October 3 to 31, 20232 events
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: 1143241, 1143240, 1143239, 1143473, 1143474, 1143475, 1143547, 1143549, 1143551, 1143557, 1143558, 1143561, 1143694, 1143559, 1143562, 1143700, 1143701, 1143702, 1143703.