Kansas, 2023

Tornado 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.

Where it happened

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

The toll

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.

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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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 3, 10:59 AM CST, 2 hours 24 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 3, 12:49 PM CST, 34 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 3, 12:53 PM CST, 30 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 3, 12:57 PM CST, 26 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 3, 1:02 PM CST, 21 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Oct 3, 1:07 PM CST, 16 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 3, 1:16 PM CST, 7 minutes before
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The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:23 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

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.

What these are

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.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kansas in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2023Warnings in Kansas, October 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: 1143241, 1143240, 1143239, 1143473, 1143474, 1143475, 1143547, 1143549, 1143551, 1143557, 1143558, 1143561, 1143694, 1143559, 1143562, 1143700, 1143701, 1143702, 1143703.