An eastward moving broken line of Severe Thunderstorms developed along a surface trough of low pressure, intersected by a stationery surface frontal boundary, between about 4 and 7 pm August 14th. Although wind gusts were not recorded by instrument, the downed power pole south of Radium and the multiple downed trees in Ashland implied winds in excess of 58 mph.
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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 DDC wrote it up.
An eastward moving broken line of Severe Thunderstorms developed along a surface trough of low pressure, intersected by a stationery surface frontal boundary, between about 4 and 7 pm August 14th. Although wind gusts were not recorded by instrument, the downed power pole south of Radium and the multiple downed trees in Ashland implied winds in excess of 58 mph.
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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 14, 1:17 PM CST, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 217 PM CDT Wed Aug 14 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - There is a 30-50% chance for strong to marginally severe thunderstorms late this afternoon and evening. - Seasonal temperatures are expected into the early part of the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 200 PM CDT Wed Aug 14 2024 WV imagery indicates a southwest flow aloft prevailing across the Western High Plains downstream of a shallow upper level trough of low pressure pushing eastward through the Colorado Rockies. Near the surface, a lee side trough of low pressure remains anchored from northwest Kansas southwestward into southeast Colorado. Thunderstorm chances (30-50%) pick back up late this afternoon into early evening as the SREF shows an upper level trough of low pressure transitioning eastward through the Northern Plains with a series of associated H5 vort maxima passing through the high plains of northeast Colorado/southwest Nebraska. As the system approaches, a weak surface low in northwest Kansas is still projected to lift northeast into Nebraska with an attendant trough axis shifting slowly east across southwest Kansas by late afternoon. Meanwhile, a prevailing southeasterly upslope flow will continue to support pooling moisture ahead of the advancing trough axis with surface dewpoints well up into the mid/upper 60s(F) to near 70F, providing sufficient instability with MUCAPE values in excess of 1000 to 1500 J/kg. Despite a modest at best west-southwest flow aloft (30-40kt) helping limit more favorable deep layer shear, steepening low/mid-level lapse rates within a corridor of increased low level convergence in vicinity of the trough axis will set the stage for diurnally driven isolated to widely scattered thunderstorm development, such as indicated by the latest CAMs. The best chance for any appreciable rainfall will be across portions of central Kansas and eastern southwest Kansas where the HREF paints a 30-50% probability of 6-hr QPF exceeding a tenth of an inch by late evening. A less active pattern is then expected into the early part of the weekend as ridging aloft building in across the Intermountain West begins to edge into the Western High Plains based on medium range ensembles. Near normal temperatures are forecast tonight as slightly cooler air begins to spread into western Kansas behind a weak frontal passage projected by daybreak Thursday morning. With the latest HREF indicating a 50-70% probability of temperatures dropping below 70F in west central and extreme southwest Kansas to less than a 10% probability of below 70F in south central Kansas, look for widespread lows in the mid/upper 60s(F) for much of the area with the lower 70s(F) in south central central Kansas. A weak frontal passage early Thursday morning will result in a slight drop in high temperatures later in the afternoon as slightly cooler air spreads into western Kansas. The HREF shows a widespread 90% probability of afternoon highs nudging above 90F. Widespread afternoon highs are expected to continue through Friday and Saturday as ridging aloft approaches from the west. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/... Issued at 1117 AM CDT Wed Aug 14 2024 Isolated to widely scattered thunderstorms will be possible across central and portions of southwest Kansas late afternoon into early evening, potentially affecting the vicinity of KHYS and KDDC. Otherwise, widespread VFR conditions will prevail in vicinity of all TAF sites through early Thursday. Moderately gusty southwest winds through late afternoon are expected to subside this evening while becoming more westerly overnight as a lee side trough of low pressure pushes east through southwest/central Kansas. && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...JJohnson AVIATION...JJohnson
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Dodge City KS 417 AM CDT Wed Aug 14 2024 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-150930- Trego-Ellis-Scott-Lane-Ness-Rush-Hamilton-Kearny-Finney-Hodgeman- Pawnee-Stafford-Stanton-Grant-Haskell-Gray-Ford-Edwards-Kiowa- Pratt-Morton-Stevens-Seward-Meade-Clark-Comanche-Barber- 417 AM CDT Wed Aug 14 2024 /317 AM MDT Wed Aug 14 2024/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas, south central Kansas, southwest Kansas, and west central Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A few of the thunderstorms this afternoon and evening could be marginally severe with winds as high as 60 mph. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday Isolated severe thunderstorms with large hail can't be ruled out Thursday and Friday evenings, especially along the southern tier of Kansas from Liberal to Pratt. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... A few storm spotters may be needed late this afternoon and evening.
The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:46 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm wind damage cause resulted in a downed power pole at the intersection of NW 80th Avenue and 90th Street.
Emergency Manager reported multiple trees down and building damage in Ashland. Time estimated from radar.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, August 2024
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: 1209261, 1209263.