Drought conditions improved across the Central Kansas with only a few areas remaining in severe drought (D2). Areas of the Southeast Kansas did not have any improvement during the month despite getting a couple of heavy rain events during the month.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 ICT wrote it up.
Drought conditions improved across the Central Kansas with only a few areas remaining in severe drought (D2). Areas of the Southeast Kansas did not have any improvement during the month despite getting a couple of heavy rain events during the month. There still remains a significant area of Southeast Kansas still in severe drought (D2).
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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 31, 11:27 PM CST, 33 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 1127 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Unseasonably mild through the forecast period. - Warm low temperature records possible Thursday. - Increasing rain chances this weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 354 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2024 Changes: Increased precipitation chances for the weekend A ridge is positioned over the central CONUS while a wave is exiting off of the southeast coast. There is a shortwave over the Four Corners region which should track into the Front Range and Southern Plains tonight. These unseasonably mild temperatures could result in record warm low temperatures on Thursday with low temperatures at the normal seasonal high values; please see the climate section below for more information. Daytime high temperatures are expected to be in the mid 60s to lower 70s or 20 to near 30 degrees above seasonal normal. A trough comes onshore on the West Coast on Thursday then will track east into to the central and southern Plains for the weekend. There is an increase in moisture transport with anomalous moisture expected specifically for Saturday. As mentioned in the previous discussion, instability does exist posing the potential for some thunderstorm activity from Friday evening through Saturday night. Strong or severe storms are not expected with this activity. Given the temperature profiles, only liquid precipitation is anticipated. Breezy conditions with this low pressure system will occur on Saturday with sustained speeds of 15 to 25 mph. This system drops southeast to the southern Mississippi River Valley by mid Sunday before moving over the southeast CONUS for the start of next week. The precipitation should move out later in the day on Sunday. A ridge is expected to build in behind the exiting system in the central CONUS for the start of next week. While it will be cooler from Friday onward, temperatures are still forecast above normal by 5 to 20 degrees depending on the day. Sunday and Monday should be the cooler days of the forecast after that system pushes to the southeast with highs in the upper 40 to mid 50s. It will be warmer afterwards given the ridge. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1127 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2024 LLWS (directional and speed) at all terminals this TAF period. VFR conditions are expected across the region with the only issue will be the approach of a low level jet over the region during the overnight hours. This has created a LLWS situation over the region with all terminals likely to have some LLWS for a period of time for the first six to eight hours of the TAF. By 13Z to 15Z, the surface winds will pick up and the LLWS conditions will abate. VFR conditions are expected for the remainder of the TAF period. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 355 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2024 There is potential for record high (warm) low temperatures on Thursday for all sites. Please see below for greater detail. On Sunday, Russell has another chance for a record high (warm) low temperature given a current record of only 35 degrees and a forecast of 41 degrees for that 24 hour period. Thursday (2/1) Chanute - Forecast:45 Record: 46 in 1941 Russell - Forecast:42 Record: 37 in 2016 Salina - Forecast:46 Record: 40 in 1941 Wichita - Forecast:46 Record: 46 in 1919 && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...VJP AVIATION...ELM CLIMATE...VJP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 420 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-012230- Russell-Lincoln-Barton-Ellsworth-Saline-Rice-McPherson-Marion-Chase- Reno-Harvey-Butler-Greenwood-Woodson-Allen-Kingman-Sedgwick-Harper- Sumner-Cowley-Elk-Wilson-Neosho-Chautauqua-Montgomery-Labette- 420 PM CST Wed Jan 31 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday There is chance for thunderstorms Friday night and Saturday. The storms are not expected to be strong or severe. Localized flooding could occur on Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://weather.gov/crh/ghwo?sid=ict
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought conditions improved across the county with the only remaining area of severe drought (D2) disappearing in the eastern parts of the county. All areas of the county improved to moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
Drought conditions improved across the county with only the Southeastern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
Drought conditions improved across the county with only the Northeastern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
Drought conditions improved across the county with only the Southwestern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
Drought conditions improved across the county with only the far Northwestern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
Drought conditions remain the same across the county with Southeastern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
Drought conditions remain the same across the county with Eastern half of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1).
Drought conditions remain the same across the county with far Northwestern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1).
Drought conditions remain the same across the county with far Southwestern areas of the County remaining in severe drought (D2). The rest of the county was either in moderate drought (D1) or abnormally dry (D0).
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, February 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: 1161854, 1161855, 1161856, 1161857, 1161858, 1161859, 1161860, 1161861, 1161862.