A complex of severe thunderstorms in western Kansas and northwest Oklahoma encroached on the region during the night of 1st of June and into early morning hours of 2 June. These decaying thunderstorms produces strong wake low winds as they decayed when entering the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A complex of severe thunderstorms in western Kansas and northwest Oklahoma encroached on the region during the night of 1st of June and into early morning hours of 2 June. These decaying thunderstorms produces strong wake low winds as they decayed when entering the region. The strong winds occurred over the region during the early morning of the 2nd with wind gusts up to 60 mph reported in south central Kansas. Blowing dust was also prevalent across parts of north central Kansas during this time. The dust reduced the visibilities along I-70 contributing to an injury accident. A high wind warning was issued for south central Kansas.
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 Jun 2, 1:59 AM CST, 38 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 259 AM CDT Sun Jun 2 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - The active pattern will continue for Today through Tuesday across the region with strong to severe storms possible - A dry and quiet weather pattern looks to be in store for Wednesday through Saturday && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 249 AM CDT Sun Jun 2 2024 Storms will continue to develop over western and central Kansas early this morning. They will likely linger into the mid morning hours, aided by low level jet/moisture transport into a decent mid-level baroclinic zone. Meanwhile, current early morning satellite water vapor imagery shows a fairly healthy looking upper level wave over Arizona. This upper level wave will migrate east/northeast and reach western Oklahoma late this afternoon. A second upper level wave will move eastward from the Rockies across the northern plains. This northern system will push a cold front southward into Nebraska. These two waves will encounter deeper moisture continuing to surge northward per latest surface to 850mb polar orbiting satellite data products. Thunderstorms should ignite ahead of the cold front in Nebraska and parts of western Kansas southward into Texas panhandle later this afternoon. The storms will grow upscale into a eastward forward propagating MCS across Nebraska and northern Kansas. Some of this activity could spread into central Kansas later tonight with damaging winds as the main hazard. CAM models show another possible MCS developing further south in southwest Kansas/Oklahoma and moving east overnight(could be in response to the current southwestern upper wave). Also if that southern MCS scenario happens it could chew up the moisture and toss a wrench into Monday's setup for Kansas making things less certain to predict. Models show a more robust upper level wave moving across the northern plains on Tuesday with an associated frontal boundary moving south into Kansas later in the afternoon. Storms look to develop along the front in the afternoon and become more numerous Tuesday night. Some of these storms could be strong to severe once again with damaging winds and torrential downpours as the main risk. Could also see some flooding problems arise for some locations that see repeated rounds of heavy rainfall for tonight through Tuesday night. All model ensemble means show good agreement with a pattern change to a northwest flow regime aloft for Wednesday-Saturday developing over the region. This should give way to dry weather and near to slightly above normal daytime highs. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1227 AM CDT Sun Jun 2 2024 VFR is anticipated through much of the period, but any isolated or widely scattered storms may result in reduced flight categories briefly. We could see a cluster of storms around sunrise in central KS but confidence in development remains low with no mention planned in our central KS TAFs. Otherwise, breezy southerly winds are expected to develop across the area on Sunday with some gusts exceeding 25 knots at times. Confidence in hit or miss storms on Sunday afternoon and evening remain low. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...CDJ AVIATION...MWM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 1043 PM CDT Sat Jun 1 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-030345- 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- 1043 PM CDT Sat Jun 1 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight The primary concern with overnight storms is damaging winds up to 65 mph and quarter size hail. Areas along and west of Interstate 135 stand the best chances for overnight storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Periodic chances for storms are forecast to affect the region Sunday night through Tuesday night. The storms could become more numerous especially for Sunday night and Tuesday night across the region. Some of the storms could become strong or severe this period. In addition, the showers and storms could create some flooding problems for locations that see repeated rounds of rainfall. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1011 PM CDT Sat Jun 1 2024
KSZ032-020400-
Russell KS-
1011 PM CDT Sat Jun 1 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT WESTERN RUSSELL COUNTY THROUGH
1100 PM CDT...
At 1011 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Walker, moving east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and nickel size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Russell, Gorham, and Russell Airport.
This includes Interstate 70 between Mile Markers 175 and 188.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3897 9904 3906 9882 3874 9877 3875 9904
TIME...MOT...LOC 0311Z 262DEG 20KT 3885 9906
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.88 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
METZGERPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
337 AM CDT Sun Jun 2 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0325 AM Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Harper 37.29N 98.03W
06/02/2024 E60 MPH Harper KS Law Enforcement
Strong winds north of decaying storms in OK
resulting in a large limb blown down in
Harper.
&&
MWMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong winds north of a decaying storms in Oklahoma resulted in a large limb blown down in Harper.
Kansas Highway Patrol reported an accident occurred after a driver slowed down due to due to blowing dust and no visibility along Interstate 70. Three individuals were transported to the hospital with injuries.
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, June 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: 1187659, 1199139.