Strong winds occurred across central Kansas on the 24th, but only Reno County had a recorded wind gust to 58 mph. Otherwise sustained wind speeds ranged from 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 to 45 mph.
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.
Strong winds occurred across central Kansas on the 24th, but only Reno County had a recorded wind gust to 58 mph. Otherwise sustained wind speeds ranged from 25 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 to 45 mph. One vehicle was overturned along Interstate 70 due to strong winds in Ellsworth County; an occupant was transported to the hospital with injuries.
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 Mar 24, 5:20 AM CST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 620 AM CDT Sun Mar 24 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Very strong south winds with peak gusts of 50-60 mph today. - Increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms through early tomorrow, with a brief transition to snow possible over parts of central Kansas tomorrow. - Some storms late this afternoon or early evening could be strong or severe with damaging winds and quarter sized hail the primary threats. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 330 AM CDT Sun Mar 24 2024 Ongoing elevated showers and storms are a product of warm moist advection brought to us by a developing LLJ. A few storms later this morning may be capable of small hail and strong wind gusts. The LLJ will expand and strengthen to 60kts overhead as we move through the morning thus expect an increase in scattered showers and storms through the morning. A lead shortwave embedded within the wide based western trough currently near the desert southwest will eject northeast emerging over the Central Plains by this afternoon and evening. A surface low in the vicinity of western KS/eastern CO will undergo cyclogenesis throughout the day, resulting in a very strong pressure gradient over the region. The sfc low is progged to become anomalously strong, some 3-4 standard deviations away from normal and may be a record low for time of year as it is progged to fall outside of the CFSR climate according to NAEFS mean SLP climatology return intervals. The ECMWF Extreme Forecast Index continues to highlight a shift of tails over the region for wind gusts, again highlighting the rarity of the event. There is high confidence that strong to damaging wind gusts of 50-60+ mph will occur today. As with most anomalous events, wouldn't be surprised if winds try to overperform the forecast. No changes were made to the current High Wind Watch or Wind Advisories in place. Severe: The dryline is still on track to line up across western KS and be a focus for severe convection after 21z this afternoon. The dryline will make slow work east today, likely not reaching the western fringe of the CWA until after 9pm (if not later). With the slow arrival of the dryline combined with limited low level moisture confidence in warm sector sfc based supercells and tornado potential remain on the lower side. However, favorable hodographs combined with the high shear/low CAPE environment and steep mid level lapse rates there remains a risk for supercells including a tornado risk with any storm that can develop and remain sfc based. Quarter sized hail and damaging winds will remain the primary concern. Even non-thunderstorm showers may be capable of transporting damaging winds to the sfc today given significant wind set just off the sfc. The sfc low and lead wave eject northeast of the area tomorrow with the secondary wave moving through the base of the trough immediately on its heels. This will drive the cold front across the CWA and keep the window open for light snow and flurries across portions of central KS throughout the day. The best chance for accumulating snow will be northwest of a line from Lincoln to Great Bend where less than one inch of snow may accumulate on elevated/grassy surfaces. Temperatures early Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will fall into the teens and 20s. Early morning wind chills will range from the single digits across central KS to the low and mid teens across much of south central and southeast KS Tuesday morning. Temperatures below seasonable normal with quiet dry conditions can be expected for the first half of the work week as we remain under broad troughing. Ridging looks to return for the end of next week and into the weekend with temps trending warmer into the upper 60s Thursday to the mid and upper 70s by Saturday. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/... Issued at 620 AM CDT Sun Mar 24 2024 Strong elevated low level moisture transport will result in scattered to numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms as the morning progresses, most numerous either side of the I-135 and I-35 corridors, then shifting into southeast Kansas by midday into the early afternoon. MVFR cigs will also remain most prevalent from the Flint Hills westward across central and south central Kansas today. Very strong south winds with gusts of 50 to 60 mph will develop for locations primarily west of the Kansas turnpike from midday through the afternoon. There is potential for strong to severe storms to affect locations along/west of I-135 by early evening with hail and even stronger damaging wind gusts possible. KED && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 330 AM CDT Sun Mar 24 2024 Very strong and gusty south winds of 50-60 mph are expected today. Very high fire danger is indicated, however relative humidity of 50-60% and multiple rounds of shower and storms will limit the threat. Very high fire danger is possible Thursday across portions of central and south central Kansas as relative humidity drops to 25-35% with above normal temps and breezy south winds. Very high fire danger is possible across the area Friday as relative humidity drops to 25-35% with above normal temps and strong southwest winds. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... High Wind Warning until 7 PM CDT this evening for KSZ032-033- 047>051-067-082-091. Wind Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM CDT Monday for KSZ032-033-047>051-067-082-091. Wind Advisory until 10 AM CDT Monday for KSZ052-053-068>072- 083-092>096-098>100. && DISCUSSION...KMB AVIATION...KED FIRE WEATHER...KMB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 1110 AM CDT Sun Mar 24 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-250915- 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- 1110 AM CDT Sun Mar 24 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Strong to potentially damaging south winds gusting over 50 mph are likely this afternoon with strong winds persisting tonight. See latest High Wind Warning and Wind Advisory for more details. Some strong to severe thunderstorms are possible after 6pm, especially across parts of south central Kansas. The primary hazards will be damaging winds around 65 mph and quarter sized hail, though a brief tornado may also be possible. A brief transition to snow may be possible across central Kansas late tonight into tomorrow. Minor accumulations and minimal impacts expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Thunderstorm chances will continue through early Monday morning areawide. A few storms may be strong with small hail and gusty winds. Light snow accumulations of an inch or less are possible across parts of central Kansas including the I-70 corridor on Monday. Strong south winds up to 50 mph will continue through Monday morning. Very high fire danger is possible on Thursday and Friday with breezy south winds and above normal temperatures. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated today or 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.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A SUV was overturned along Interstate 70 near Kansas Highway 156 with strong winds being indicated at the time of the incident. One person was transported to the hospital with injuries.
Hutchinson Municipal Airport measured a wind gust to 58 mph. This lasted only briefly with five minute observations recording wind gusts up to 47 mph before and after the peak for an hour to two hours respectively.
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, March 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: 1168643, 1167375.