Storms that previously had produced 70-85 mph across portions of north-central Kansas in WFO Hastings' area weakened as they moved into Republic and Cloud Counties early morning on May 2. One 59 mph gust was measured in Republic County, as well as an area of 1 to 2 inches of rain across north-central Kansas.
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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 TOP wrote it up.
Storms that previously had produced 70-85 mph across portions of north-central Kansas in WFO Hastings' area weakened as they moved into Republic and Cloud Counties early morning on May 2. One 59 mph gust was measured in Republic County, as well as an area of 1 to 2 inches of rain across north-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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 1, 11:31 PM CST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 1231 AM CDT Thu May 2 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A line of thunderstorms moves across the area overnight with continuous storm chances into Thursday, especially in eastern KS. - Drier into Friday before another system moves overnight Friday into Saturday morning. - Active weather returns again early next week with more chances for rain and thunderstorms. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 312 PM CDT Wed May 1 2024 Scattered thunderstorms have continued across much of northeastern Kansas this afternoon along areas of 700mb WAA ahead of an approaching mid level wave. A warm front is noted via surface analysis beginning to move north in southeastern Kansas with a dryline setting up in far southwestern Kansas and into the Panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas. With the showers and thunderstorms draping much of northeastern Kansas for much of the day, temperatures have struggled to warm above the mid 50s while some clearing in central and east-central Kansas has helped temperatures warm into the upper 60s and low 70s. As we progress further into this evening, a few storms may develop along the dryline in southwestern Kansas and move towards eastern Kansas. Simultaneously, lift along the north-moving warm front will help increase showers and a few thunderstorms into the evening for much of the area. Not expecting many storms along the warm front to be severe as better instability should remain near the surface low in southwest Kansas. That said, cannot rule out a few elevated storms becoming severe with large hail as the main threat. The best chance for these will be in central Kansas where better ingredients for severe weather will reside. Later this evening and overnight into Thursday morning, convection that develops just ahead of the shortwave in southwestern Nebraska should move east along the KS/NE border, increasing chances for showers and thunderstorms again. If these storms can become organized and develop a balanced cold pool circulation, could see the possibility of some gusty winds (some possibly severe), and hail developing with this line of convection. This will need to be monitored over the next several hours to see how this convection evolves. Cannot rule out a brief QLCS tornado if this line has a very balanced cold-pool, but does not seem overly great for this to occur as 0-3 km shear vectors may be fairly line-parallel. By Thursday morning, the surface trough will push east with modest theta-e advection along and ahead of the surface cold front. Persistent elevated thunderstorms and showers will continue into Thursday afternoon as that boundary pushes east across the area. PWs ahead of the boundary between 1.25-1.5" point to some localized heavy rainfall along the boundary so a flooding concern may develop, especially with training of storms. Will continue to monitor for the need of any hydro headlines. Surface ridging builds in behind the cold front into Thursday evening and will bring drier conditions in for Friday. Dry weather will again be short-lived as flow shifts back to the south by Friday afternoon, advecting in moisture ahead of the next wave to impact the central Plains. The wave and surface boundary sweep across the area Friday night into Saturday morning with the possibility of seeing strong to severe storms. Another brief break in active weather Sunday before another trough ejects into the region Monday and into Tuesday with severe weather possible again. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 1231 AM CDT Thu May 2 2024 VFR expected prior to tsra moving through the terminals in the 08Z to 12Z time period. Expect mvfr cigs along with mvfr vsbys and some ifr vsbys with the storms. MVFR cigs look to persist through 20 to 22Z at TOP and FOE with some additional SHRA expected. MHK looks to become vfr after 18Z. Southerly winds around 12kts at MHK will shift to the west to northwest winds in the 13Z to 17Z time period. Winds shift at TOP and FOE after 16Z to 18Z. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Griesemer AVIATION...Picha/53
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 320 PM CDT Wed May 1 2024 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-022030- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 320 PM CDT Wed May 1 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Scattered showers and thunderstorms to continue along a north- moving warm front this evening with some becoming strong. Another line of storms moving into northern Kansas this evening and overnight could produce damaging winds and hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Showers and thunderstorms continue along and ahead of a cold front into Thursday afternoon that could create a risk for flooding. Some of these storms may become strong to severe with damaging winds and quarter-sized hail being the main concerns. Additional chances for storms will continue Friday night into Saturday and again early next week. && More detailed information can be found at: www.weather.gov/media/top/DssPacket.pdf
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:33 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured 59 mph gust at personal weather station.
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, May 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: 1176572.