A dryline and Pacific cold front moved into the region on Monday May 6th, and with abundant moisture and instability already in place, storms erupted by the early afternoon hours across west-central Kansas. As storms tracked across central Kansas they produced hail up to slightly larger than baseballs!
Every event with a place to put it. 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 dryline and Pacific cold front moved into the region on Monday May 6th, and with abundant moisture and instability already in place, storms erupted by the early afternoon hours across west-central Kansas. As storms tracked across central Kansas they produced hail up to slightly larger than baseballs! Storms became more numerous over southeast Kansas after sunset with wind and heavy rain becoming the main threats. The majority of the tornadoes on this day took place down in Oklahoma where an EF-4 struck the town of Barnsdall Oklahoma.
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 May 6, 5:39 AM CST, 21 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 639 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered to numerous severe storms will impact much of the region for today-tonight with a Severe Weather Outbreak possibly affecting southern Kansas - More storms possible on Wednesday across far southeast Kansas - Dry and quiet weather conditions expected for Thursday-Sunday && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 259 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 Current satellite water vapory imagery shows a large/robust upper level low pressure system spinning over Idaho with a long extended jet stream rounding the base of the trough into the southwestern states. The strength of the jet stream winds aloft has kept increasing by the models from Friday until now with a current jet max(110-130kt). This jet max(exit region) will push out into the Texas panhandle/western Oklahoma with a west to east alignment this afternoon then spread eastward into the night time hours. Strong forcing from upper trough will pivot in a negative fashion over western Kansas by late morning/early afternoon, thus causing a line of storms to rapidly develop. This line of storms will intensify and spread southward as it moves east towards central Kansas between 2PM- 4PM. The key things to watch for today will be storm mode on radar which will tell us how the atmosphere is dictating storm organization, along with timing of low clouds scouring out which will predicate magnitude of instability. Wind shear vector orientation favors liner storm mode for central Kansas with more perpendicular alignment crossing over the dry-line in far southern Kansas/Oklahoma(better opportunity for discrete supercells). Also any storm that can develop east of the line of storms would be a concern for discrete supercell mode and have a favorable environment to itself. The 4PM to 8PM time frame across south central Kansas into Oklahoma looks like the window when things could be at peak severity(most favorable area for a Severe Weather Outbreak to occur). This is when clearing of low clouds begins and stronger winds aloft from upper jet influence the region, thus causing a boost to instability and wind shear aloft. Favorable low LCLs and hodographs shapes suggests strong tornadic potential. Any discrete supercell in this environment would be capable of producing very damaging winds up to 80mph, giant hail up to softball size, and strong potentially longer-track tornadoes. After 8PM this volatile environment will begin to spread into southeast Kansas where a continuation of higher end severe weather is likely. As main upper level low pressure system sits and churns over the Dakotas for Tuesday into Wednesday. Models show an embedded short wave rotating around the base of the upper trough across northern Kansas/Nebraska late Tuesday night into Wednesday. Thunderstorms could develop over far southeast Kansas Wednesday. The weather pattern looks to remain rather quiet Thursday-Sunday with surface high pressure dominating over the region this period. Daytime highs will hover around seasonal averages with lighter wind speeds Friday- Sunday making for some pleasant weather days. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 628 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 Moist southeasterly flow has resulted in widespread MVFR/IFR cigs across much of the area this morning. This stratus will begin to mix out as we move through the late morning and early afternoon hours but may remain anchored across the Flint Hills through much of the day. A vigorous storm system will allow a frontal boundary to propagate eastward across Kansas today and tonight. Thunderstorms will accompany the front impacting central KS in the 20-22Z timeframe while gradually building eastward as we move through the afternoon and evening hours. Severe storms are anticipated in the 22-02Z timeframe in central and south central KS and in southeast Kansas from around 00-03Z timeframe. VFR will return in the wake of the Pacific front during the evening and overnight hours, but locations along and east of the Flint Hills may continue to see reduced flight category in low cigs through much of the night. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...CDJ AVIATION...MWM
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 336 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-070845- 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- 336 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Areas of fog will impact the Flint Hills and southeast Kansas early this morning. Some of the fog could be dense at times. Scattered to numerous severe thunderstorms are expected to march east to northeast across the region this afternoon and tonight. An outbreak of severe weather is possible, especially across southern Kansas after 4PM. This is when and where the most intense storms will be capable of baseball to softball sized hail, very damaging winds up to 80 mph, and tornadoes. A few of the tornadoes could be strong and potentially long-track. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday There is a slight chance for a few thunderstorms over far southeast Kansas Wednesday, but the severe weather threat should remain just east and southeast of the region. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed across the entire region for this afternoon and tonight. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict
The Wichita radar (KICT), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:01 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 6 heavy rain, 3 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Twenty four hour rainfall from COOP observer of 2.46 inches. This heavy rain resulted in some flooding of Highway 160 on the west side of town.
Twenty four hour rainfall from CoCoRaHS observer of 2.05 inches. Street flooding occurred in town during the late evening hours of the 6th.
Twenty four hour rainfall from COOP observer of 2.02 inches.
Twenty four hour rainfall total from CoCoRahs observer of 2.18 inches.
Twenty four hour rainfall total from a Mesonet site of 2.14 inches.
Twenty four hour rainfall from COOP observer of 2.25 inches.
Nickel to quarter sized hail was reported in Pawnee Rock.
Quarter sized hail was reported just east of the main hail core.
An individual sent a social media report via X of three inch hail near Claflin.
Hail started falling at the size of nickels before increasing to the size of tennis balls then dropping back down to quarter sized hail over a ten minute window in Claflin.
A power pole was snapped. The time is estimated from radar.
A report relayed via the media of a tornado near the state line and south of Hewins. No damage was reported in that area.
Flooding on Kansas Highway 99 occurred just south of US Highway 400 during the evening of the 6th. A mesonet site near Climax measured a twenty four hour rainfall total of 2.14 inches.
An estimated wind gust of 70 mph was reported by the fire department near Fall River.
Estimated wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph were relayed by emergency management.
Water over K-99 north of Severy.
Wind estimated by fire department.
Severe thunderstorm wind led to a roof being blown off an older barn near Angola. Some trees were reported down across the county.
Wind estimated by broadcast media.
A tree fell onto a house from the strong winds. There were two minor injuries, but they were treated on scene. No one was transported to the hospital.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2024Warnings 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: 1181561, 1181565, 1181574, 1181562, 1181563, 1181573, 1181535, 1181537, 1181549, 1181547, 1181544, 1181566, 1181567, 1181568, 1181550, 1181992, 1181552, 1181551, 1181569, 1181553, 1181571, 1181578, 1181555, 1181572, 1181560, 1181558, 1181559.