Numerous thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of September 20th and quickly became severe as they entered into portions of central and south-central Kansas. Storms progressed eastward then produced up to quarter-sized hail and damaging wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph.
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.
Numerous thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours of September 20th and quickly became severe as they entered into portions of central and south-central Kansas. Storms progressed eastward then produced up to quarter-sized hail and damaging wind gusts between 60 and 70 mph. However, some storms across south-central Kansas later into the evening and nighttime hours produced significant damage with wind gusts estimated to be up around 90 mph. Damage produced by these storms included high-profile vehicles and semis being blown over, a plethora of power poles and trees either damaged or snapped, and significant damage to a large outbuilding.
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 Sep 20, 2:24 PM CST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 324 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - Few storms possible this evening with shower/storm chances ramping-up for Sat night through Sun. - Hot temperatures again for Sat across south central and southeast KS with highs in the upper 90s to around 100. - Much cooler temperatures to start the work week with highs both Mon and Tue in the 60s and 70s. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 323 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 Currently have an upper low spinning over Southern CA with some additional shortwave energy digging across the Northern Rockies. Meanwhile, upper ridging remains across the Southern Plains. At the surface, return flow is starting back up with a warm front lifting across southwest KS. Area of showers and storms has been lifting northeast from Eastern NM into southwest KS with this activity in an area of 850-700mb moisture advection ahead of the upper wave. This area of precip is expected to continue lifting northeast late this afternoon with a few additional storms possible to the east of this cluster, along the warm front. Will hold onto some small pops this evening as the mid level theta-e advection translates northeast but feel the most widespread activity tonight will be after 06z over northeast KS were the better low level jet dynamics will be maximized. Highs on Sat will once again be 15-20 degrees above normal across most of south central and southeast KS with readings topping out in the upper 90s to around 100. By Sat afternoon, upper low will be tracking northeast across the Desert Southwest and will be moving across the Four Corners region by early Sat evening. As the same time, shortwave trough will swing across south central Canada and will allow a cold front to move across the Northern Plains. Cold front is expected to stretch from southeast Nebraska into west-central KS by Sat afternoon. While there maybe some sct shower/storm activity across mainly central KS Sat morning, feel the more widespread showers and storms will hold off until Sat evening, when the better upper diffluence approaches the area. Also still going with the thinking that the better heavy rain potential will be tied to the 850mb front which will be over central KS Sat night. In addition, PW values Sat evening look to be around 200% of normal, which should lead to some efficient rain producers. Scattered showers/storms will persist into Sun as the front continues to slowly push southeast and by 00z Mon, mainly only the Flint Hills into southeast KS will still be seeing precip. The good news is that confidence remains high in below normal temps for Mon with some highs not making it out of the 60s! We will see a gradual warmup for Tue but highs will still be below normal. By mid week, medium range models start to diverge in the placement of a cutoff low, with the ECMWF keeping the low over the Southern High Plains while the GFS keep this feature over the Missouri Valley. So this leads to low confidence beyond the Tue time frame. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/... Issued at 1248 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 VFR conditions will prevail through the afternoon across the region. Meanwhile showers and storms are expected to develop over southwest Kansas later this afternoon and some of this activity could spread into central Kansas this evening. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...RBL AVIATION...CDJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 355 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-211500- 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- 355 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Chances for scattered thunderstorms will increase from the west early this evening generally along and west of the Flint Hills. Quarter size hail and 65 mph winds may accompany the strongest activity. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday Heat indices around 100 degrees are possible Saturday afternoon over far southern and southeast Kansas. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will increase late Saturday, and persist through Sunday night. While widespread severe weather is not expected, a handful of strong to marginally severe storms are possible, along with locally heavy rainfall. The best chance for heavy rain will be for locations along and especially north of Highway 50. .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
511 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024
KSZ047-050-067-202330-
Reno KS-Rice KS-Barton KS-
511 PM CDT Fri Sep 20 2024
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT WESTERN RENO...SOUTHWESTERN RICE
AND BARTON COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM CDT...
At 511 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Frizell to near Zook to near Hopewell to
near Cullison. Movement was northeast at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Great Bend, Hoisington, Ellinwood, Turon, Pawnee Rock, Sylvia,
Albert, Plevna, Raymond, Langdon, Great Bend Airport, Silica,
Cheyenne Bottoms, and Odin.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3844 9903 3867 9868 3835 9840 3812 9829
3780 9832 3774 9846 3826 9847 3826 9903
TIME...MOT...LOC 2211Z 237DEG 37KT 3823 9922 3802 9905 3780 9894 3762
9895
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
BAERGThe Dodge City radar (KDDC), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:42 UTC.
23 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gust was measured at Great Bend Municipal Airport.
A U-Haul trailer was blown over west of Lyons. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar.
Wind gust was measured by a Kansas State Mesonet site about 2 miles west of Little River.
Trained spotter estimated wind gusts up to 65 mph.
A trained spotter measured wind gusts up to 60 mph.
A semi trailer was blown over on Interstate 70 near mile marker 239. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar.
A trained spotter estimated wind gusts around 60 to 65 mph. An empty tank was blown off of a trailer.
A trained spotter estimated wind gusts around 70 mph. Nearby, 3-inch diameter tree limbs were reported to be broken as well as some damage to power poles.
This wind gust was measured from a Kansas State Mesonet site located 1 mile west-southwest of Pretty Prairie.
This was a measured wind gust of 60 mph reported by the public.
This wind gust was measured at Salina Regional Airport.
This was a measured wind gust reported by an NWS employee.
A trained spotter estimated wind gusts around 60 to 65 mph.
Emergency management estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph.
Two to three-inch diameter tree limbs were knocked down. Report relayed via social media.
Law enforcement reported a large metal dumpster was moved and flipped onto a road. Winds were estimated to be around 60 to 65 mph at time.
The local fire department along with emergency management reported several trees were damaged about 3 miles north of El Dorado Lake. Along with this, at least 23 power poles were damaged nearby along Highway 77. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar.
Measured by an anemometer along the Kansas Turnpike.
A report called into dispatch of a power line down on a tree that set a tree on fire. The report was relayed via emergency management. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar.
Trained spotter estimated wind gusts up to 60 mph with 0.5-inch hail also occurring. Nearby, several small trees were reported to be knocked down.
This wind gust was measured at Wichita Jabara Airport.
KSN relayed a viewer report of nickel to quarter-sized hail occurring near Jabara Airport.
A meteorologist at KWCH measured a 63 mph wind gust.
At least 15 power poles were snapped along with a large outbuilding that had its overhead doors collapsed. Time of occurrence was estimated by radar.
A trained spotter reported quarter sized hail and a measured wind gust of 53 mph.
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, September 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: 1218524, 1218526, 1218528, 1218529, 1218530, 1218531, 1218532, 1218533, 1218534, 1218535, 1218536, 1218537, 1218538, 1218539, 1218541, 1218542, 1218543, 1218544, 1218545, 1218546, 1218547, 1218548, 1218549, 1218550, 1218551.