Damaging Winds in Kansas, June 17, 2025

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Topeka KS
Issued by National Weather Service Wichita KS
1241 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Chances for storms increase overnight tonight across north
  central and central Kansas. Some could be strong to severe
  with large hail and damaging winds as the main threats.

- A brief break in storms will likely come late Tuesday AM into
  early afternoon before another risk for severe storms will be
  expected in the later afternoon and evening across all of the
  area.

- Storms Tuesday afternoon will be capable of all severe
  hazards including very large hail, damaging winds, and a few
  tornadoes.

- Storms Tuesday evening will become more of a large hail and
  damaging wind threat as it tracks east across eastern Kansas.

- Heat builds in on Wednesday into the weekend with heat
  indices approaching 100-105 degrees Friday and Saturday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 247 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

Mid-level water vapor imagery this afternoon shows a large
ridge over the Desert Southwest, northwesterly flow to the
north, coinciding with a trough axis over the PNW, shortwaves
across the northern Plains and Mississippi River valley, and a
weak Bermuda High. In response to the northern Plain’s shortwave
trough, a frontal boundary and surface trough axis has begun to
stall across central Nebraska where convection is expected to
develop over the next few hours. Further south across eastern
Kansas, southerly flow and diurnal mixing has helped
temperatures to warm into the mid 80s across the area with
persistent moisture advection from the south. For the remainder
of the afternoon and early evening, expect warm and humid
conditions to persist before storm chances begin increasing
overnight.

The main thing that will need to be watched for severe weather
chances Tuesday will be how convection evolves across Nebraska
and northern Kansas overnight tonight. Convection across central
Nebraska later this evening should begin to congeal into an MCS
as it tracks southeast into north-central KS around and after
midnight tonight. CAMs depict a theta-e and MUCAPE gradient
stretching from north-central KS to southeast KS ahead of the
MCS. This should keep the main progression of the convective
complex along this gradient with decaying storms east of this
gradient. The biggest severe threat with this complex will be
damaging winds (60-70 mph) with the strongest storms likely
tracking along our southwest CWA border through sunrise Tuesday.

The biggest uncertainty with our severe chances Tuesday
afternoon will be how this aforementioned complex tracks. CAMs
depict an outflow boundary getting laid out by this MCS late
morning, somewhere around the I-70 corridor. By the later
afternoon hours, current thinking is that a surface low begins
to eject into west-central KS, developing a triple point around
the Russel to Salina, KS area. As the first of two mid-level
waves push across Kansas, parcels should try to test the cap
closer to the triple point in central KS by the 2-4 PM time
range. Initial storm coverage overall is a big uncertainty at
this time due to a few factors. One factor will be how much
clearing we will see in the late morning and early afternoon and
if that impacts our ability to weaken the EML in the later
afternoon hours near the surface low/any residual outflow
boundary. The second will be if and where our morning MCS will
lay out an outflow boundary. Hi Res guidance is not very
confident in the overall placement of any outflow boundary with
some CAMs not developing one and convection begins near the
KS/NE border, while others keep it along or south of I-70 and
develop convection along that and into southeastern Kansas. All
that said, parameters for severe weather will be in place in the
afternoon to cater storms capable of all modes of severe
weather…if they can develop. Given CAPE of 3500-5000 J/kg, 0-6km
shear of 30-50 knots, steep ML lapse rates, backed surface
winds, and low LCLs (especially across the warm sector)
supercells (likely quickly becoming HP) will be expected with
very large hail up to 2.5 inches, damaging winds of 60-70 mph
and a tornado or two. A tornado threat may also further increase
with any isolated supercells after the LLJ strengthens by 8 PM
Tuesday evening. The best threat for these isolated supercells
would be along the I-70 corridor and southeast.

The main surface front will trail close behind any late
afternoon convection, quickly congealing cells into a large
complex. With a secondary wave entering the central Plains by
the later evening Tuesday and shear increasing through the
column, another MCS will be expected to track east across Kansas
into the evening hours. This complex of storms has a higher
confidence of occurring compared to the isolated afternoon
convection. Like Monday night’s MCS, the strongest portion of
the complex should follow the instability gradient that appears
to set up from central to southeastern Kansas. This may keep the
strongest storms clipping our southwest counties, but there is
still a chance this gradient shifts a bit north, closer to the
I-70 corridor. How far north this will be able to shift will,
again, depend on where any outflow boundary from tonight’s MCS
lays out. This MCS will likely just pose a widespread wind
threat, but cannot rule out some large hail and a brief QLCS
tornado. Another threat that needs to be mentioned is the flash
flooding threat. Although storm motion and propagation vectors
remain conducive to storms moving quickly, training of storms
may become an issue, especially by the time the later MCS moves
through. With PWATs of 1.75”-2” in the afternoon and evening,
very efficient rainfall rates may occur and could lead to
localized flooding concerns. This may especially be true across
along the I-35 corridor as that area is finally beginning to
recover from last week’s heavy rain. Severe chances will
decrease from west to east overnight into Wednesday morning with
much of the area being precipitation free by 7 AM Wednesday.

By Wednesday, a cooler day should take place as temperatures
top out in the mid 80s. Mid-level ridging builds into the
central Plains by Thursday and into the weekend, helping to
continue a warming trend. By Saturday and Sunday, heat indices
across the area should begin to approach the 100-105 degree
range as 65-70 degree dewpoints remain common across the area
and afternoon temperatures build into the low to mid 90s. This
period looks fairly dry as any notable storm systems ride over
the ridge well north of the area. It seems like Summer is
finally upon us!

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 1237 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

The main aviation concern over the next 24 hours is the
potential for multiple rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms.
The first round is currently across north-central KS and slowly
moving east and southeast. Introduced TEMPO groups for reduced
VSBY as the storms arrive. This initial round should end by mid
to late morning. Additional storm development is expected by mid
to late afternoon. These may develop near/overhead with large
hail and damaging winds possible. Finally, wind speed and
direction may become VRB in the afternoon with the main frontal
zone stalling very near each terminal.

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Griesemer
AVIATION...ICT

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Topeka KS
Issued by National Weather Service Wichita KS
241 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-171945-
Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley-
Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris-
Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson-
241 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Kansas, east central
Kansas, north central Kansas and northeast Kansas.

DAY ONE...Tonight.

Scattered severe thunderstorms are possible after sunset, mainly in
north-central and central Kansas. Wind gusts around 60 MPH are the
main concern. Hail around an inch in diameter is also possible.

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Severe thunderstorms may form in the mid to late afternoon and
continue into the evening. Very large hail, damaging winds, a few
tornadoes, and flash flooding could result. A cluster of severe
thunderstorms is expected to move east to southeast across the area
late Tuesday night. Large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding
could result from these storms.

.SPOTTER MESSAGE...

Weather spotters are encouraged to relay reports of hail, damaging
wind, tornadoes, and flooding.

&&

More detailed information can be found at:
www.weather.gov/media/top/DssPacket.pdf

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
Issued by National Weather Service Wichita KS
1227 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

KSZ008-020-170600-
Republic KS-Cloud KS-
1227 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT REPUBLIC AND NORTHWESTERN CLOUD
COUNTIES THROUGH 100 AM CDT...

At 1227 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Republic, or 11 miles west of Belleville, moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Belleville, Scandia, Courtland, Norway, Republic, and Munden.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 700 AM CDT for
north central Kansas.

&&

LAT...LON 4000 9753 3965 9754 3964 9793 4000 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0527Z 262DEG 19KT 3986 9785

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

JAKUB

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
Issued by National Weather Service Wichita KS
114 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

KSZ008-020-034-170700-
Republic KS-Cloud KS-Ottawa KS-
114 AM CDT Tue Jun 17 2025

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN OTTAWA...REPUBLIC
AND CLOUD COUNTIES THROUGH 200 AM CDT...

At 113 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Scandia to 7 miles north of Barnard.
Movement was east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down small tree limbs and blow
         around unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Concordia, Belleville, Glasco, Scandia, Delphos, Jamestown,
Courtland, Norway, Republic, and Munden.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 700 AM CDT for
north central Kansas.

&&

LAT...LON 3994 9793 3997 9746 3923 9766 3922 9793
TIME...MOT...LOC 0613Z 251DEG 15KT 3985 9778 3929 9800

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

JAKUB