Two rounds of thunderstorms developed on March 27, with each round mostly producing large hail. The first developed during the morning hours over east-central Kansas, while the second developed during the evening hours over north-central Kansas.
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 TOP wrote it up.
Two rounds of thunderstorms developed on March 27, with each round mostly producing large hail. The first developed during the morning hours over east-central Kansas, while the second developed during the evening hours over 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 Mar 27, 5:05 AM CST, 1 hour 57 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 605 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Scattered showers, isolated thunder possible this morning along and southeast of the Kansas Turnpike. - Elevated fire danger potential this afternoon due to strong gusty winds up to 40 mph and RH values down to 30 percent. - There is a conditional threat for scattered severe storms to develop by late afternoon and early evening towards far northern Kansas. Large hail and damaging wind gusts are the main hazards. - Additional storm chances persist late Friday evening and again this weekend as a cold front moves through the region. A few strong to severe storms are possible Saturday afternoon and evening for portions of east central Kansas. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 315 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025 Quasi-zonal flow observed on water vapor imagery this morning, carrying minor vort max into the area. Weak ascent is noted across central Kansas as moisture advects dewpoints into the 50s before sunrise in east central Kansas. HREF guidance signals scattered showers and isolated non severe storms forming south of I-70 this morning, exiting east in the late morning. Forecast MUCAPE values remain on the low side (less than 500 J/KG) while effective shear is near 30 kts. During the afternoon, the warm front lifts northward, positioning near the KS/NE border by late afternoon. Strong BL mixing coupled with h85 temps up to 20C enhances confidence in near record highs today in the 80s (see Climate Section below). Additionally, the deepening sfc low lifts into the central plains and picks up south winds from 15 to 25 mph, gusting to 40 mph. This is the primary driver for elevated fire danger today, despite the minimum RH values down to near 30 percent. If deeper mixing were to occur across north central Kansas, RH values could fall as low as 19% however confidence in this occurring is low-moderate. Storms forming in the late afternoon and evening periods will be dependent upon timing of a embedded wave - a feature that is not strongly apparent on most HREF guidance. Previous runs have hinted at scattered development while the environment is fully supportive of convection amid steep low level lapse rates and available CAPE values in excess of 2000 J/KG. Large hail and damaging wind gusts are the primary hazards while the tornado threat is low. Additional convection and severe probs are expected to remain north of the CWA Friday evening in vicinity of the frontal boundary. On Saturday, a stronger open trough surges a cold front southeast through the day, differing on timing between guidance with the mean wind direction bisecting the CWA by 00Z Sunday. Ample instability and steepening mid level lapse rates suggest strong to severe storms are possible, even though the parameters for more widespread severe storms are on the lower end. Severe threat should push south of the area by Sunday as colder air arrives in the 50s for highs and some lingering rain showers on the backside of the system. Next week, westerly flow pattern remains active with an additional wave bringing rain showers to the region Tuesday evening into Wednesday. Temps quickly moderate back into the middle 60s on Tuesday as southerly flow returns ahead of the next cold front. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 603 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025 VFR continues at terminals as LLWS this morning wanes quickly by 15Z as southerly winds increase from 15 to 20 kts sustained through the afternoon. A line of observed TSRA is progged to remain south of the terminals by all short term guidance with only passing mid clouds. The low level jet increases again aft 00Z, however sfc boundary layer is more mixed with gusts sustaining to preclude LLWS from developing. && .CLIMATE... Issued at 253 PM CDT Wed Mar 26 2025 Thursday high temperature forecasts and record- Concordia: 90 Record: 89 in 1895 Topeka: 85 Record: 87 in 1895 && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Prieto AVIATION...Prieto CLIMATE...Reese
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 320 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-280830- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 320 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Scattered storms are possible this morning in east-central Kansas. Lightning will be the main hazard. A few severe storms could then develop late this afternoon and evening along and north of Interstate 70. Large hail and damaging wind could occur with those storms. Elevated fire danger is expected this afternoon due to gusty south winds up to 40 mph and RH values down to near 30 percent. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. A few severe storms are possible along and ahead of a cold front Saturday afternoon and evening. && More detailed information can be found at: www.weather.gov/media/top/DssPacket.pdf
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
802 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025
KSZ037-054-271345-
Lyon-Morris-
802 AM CDT Thu Mar 27 2025
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN MORRIS AND LYON
COUNTIES THROUGH 845 AM CDT...
At 759 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from 4 miles north of Dunlap to 9 miles west of
Olpe. Movement was east at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Strong wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Weather instrument indicated. At 753 AM CDT the Emporia
ASOS measured a 52 mph wind gust ahead of the line of
storms.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to vegetation is possible.
Locations impacted include...
Reading, Dunlap, Americus, Bushong, Olpe, Neosho Rapids, Emporia, and
Hartford.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 35 between mile markers 128 and 142.
Kansas Turnpike between mile markers 117 and 143.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3817 9636 3852 9635 3852 9643 3869 9644
3859 9595 3817 9596
TIME...MOT...LOC 1259Z 279DEG 19KT 3863 9639 3826 9635
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH
ReeseThe Topeka radar (KTWX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:02 UTC.
11 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
KEMP asos measured 61 mph gust as outflow ahead of storms briefly brought down strong low level jet winds.
Quarter size hail.
Pictures of hail up to slightly bigger than golfball size sent by Slack.
Quarter to half dollar size hail covering the ground at Northern Heights High School.
Hail covering the ground.
Time estimated from radar. Relayed through Slack by KVOE radio.
Half dollar size hail.
Hail covering the ground.
Mostly half inch hailstones but a few quarter size pieces.
Hail dented vehicles.
Ping pong ball size hail.
Ping pong ball size hail.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, March 2025
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: 1239729, 1239696, 1239699, 1239707, 1239709, 1239711, 1239713, 1239715, 1239717, 1239718, 1239720, 1239723.