Behind a cold front, 850 mb wind gusts supported brief 58 mph wind gusts in Finney county around 9 pm.
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The episode as NWS DDC wrote it up.
Behind a cold front, 850 mb wind gusts supported brief 58 mph wind gusts in Finney county around 9 pm.
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 Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 26, 4:08 PM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Dodge City KS 508 PM CDT Thu Mar 26 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Record breaking heat today in the 90s and approaching 100 degrees - Red Flag Warning today until 9 PM CDT with a critical fire weather risk - Highs Friday are expecting around a 40 degree drop compared to Thursday - Warming back up through the weekend && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1236 PM CDT Thu Mar 26 2026 Current surface analysis has a strong cold front descending into Kansas as forecast. Models/ensembles have it arriving around 3-4 PM from the northwest Kansas down towards southern Kansas. The front will bring cooler air and strong wind gusts (up to 40 mph) after shifting winds out of the north. Into the evening, wind gusts may strengthen up to 50 mph via ensembles. This may have significant fire weather impacts with a Red Flag Warning in effect until 9 PM CDT. More fire weather details in the that AFD section. Before the cold front drops temperatures, highs are forecast in the 90/100s. This will be at or above record highs for virtually the entire CWA. Areas near the KS/OK border are currently forecast to reach 100 degrees with ensembles having chances of breaching triple digits at around 75%. Additionally behind the cold front, CAMs have hinted at a weak storm or two firing. The placing and timing has some run-to- run disagreement, but generally agree that it would occur later in the evening and be east of Highway 283. Behind the cold front, the severe potential of any storm that initiates as near zero. Rainfall that occurs will be limited with the main threat being lightning, especially with any remaining fire weather concerns that linger that late in the day. With the colder air, and continued CAA behind the front, highs Friday will be drastically lower with highs only in the 50/60s. With the lowered temperatures, relative humidities are currently above the thresholds for a Red Flag Warning. Although, conditions are very close and may change in the upcoming model runs. Regardless marginal fire weather concerns should be advised and precautions taken. Saturday is expecting a southern wind shift, bringing warmer air and helping high Saturday recovering back into the upper 60/70s. Sunday will see warmer than normal highs and lower relative humidities return. Highs are currently forecast near or above 90 degrees for the entire CWA. Relative humidity minimums are currently forecast at 8-20%, although current wind forecasts of 10- 15 mph will help mitigate most fire weather concerns. Warmer highs are expected to continue Monday and Tuesday. Next weather headline is a potential pattern shift later on Tuesday. Ensembles hint at a shortwave trough later on into Tuesday. Currently precipitation chances remain low (<15% via ensembles) and around a 10 degree drop for Wednesday and Thursday. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/... Issued at 506 PM CDT Thu Mar 26 2026 A surface cold front at 22z Thursday was located near the Oklahoma border, with gusty north winds already developing behind it across all of southwest Kansas. Short term models agree that a period of stronger north winds (sustained winds near 30 knots with gusts around 40 knots) will spread across southwest Kansas between 00Z and 06Z Friday. In addition to these increasing winds, an increase in clouds at 6600–12000 feet AGL can be expected as an upper level trough crosses southwest Kansas. These north winds will decrease some after midnight but continue at around 25 knots through Friday morning. Occasional gusts exceeding 35 knots are possible through 18Z Friday. A surface high will then begin to move into southwest Kansas after 18Z Friday resulting in diminishing winds to 10 to 20 knots during the late afternoon. && .DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ this evening for KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090. && DISCUSSION...KBJ AVIATION...KBJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Dodge City KS 1225 AM CDT Thu Mar 26 2026 KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090-270800- Trego-Ellis-Scott-Lane-Ness-Rush-Hamilton-Kearny-Finney-Hodgeman- Pawnee-Stafford-Stanton-Grant-Haskell-Gray-Ford-Edwards-Kiowa- Pratt-Morton-Stevens-Seward-Meade-Clark-Comanche-Barber- 1225 AM CDT Thu Mar 26 2026 /1125 PM MDT Wed Mar 25 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas, south central Kansas, southwest Kansas, and west central Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A Red Flag Warning is in effect today. See message for more details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The KGCK ASOS station recorded a 58 mph wind gust.
Mesonet station KS010 recorded a 58 mph wind gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, March 2026
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: 1323244, 1323245.