Tornadoes · United States · Kansas · 2007

EF0 tornado, Meade to Fowler, Kansas, March 28, 2007

From Meade to Fowler, this EF0 tornado ran 1.3 miles across Meade County on March 28, 2007, touching down at 7:32 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF0
Date
March 28, 2007
Touchdown
7:32 PM CDT (00:32 UTC)
Lifted
7:35 PM CDT (00:35 UTC)
On the ground
3 minutes
Path length
1.3 miles (2.1 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Meade County
Touchdown point
37.328, -100.270
Lift-off point
37.328, -100.270
Record number
0703281832-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Major tornado outbreak and severe weather swept across parts of western Kansas. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities despite major destruction.

This was the first of 9 tornadoes in the Dodge City 27 county area. It did not damage anything in it's 3 minute lifespan.

This was a separate tornado that formed in the same general vicinity but did not hit anything.

This tornado damaged a shed and some trees west of Fowler and a pivot irrigation sprinkler northwest of Fowler. The tornado moved into Gray county at 752 PM CDT.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

6 minutes of warning. NWS DDC issued a tornado warning for this county at 00:26 UTC, 6 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 01:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 21:00 UTC and running to 04:51 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
15:00 UTC03:00 UTCWind AdvisoryDDC
21:00 UTC04:51 UTCTornado WatchDDC
23:00 UTC09:28 UTCFlood WatchDDC
23:42 UTC00:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDC
00:22 UTC00:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDC
00:26 UTC01:00 UTCTornado WarningDDC
01:26 UTC02:00 UTCTornado WarningDDC
01:56 UTC02:30 UTCTornado WarningDDC
04:51 UTC06:55 UTCTornado WatchDDC
05:43 UTC06:14 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningDDC

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 21:01 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Dodge City, (KDDC), 00:00Z

0.5 hours before the tornado, 59 km from the path. March 29, 2007.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2007-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2811 joules per kilogram, CIN -1, lifted condensation level 815 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2007-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 155 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 34 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2811 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Surface CAPE
3517 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
815 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
155 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
209 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.2
Supercell composite
12.2
0-3 km lapse rate
7.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Dodge City, (KDDC), 12:00Z

11.5 hours after it, 59 km from the path. March 29, 2007.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2007-03-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -72840, lifted condensation level 1064 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Dodge City, at 12:00Z on 2007-03-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 183 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 60 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72840 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1064 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
183 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
157 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Dodge City (DDC), 55 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
22:52 UTC7159150° 24 kt311008.1
23:52 UTC7059140° 20 kt281007.1
00:06 UTC69.859130° 20 kt271006.8VCTS
00:52 UTC6660130° 19 kt261008.5-RA
01:01 UTC66.260.8130° 19 kt261008.8-TSRA
01:52 UTC6560150° 24 kt381008.8VCTS -RA
02:13 UTC64.460.8140° 23 kt351008.8

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:33 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
23:59 UTCHAIL 0.2510 Nne MeadeMeade, KSPEA SIZE HAIL
00:05 UTCHAIL 15 S FowlerMeade, KS
00:10 UTCHAIL 1.7517 Sw Dodge CityGray, KSOBSERVER REPORTED DIME TO GOLFBALL SIZED HAIL.
00:10 UTCHAIL 1.753 S FowlerMeade, KSHAIL COVERING THE GROUND AT ROAD 26 AND L.
00:14 UTCHAIL 15 S FowlerMeade, KS
00:15 UTCHAIL 0.25CimarronGray, KSREPORT OF HAIL AT THE GOLFCOURS IN CIMARRON
00:28 UTCTORNADO2 Se MeadeMeade, KSBRIEF TORNADO TOUCHDOWN 2SE OF MEADE
00:32 UTCHAIL 0.75CimarronGray, KSHAIL REPORTED IN CIMARRON
00:37 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD3 E MeadeMeade, KSSTRONG ROTATION 4-5 MILES....HIWAY 54
00:38 UTCHAIL 1FowlerMeade, KS
00:43 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD4 W FowlerMeade, KSFUNNEL 4-5 MILES WEST OF FOWLER
00:43 UTCHAIL 1.25FowlerMeade, KSHAIL WAS OBSERVED IN THE TOWN OF FOWLER.
00:44 UTCTORNADO3 Ne MeadeMeade, KSTORNADO OBSERVED BETWEEN MEADE AND FOWLER
00:52 UTCTORNADO4 Nnw FowlerMeade, KSTORNADO TOUCHDOWN...DEBRIS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND.
01:00 UTCHAIL 111 Sw Dodge CityFord, KS
01:00 UTCHAIL 1.757 Se The Haggard ElevFord, KS
01:00 UTCTORNADO9 N FowlerFord, KSTORNADO ON GRAY COUNTY LINE AT 800PM.
01:02 UTCTORNADO5 E MontezumaGray, KSTORNADO AT 24/CC ROAD AT 802PM
01:25 UTCTORNADO3 N EnsignGray, KSLARGE TORNADO ON THE GROUND

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2007 tornado in KansasEvery tornado in Kansas since 1950Warnings in force in Kansas nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of March 28, 2007

65 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 283:05 PM CDTEF0Logan, IL0.110
March 283:19 PM CDTEF0McLean, IL0.110
March 285:20 PM CDTEF0Swisher, TX2.575
March 285:28 PM CDTEF0Briscoe, TX2.075
March 285:43 PM CDTEF1Briscoe, TX6.8100$35,000
March 286:03 PM CDTEF0Floyd, TX0.550$10,000
March 286:03 PM CDTEF0Briscoe, TX4.8220
March 286:10 PM CDTEF0Briscoe, TX1.8100
March 286:35 PM CDTEF2Briscoe, TX16.5300$175,000
March 286:40 PM CDTEF0Donley, TX1.0100
March 285:49 PM MDTEF0Wallace, KS0.510
March 285:52 PM MDTEF0Wallace, KS6.075
March 286:55 PM CDTEF1Donley, TX7.3150$5,000
March 287:05 PM CDTEF0Donley, TX1.0200
March 287:05 PM CDTEF0Decatur, KS8.025$40,000
March 286:12 PM MDTEF0Cherry, NE3.0150$250
March 287:16 PM CDTEF0Lipscomb, TX6.0150
March 287:28 PM CDTEF0Meade, KS1.450
March 287:28 PM CDTEF2Beaver, OK16.01502$102,000
March 286:33 PM MDTEF0Hamilton, KS10.6100
March 286:37 PM MDTEF0Sherman, KS0.510
March 287:39 PM CDTEF3Donley, TX3.46002$180,000
March 287:42 PM CDTEF1Meade, KS13.5125$78,000
March 287:46 PM CDTEF2Donley, TX4.2528$63,000
March 287:48 PM CDTEF3Gray, TX3.06002$100,000
March 286:48 PM MDTEF0Greeley, KS11.0100
March 286:49 PM MDTEF0Sherman, KS0.510
March 287:58 PM CDTEF0Ford, KS7.850
March 288:02 PM CDTEF0Donley, TX0.350
March 288:04 PM CDTEF2Beaver, OK6.0100$58,000
March 287:05 PM MDTEF0Chase, NE0.120
March 287:05 PM MDTEF1Arthur, NE20.6100
March 287:06 PM MDTEF0Sherman, KS3.025
March 287:09 PM MDTEF0Greeley, KS15.0100$25,000
March 287:11 PM MDTEF1Chase, NE2.520$15,000
March 287:12 PM MDTEF0Perkins, NE0.220
March 288:13 PM CDTEF2Donley, TX4.5200$170,000
March 288:14 PM CDTEF1Gray, KS10.4200$160,000
March 288:15 PM CDTEF0Donley, TX1.050
March 287:15 PM MDTEF2Sherman, KS7.0350$100,000
March 287:20 PM MDTEF1Perkins, NE2.330$15,000
March 287:20 PM MDTEF2Perkins, NE15.9900$1.2 million
March 288:23 PM CDTEF2Gray, TX3.6200$74,000
March 288:29 PM CDTEF2Cheyenne, KS27.0700$2.0 million
March 288:30 PM CDTEF0Gray, TX0.350$3,000
March 288:32 PM CDTEF1Hodgeman, KS10.7200$3,000
March 288:36 PM CDTEF1Gray, TX0.350$39,000
March 288:39 PM CDTEF0Meade, KS8.7100
March 287:41 PM MDTEF1Wallace, KS8.0100$250,000
March 288:45 PM CDTEF3Gray, TX8.01,760$27,000
March 287:46 PM MDTEF1Grant, NE2.0100$500
March 288:49 PM CDTEF1Cheyenne, KS4.0100$6,000
March 287:54 PM MDTEF3Prowers, CO28.090029$4.0 million
March 288:00 PM MDTEF0Keith, NE0.120
March 289:01 PM CDTEF3Hodgeman, KS29.11,320$535,000
March 289:09 PM CDTEF1Cheyenne, KS3.0200$25,000
March 288:11 PM MDTEF1Keith, NE0.720$100,000
March 288:17 PM MDTEF1Dundy, NE12.0440$460,000
March 288:20 PM MDTEF0Keith, NE0.120$5,000
March 288:29 PM MDTEF0Sherman, KS2.525$3,000

All 66 of them

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.