Tornadoes · United States · Kansas · 2025
Unrated tornado, Kanorado Arpt, Kansas, May 18, 2025
This Unrated tornado ran 0.1 miles across Sherman County on May 18, 2025, touching down at 4:15 PM MDT 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.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
Unratedthis tornado
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
- Unrated
- Date
- May 18, 2025
- Touchdown
- 4:15 PM MDT (22:15 UTC)
- Lifted
- 4:16 PM MDT (22:16 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.1 miles (0.1 km)
- Path width
- 50 yards (46 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Sherman County
- Touchdown point
- 39.439, -102.040
- Lift-off point
- 39.440, -102.040
- Record number
- 2505181615-01
What the Weather Service recorded
Numerous thunderstorms developed across the area leading to multiple hail reports, with the largest being 2 inches in diameter located in Wheeler and 5 S of St. Francis. Severe wind gusts were also reported as well, with the strongest being 63 mph 9 NNW of McDonald. Multiple tornadoes also occurred as well in Sherman, Cheyenne, and Gove counties. The town of Grinnell was directly hit by a strong tornado.
An off duty NWS Employee reported a tornado roughly 7 miles north of Kanorado. Pictures of a funnel and a dust swirl was also passed along as well. No damage occurred.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 20:00 UTC and running to 02:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20:00 UTC | 02:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | GLD |
| 21:15 UTC | 22:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD |
| 21:45 UTC | 22:38 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD |
| 21:47 UTC | 22:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD |
| 21:48 UTC | 01:00 UTC | Blowing Dust Advisory | GLD |
| 22:10 UTC | 22:38 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD |
| 22:18 UTC | 22:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | GLD |
| 22:22 UTC | 22:47 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GLD |
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 Enhanced Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 20:05 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 radar
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 30 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:15 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) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21:52 UTC | HAIL 1.25 | 1 Sse Ruleton | Sherman, KS | |
| 21:54 UTC | TSTM WND GST 55 | 1 Nne Goodland | Sherman, KS | ASOS station KGLD Goodland measured a 55 mph (48 knot) wind gust at 3:54 pm MDT (2154 UTC). Sustained at 36 mph. |
| 21:55 UTC | HAIL 1 | 2 Ene Caruso | Sherman, KS | Delayed report. Report of quarter sized hail. Time estimated from radar. |
| 21:58 UTC | TSTM WND GST 58 | 1 Nne Goodland | Sherman, KS | ASOS station KGLD Goodland measured a 58 mph wind gust at 3:58 pm MDT (2158 UTC). Sustained at 40 mph. |
| 22:06 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | 1 Nne Goodland | Sherman, KS | ASOS station KGLD Goodland measured a 60 mph (52 knot) wind gust at 4:06 pm MDT (2206 UTC). Sustained at 38 mph. |
| 22:15 UTC | TORNADO | 10 Wsw Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | EM relayed damage to a building on Road J near road 6 & 7. |
| 22:16 UTC | TORNADO | 7 N Kanorado | Sherman, KS | Off duty NWS employee reported a tornado 7 miles north of Kanorado (near the CO-KS border) at 4:16 pm MDT (2216 UTC). |
| 22:25 UTC | TORNADO | 9 Wsw Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report of damage to a homestead. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:32 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | 13 Nw Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Relayed report of hail up to penny in size. |
| 22:33 UTC | HAIL 1 | Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in). |
| 22:33 UTC | HAIL 1 | Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 22:35 UTC | HAIL 1.25 | Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.). |
| 22:35 UTC | HAIL 1.25 | Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 inch). |
| 22:35 UTC | HAIL 2 | 1 S Wheeler | Cheyenne, KS | Off duty NWS employee reports hailstones still on the ground up to 2 inches in size. Time estimated from radar. |
| 22:35 UTC | HAIL 2 | 1 S Wheeler | Cheyenne, KS | |
| 22:36 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.). |
| 22:38 UTC | HAIL 1.5 | Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Ping Pong Ball (1.50 in.). |
| 22:41 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 1 N Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Spotter reports hail up to golf ball in northern portion of Saint Francis. |
| 22:46 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 3 E Wheeler | Cheyenne, KS | Spotter network report of a funnel cloud. |
| 22:50 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 8 N Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Delayed Entry. Social media report with picture of golf ball sized hail. |
| 22:55 UTC | HAIL 1.75 | 5 S Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Report from mPING: Golf Ball (1.75 in.). |
| 23:00 UTC | HAIL 2 | 5 S Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Delayed Entry. Social media report with picture of 2 inch hail on CR 15. |
| 23:02 UTC | HAIL 2 | 3 Sse Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | |
| 00:32 UTC | HAIL 1 | 14 Nw Saint Francis | Cheyenne, KS | Relayed report of quarter sized hail. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2025 tornado in KansasEvery tornado in Kansas since 1950Warnings in force in Kansas nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 18, 2025
42 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | 3:08 AM CDT | EF1 | Carroll, MS | 14.4 | 1,100 | $500,000 | ||
| May 18 | 1:07 PM MDT | EF2 | Arapahoe, CO | 0.9 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 1:23 PM MDT | EF1 | Arapahoe, CO | 2.6 | 75 | |||
| May 18 | 1:30 PM MDT | EF2 | Arapahoe, CO | 4.3 | 200 | |||
| May 18 | 1:40 PM MDT | EF2 | Adams, CO | 4.4 | 400 | |||
| May 18 | 5:03 PM CDT | Unrated | Callahan, TX | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 4:05 PM MDT | Unrated | Yuma, CO | 0.0 | 15 | |||
| May 18 | 5:12 PM CDT | EF2 | Cheyenne, KS | 3.9 | 200 | $300,000 | ||
| May 18 | 5:19 PM CDT | EF2 | Shackelford, TX | 0.8 | 150 | |||
| May 18 | 5:21 PM CDT | EF1 | Hemphill, TX to OK | 1.7 | 75 | $35,000 | ||
| May 18 | 5:35 PM CDT | EF2 | Scott, KS | 11.0 | 460 | $50,000 | ||
| May 18 | 5:37 PM CDT | EF2 | Scott, KS | 10.8 | 150 | |||
| May 18 | 5:41 PM CDT | EF3 | Ellis, OK | 6.0 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| May 18 | 5:56 PM CDT | EF0 | Ellis, OK | 0.2 | 10 | |||
| May 18 | 5:58 PM CDT | EF1 | Ellis, OK | 3.5 | 50 | $15,000 | ||
| May 18 | 6:09 PM CDT | Unrated | Scott, KS | 0.4 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 6:32 PM CDT | EF3 | Gove, KS | 13.3 | 416 | |||
| May 18 | 6:47 PM CDT | EF0 | Eastland, TX | 3.3 | 200 | |||
| May 18 | 6:49 PM CDT | EF0 | Hitchcock, NE | 0.2 | 50 | $80,000 | ||
| May 18 | 6:49 PM CDT | EF3 | Hitchcock, NE | 10.7 | 250 | $575,000 | ||
| May 18 | 7:04 PM CDT | Unrated | Hitchcock, NE | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 7:07 PM CDT | EF3 | Sheridan, KS | 4.2 | 230 | $120,000 | ||
| May 18 | 7:08 PM CDT | EF2 | Sheridan, KS | 0.3 | 20 | $50,000 | ||
| May 18 | 7:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Edwards, KS | 4.2 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 7:35 PM CDT | EF2 | Hayes, NE | 17.8 | 1,000 | $1.5 million | ||
| May 18 | 7:36 PM CDT | EF1 | Palo Pinto, TX | 0.4 | 400 | $5,000 | ||
| May 18 | 7:38 PM CDT | EF2 | Edwards, KS | 7.8 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 7:48 PM CDT | EF1 | Palo Pinto, TX | 2.1 | 995 | 4 | $750,000 | |
| May 18 | 6:54 PM MDT | Unrated | Dundy, NE | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 8:01 PM CDT | EF0 | Palo Pinto, TX | 2.6 | 1,000 | |||
| May 18 | 8:07 PM CDT | Unrated | Palo Pinto, TX | 0.2 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 8:36 PM CDT | EF0 | Parker, TX | 3.1 | 200 | $25,000 | ||
| May 18 | 9:21 PM CDT | EF3 | Comanche, KS | 8.2 | 800 | |||
| May 18 | 9:44 PM CDT | EF3 | Kiowa, KS | 10.4 | 500 | |||
| May 18 | 10:04 PM CDT | EF3 | Kiowa, KS | 15.8 | 500 | |||
| May 18 | 10:09 PM CDT | EF0 | Fillmore, NE | 3.1 | 30 | $100,000 | ||
| May 18 | 10:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Kiowa, KS | 2.8 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 10:26 PM CDT | EF1 | DeSoto, MS | 0.4 | 50 | $800,000 | ||
| May 18 | 10:47 PM CDT | EF3 | Pratt, KS | 11.4 | 500 | |||
| May 18 | 11:09 PM CDT | Unrated | Pratt, KS | 0.4 | 50 | |||
| May 18 | 11:17 PM CDT | EF3 | Pratt, KS | 32.6 | 1,760 | |||
| May 18 | 12:51 AM CDT | Unrated | Howard, NE | 0.0 | 30 |
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.