Winds Race Across Kansas on August 29-30th

Overview

A complex of thunderstorms moved southeast from western Nebraska and northwest Kansas to eastern Oklahoma. This complex evolved into a squall line producing severe winds and resulting in tree and power line damage. Wind gusts near 70 mph were reported.

Wind
Radar
Storm Reports
Environment

Wind:

Storm damage from Hoisington. 📷from April Philbern#KSwx pic.twitter.com/Tq7uZVCXqo
— Frank Waugh KAKE Weather (@FWaughKAKE) August 30, 2019

Impressive shelf cloud on the leading edge of the damaging severe-warned MCS that blasted through central KS last night and this morning as seen from Nickerson KS. Contact for licensing inquiries #KSWX #severewx #shelfcloud @NWSWichita pic.twitter.com/01iBzYMWSh
— Joseph Miller (@macho_diamond) August 30, 2019

A wave of Thursday/Friday #thunderstorms caused damage across Kansas. These are a few photos from the Hoisington area. Thank you Kim Harper for sending these to @KSNNews. We will have many more damage reports at 5. #kswx pic.twitter.com/MHXnGUPxqI
— Emily Younger (@EmilyYoungerKSN) August 30, 2019

Damage to an outbuilding 3 E of Strong City

Courtesy of Chase County Emergency Management

Damage to an outbuilding 3 E of Strong City

Courtesy of Chase County Emergency Management

Roof damage to manufactured home 2 ENE of Strong City

Courtesy of Chase County Emergency Management

Tree damage 2 ENE Strong City

Courtesy of Chase County Emergency Management

Other images

CHECK THIS OUT! Arnold Graef II shared these awesome lightning photos from last night's storms. Do you have cool photos you'd like to share? Post them on the post below! https://t.co/oHjWnlrcmI #kwch12 #storm12 #kswx pic.twitter.com/1Mx3kT8rHL — KWCH Eyewitness News (@KWCH12) August 30, 2019	Storm damage in Hoisington, Kansas from straight line winds on Thursday evening. #kswx https://t.co/rjI26gBjbo — Brandon Ivey (@BrandonIveyWX) August 30, 2019	Crazy lightning from the storms that blew through #Wichita early this morning #kswx pic.twitter.com/ubsWXN9MnM — Matt Eli (@MattEli10) August 30, 2019	Storm damage in Hoisington, Kansas from straight line winds on Thursday evening. #kswx https://t.co/rjI26gBjbo — Brandon Ivey (@BrandonIveyWX) August 30, 2019

Radar

Storm Reports


Highest wind reports	Local storm reports

Detailed list and easier to read map

Environment

Thunderstorms developed near and north of a cold front (that was stretched west to east across northern Kansas). Those thunderstorms then plunged southeast (as a Mesoscale Convective System or MCS) into a very unstable and modestly sheared environment across central and eastern Kansas.


10PM surface analysis showing a cold front draped west to east across northern Kansas. This front helped provide a focus for the line of thunderstorms that raced southeast across the state.	A very unstable atmosphere was in place across central and eastern Kansas prior to the thunderstorms arrival.	Not only was the atmosphere very unstable, it was also very moist. This map shows Precipitable Water (a measure of the water content in the air). Values of 1.50" or greater this time of year can signal a threat of very heavy rain and flooding. Notice the higher values across the eastern half of the state.

Additional environmental data


Shear (something we use to determine how organized thunderstorms can get) was modest, but more than sufficient for severe weather in this case.	The MCS parameter looks at the environment as a whole to help determine if it is favorable for MCS maintenance (in other words, if a complex of storms forms, will it survive?). Based on this, the environment very much supported the maintenance of an MCS across the state.	Another consideration for thunderstorm complexes is whether or not there will be a continued supply of moisture. This map shows that there was a decent transport of moisture into the area, feeding the thunderstorm complex, if you will.

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