Severe Weather in the Central Plains; Fire Concerns in the Southern High Plains and Southwest; Late-Season Mountain Snow

Severe storms, including large hail, wind, and perhaps a couple of tornadoes, are possible in the central Plains. Dry, windy conditions and lightning from dry thunderstorms may produce hazardous fire conditions in the Southwest and southern High Plains. Late-season snow is expected in the Northwest and the Great Basin. Heat is spreading across the eastern U.S.. Read More >

Overview

A line of fast moving thunderstorms produced widespread wind damage during the late afternoon to early evening hours of February 26, 2023. This included a short-lived tornado near Liberal before 5 pm CST.

Tornado

Tornadoes:

Tornado - Liberal, KS

Haskell-Gray Counties

Date	02/26/2023
Time (Local)	04:42 PM CST
EF Rating	EF0
Est. Peak Winds	85 mph
Path Length	3.9 miles
Max Width	20 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0 / 0
Summary: A small...almost sub-tornado scale vortex developed on the south side of Liberal and moved quickly northeast through a housing development along with a trailer park. The most extensive damage occurred to a house and adjacent outbuilding where garage door failures resulted in uplift of a portion of the roof deck. Damage within a few tens of yards surrounding this home and outbuilding was marginal for even a low-end EF-0 tornado. This funnel was widely photographed by chasers and the general public.

Track Map

Track Map EF-Scale

Downloadable KMZ File

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

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Severe Weather in the Central Plains; Fire Concerns in the Southern High Plains and Southwest; Late-Season Mountain Snow

QLCS Tornado February 26, 2023