June 18th, 2011 Severe Weather Event

June 18th, 2011 Severe Weather Event

Conditions were ripe for the third day in a row for severe thunderstorms to develop across Kansas. During the afternoon of June 18th, 2011 a surface low pressure was set up over central Oklahoma, with a frontal boundary draped across south central Kansas and northward across eastern Kansas. An upper level disturbance was moving into the region which would only help the thunderstorm dynamics. During the afternoon the warm moist sector over northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas destabilized. By early evening thunderstorms began to develop along and near the Oklahoma/Kansas border and northward into south central and southeastern Kansas.

The first storm to develop became a very strong supercell and had indications of being tornadic by early in its lifecycle. This storm tracked right along the Oklahoma/Kansas state line from Sumner to Montgomery counties in southern Kansas. This storm dropped up to tennis ball sized hail in Cowley county and eventually did produce a tornado as it slowly moved southeast in Osage county Oklahoma. This was not the only storm, as other storms developed in south central and southeastern Kansas dropping ping pong sized hail, with some areas receiving golf ball sized hail.

A few more waves of severe thunderstorms developed across Sumner and Sedgwick counties overnight. These storms moved eastward impacting other areas of south central and southeastern Kansas. These storms produced some large hail and strong winds and locally heavy rainfall.

Radar

Radar loop starting around 4:30 pm on June 18th and ending around 2:00 am on June 19th.

Infrared satellite imagery combined with lightning strikes showing the intense supercell storm over South Central and Southeast Kansas.

Pictures

Large Hail had fallen in Wilson County. Picture provided by Wilson County EM.

Around 2 inch hail which had fallen in Fredonia, KS. Picture provided by Wilson County EM.

Large Hail in Fredonia, KS. Picture provided by Wilson County EM.

A view from the NWS Wichita office looking South at the Sumner Co storms.

Picture taken at Clearwater by Mick McGuire looking at the development of storms of Wichita.

Storm Reports & Precip Map

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