A Dozen Late-Season Tornadoes Touch Down Across Kansas
September went out with a bang across Kansas when at least a dozen tornadoes spun up across the state on Wednesday. Read on for the details of this rare fall tornadic outbreak.
Rare Tornado Outbreak Breaks Out Across Kansas
This is not the time when you would expect to see a rash of twisters in the central Plains. However, that is exactly what happened on Wednesday when at least a dozen tornadoes roared across 100 miles of farmland in Kansas. The line of tornadoes cut a path through the middle of the Sunflower State from Dodge City to the northeast into the community of Lincoln.
The late-season tornadoes were fueled by a triple threat of moisture machines that have been menacing the Southwest and the Plains states since early in the week. The remnants of former Hurricane Polo and former Hurricane Odalys have combined with a non-tropical system tracking over the West Coast to support the development of heavy rain and thunderstorms.
All of this moisture and energy circulating in the atmosphere sparked the severe weather that generated the tornadoes on Wednesday. The added atmospheric spin was able to feed on the surge of tropical moisture to generate cloud bases lower to the ground. This low cloud cover provides a fertile breeding ground for tornadoes.
The silver lining of this tornadic outbreak is that it occurred in rural areas that helped to limit the damage. The town of Susank reported that a barn was blown away by one of the twisters. Also of note, two tornadoes were caught on video at the same time near Olmitz.
Located in the middle of Tornado Alley, Kansas is no stranger to this type of violent weather. What makes this outbreak so unusual is its timing so late in the season. Kansas typically sees the peak of tornadic activity in May. The state only averages five tornadoes from September through October.
What is Next for the Plains
The central Plains will need to hang a bit longer for this active weather pattern to dissipate. Heavy rain is forecast to linger across the south-central U.S. and the Plains through at least Friday. Looking at Kansas specifically, Wichita saw the threat of thunderstorms and rain throughout the day Thursday and into the overnight hours. The sun will finally come out on Friday, ushering in a pleasant weekend featuring mostly sunny skies and highs in the 70s for this part of south-central Kansas.
The heaviest bands of rain on Friday are forecast to set up over the southern Plains. Places such as Austin will remain under the threat of rain throughout the weekend before drier conditions move on to start the new work week. Highs will hover around the 80-degree mark in the capital city of Texas.
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