The potential for heavy snow at higher elevations in the western U.S. will continue for many spots through the weekend. In the meantime, the eastern half of the continental U.S. will transition to above normal temperatures ahead of a pair of cold fronts next week that will bring readings back to closer to normal as we approach Thanksgiving Day. Read More >
An intense area of low pressure pushed out of the western high plains and into the central plains Saturday, April 15th, very similar to the setup experienced with the April 6th storms. A well defined dryline out ahead of the system served as the focal point for thunderstorm development during the afternoon hours. These storms produced high winds...large hail...and a couple of storms produced tornadoes in northeast Kansas. Below are some pictures taken April 16th during the damage survey conducted by NWS personnel in Jackson and Brown counties. The written portion of the damage survey, as well as a map of the tornado path can be found below the pictures.
A list of the storm reports can be found here.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOPEKA KS
330 PM CDT MON APR 17 2006
...PRELIMINARY DAMAGE SURVEY OF TORNADOES OF APRIL 15TH....
A DAMAGE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED BY STAFF AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN TOPEKA FOR TORNADOES THAT OCCURRED DURING THE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING HOURS OF SATURDAY APRIL 15TH 2006.
THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 5 TORNADOES THAT WERE PRODUCED BY A SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM THAT TRACKED FROM NORTHEAST POTTAWATOMIE THROUGH
NORTHERN JACKSON AND SOUTHERN BROWN COUNTIES.
THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY TWO MILES EAST OF ONAGA IN
NORTHEAST POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY. IT DID NO DAMAGE AND WAS RATED F0 ON
THE FUJITA SCALE.
THE SECOND TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN NORTHWEST JACKSON COUNTY ABOUT 3
AND A HALF MILES NORTHEAST OF CIRCLEVILLE...MOVED NORTHEAST
BRUSHING THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF NETAWAKA...AND CONTINUED ON INTO
EXTREME SOUTHERN BROWN COUNTY BEFORE ENDING ABOUT THREE MILES WEST
OF HORTON. THIS TORNADO PRODUCED DAMAGE TO BARNS AND OTHER
OUTBUILDINGS ALONG ITS PATH...THROWING TIN SIDING AND TIN ROOFS
SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS. IT ALSO BROKE OFF SEVERAL LARGE TREES IN THE
NETAWAKA CEMETERY. THIS TORNADO WAS RATED F0 ON FUJITA SCALE AND
OCCURED WITHIN A LARGER AREA OF WIND DAMAGE THAT COVERED MUCH OF THE
SAME AREA.
AS THE SECOND TORNADO DISSIPATED...A NEW TORNADO FORMED TO ITS
NORTH...ABOUT TWO MILES NORTHWEST OF HORTON. THIS TORNADO REMAINED
ON THE GROUND FOR ONE MILE...PRODUCING F0 DAMAGE TO OUTBUILDINGS AT
TWO FARMSTEADS.
THE STORM CONTINUED MOVING NORTHEAST AND PRODUCED ANOTHER TORNADO
ONE MILE SOUTH OF WILLIS THAT TRACKED EAST NORTHEAST FOR FOUR MILES.
WHILE THE DAMAGE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TORNADO WAS GENERALLY F0...ONE
FARMSTEAD LOCATED ONE MILE EAST OF WILLIS HAD FOUR WELL BUILT
OUTBUILDINGS THAT WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. THUS...THIS
TORNADO WAS RATED F1 ON THE FUJITA SCALE.
SOON AFTER THAT TORNADO LIFTED...ANOTHER ONE TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY
ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF ROBINSON WHERE A
LARGE TREE WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED AND THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO A HOUSE
AND OUTBUILDINGS. THIS WAS RATED F0 ON THE FUJITA SCALE.
STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE WAS ALSO OBSERVED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF
ROBINSON WHERE TWO LARGE TREES WERE SPLIT AND A CARPORT WAS BLOWN
OVER A HOUSE AND THEN LANDED ABOUT 50 FEET AWAY.