EFU Tornado — Mitchell, Kansas

2023-10-12 · near Beloit Arpt, Mitchell, Kansas

Event narrative

This tornado was reported by the public to the NWS via pictures and video. No rating nor wind speed was assigned due to the lack of quality damage indicators in the area. The location is estimated.

Wider weather episode

Southerly upper level winds moved across Kansas and brought in a thick layer of low-level stratus clouds during the early morning hours. These clouds limited surface heating during the day; however, cooler air aloft moved over the area during midday. These conditions resulted in more instability. This instability combined with a low-pressure system, forcing from a strong 500 mb jet, and strong low-level wind shear. There was locally enhanced 0 ' 1 km helicity near a surface low. There was an intersection of a surface warm front with a dryline and cold front near the center of the surface low. The cold front moved across the area during the overnight hours. These conditions resulted in severe weather during the afternoon hours. Storms developed across northern Kansas during the early afternoon hours. One storm moved across north central Kansas and produced a very brief tornado near the town of Beloit at 3:39 PM CDT. This tornado was rated as an EF-0.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.4776, -98.1799)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1140301. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.