High Wind in Phillips, Kansas

Wind gusts exceeding 60 MPH were reported in the Phillipsburg area, occurring under an area of stratiform rain well behind the main line of thunderstorms. A wind gust of 68 MPH was measured by the Phillipsburg Airport AWOS.

A closed upper low/trough was over the Central Plains which brought an increase in atmospheric lift. Moisture and instability increased across the area during the afternoon of the previous day. Wind shear and helicity increased after sunset. As the low moved northeast over Kansas and Nebraska, a cold front with gusty northwest winds moved into the area during the day on April 16th. These conditions were conducive to the development of severe weather. Strong to severe storms in the form of a QLCS moved northeastward across north central Kansas during the early morning hours of April 16th. The storms produced wind gusts up to 64 mph which resulted in wind damage, an EF-0 tornado (in Smith County), and a non-thunderstorm wind gust of 68 mph. The severe reports began just before 1 AM and ended just after 3 AM CDT.