High Wind — Butler, Kansas

2025-12-18 · Butler, Kansas

Event narrative

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, several broadcast media sources reported a motorcycle accident south of El Dorado near the intersection of 50th and Haverhill Road. It was reported the motorcyclist lost control due to strong winds, and unfortunately, the motorcyclist lost his life. The nearest observation at the Jabara Airport was reporting sustained winds around 30-35 mph with gusts around 50-55 mph at the time of the crash. Peak wind gusts of 59 mph were reported around 4:30 in the afternoon at Jabara Airport.

Wider weather episode

Very strong northwesterly winds overspread portions of central and south-central Kansas during the morning hours of December 18th. These strong winds continued throughout the afternoon hours with many sites reporting wind gusts between 60 and 75 mph. If fact, a 77-mph wind gust was reported at the Russell Airport.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306207. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.