Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 246, NWS Dodge City, KS

August 9, 2026Finney County, Hamilton County, Kearny County, Kansas

NWS Dodge City, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 9, 2026, 7:07 PM CDT for Finney County, Hamilton County, Kearny County, Kansas. It was in force for 38 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Aug 9, 2026, 7:07 PM CDT (00:07 UTC)
Expired: Aug 9, 2026, 7:45 PM CDT
In force: 38 min
Issued by: NWS Dodge City, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 0.75 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

Counties Finney County, KS, Hamilton County, KS, Kearny County, KS

The radar

The Dodge City radar (KDDC), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:10 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 124 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 16 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -139 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 4290 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -28 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 31 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Dodge City, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Aug 9, 4:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Intensely hot afternoons will continue through Wednesday, with temperatures well above 100 each day.
The heat is expected to relax with improved rainfall opportunities late this week.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 9, 4:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 28 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
439 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

...Updated Aviation/Key Messages...

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Intensely hot afternoons will continue through Wednesday, with
  temperatures well above 100 each day.

- The heat is expected to relax with improved rainfall
  opportunities late this week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 1228 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

WV imagery indicates a northwest flow aloft prevailing across
the Western High Plains downstream of an upper level high
centered across the Desert Southwest. Near the surface, a lee
side trough of low pressure extends northeast across southeast
Colorado into northwest Kansas.

Another round of minimal isolated thunderstorm chances (20%)
exists across west central Kansas into extreme southwest Kansas
this evening with the SREF indicating little change in the
overall pattern from yesterday with H5 vort maxima associated
with a weak shortwave ejecting eastward out of the northern
Colorado Rockies into the Western High Plains. Near the surface,
prevailing southerlies will continue to support some moisture
return across the area, providing minimal instability with
MUCAPE values upward of 500 J/kg or so. With steepening mid-
level lapse rates, isolated thunderstorm development cannot be
ruled out toward early evening as ejecting H5 vort maxima
interact with an axis of low level convergence associated with
the aforementioned trough extending from extreme southeast
Colorado into northwest Kansas. A few CAMs suggest this while
the HREF hints at it with 10% probability of 6-hr QPF exceeding
only 0.1 of an inch across west central Kansas into extreme
southwest Kansas by late evening. A secondary focus will be more
into central Kansas later this evening, including the I-70
corridor, as thunderstorms likely developing in a field of much
higher instability in northwest Kansas/southwest Nebraska track
eastward overnight. Similar conditions are forecast Monday into
Tuesday with little change to the larger scale pattern.

Very warm temperatures are forecast again tonight as prevailing
southerlies reinforce a warmer air mass across southwest/central
Kansas. Considering the HREF paints a widespread 70-90% probability
of temperatures dropping below 80F, look for lows generally in the
70s(F). With a persistent pattern in place, expect afternoon highs
back up around 100 to 105F Monday and Tuesday.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 439 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

VFR/SKC will continue through this TAF period, with scattered
cirrus at times. Radar at 2130z Sun depicted weak high-based
convection again well northwest of GCK. This activity is
expected to remain NW of GCK, and made no mention in this set
of TAFs. Strong southwest winds gusting near 30 kts as of 2130z
Sun will diminish some after 02z Mon and back more southerly,
but remain elevated with gusts 20-25 kts through much of the
night. Light southwest winds will prevail briefly around
sunrise, before strong southwest winds resume once again after
15z Mon, gusting near 30 kts.

&&

.DDC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Heat Advisory until 8 PM CDT /7 PM MDT/ this evening for
KSZ030-031-043>046-061>066-074>081-084>090.

&&

DISCUSSION...JJohnson
AVIATION...Turner
KEY MESSAGES...Turner

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 9, 6:30 PM CDT, 37 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Aug 9, 6:32 PM CDT, 35 minutes before

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Local storm report, Aug 9, 6:49 PM CDT, 18 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Aug 9, 6:56 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
656 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

KSZ061>063-100045-
Finney KS-Kearny KS-Hamilton KS-
656 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT EAST CENTRAL HAMILTON...CENTRAL
KEARNY AND WEST CENTRAL FINNEY COUNTIES THROUGH 745 PM CDT/645 PM
MDT/...

At 655 PM CDT/555 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong
thunderstorm 12 miles northeast of Kendall, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph. Areas of blowing dust may
         reduce visibility. Dry lightning strikes may pose a
         wildfire risk.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of east central
Hamilton, central Kearny and west central Finney Counties.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3797 10161 3822 10151 3812 10106 3777 10120
TIME...MOT...LOC 2355Z 291DEG 14KT 3810 10145

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

TURNER

Special weather statement, Aug 9, 7:02 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
702 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

KSZ062-100045-
Kearny KS-
702 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT CENTRAL KEARNY COUNTY THROUGH
745 PM CDT...

At 701 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles north of Lakin, moving east at 20 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph. Areas of blowing dust. Dry
         lightning strikes may pose a wildfire risk.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

This strong thunderstorm will be near...
  Deerfield around 715 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3800 10154 3823 10154 3819 10111 3781 10114
TIME...MOT...LOC 0001Z 281DEG 26KT 3805 10130

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

TURNER

Local storm report, Aug 9, 7:07 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Dodge City KS
707 PM CDT Sun Aug 9 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0655 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 N Lakin               37.97N 101.26W
08/09/2026  M59 MPH          Kearny             KS   AWOS

            Kearny County Airport AWOS K36K measured.

&&

RMB

The office that day

Everything else NWS Dodge City, KS issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 9, 7:02 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Kearny	43 min
Aug 9, 7:04 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	DDC	Scott	100 min
Aug 9, 7:13 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Scott	47 min
Aug 9, 7:21 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Trego	39 min
Aug 9, 7:36 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Lane	39 min
Aug 9, 7:45 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Kearny	45 min
Aug 9, 8:26 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Kearny	49 min
Aug 9, 10:46 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Scott	44 min
Aug 10, 12:34 AM CDT	Heat Advisory	DDC	Barber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Finney and 21 more	19 hr
Aug 10, 1:32 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	DDC	Scott	43 min
Aug 10, 2:14 PM CDT	Heat Advisory	DDC	Barber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Finney and 21 more	30 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2026 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.