Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Goodland, KS

May 16, 2026Sheridan County, Kansas

NWS Goodland, KS issued this tornado warning at May 16, 2026, 8:03 PM CDT for Sheridan County, Kansas. It was in force for 27 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 16, 2026, 8:03 PM CDT (01:03 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 2026, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
27 min
Issued by
NWS Goodland, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.0 in

County Sheridan County, KS

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 93 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:05 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this tornado warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 16, 4:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 1.1 hours before the alert went out and 184 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2026-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1409 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Dodge City, at 00:00Z on 2026-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 4 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
1409 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2918 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
4 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

513 
WFUS53 KGLD 170103
TORGLD
KSC179-170130-
/O.NEW.KGLD.TO.W.0002.260517T0103Z-260517T0130Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Goodland KS
803 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

The National Weather Service in Goodland has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  West central Sheridan County in northwestern Kansas...

* Until 830 PM CDT.

* At 803 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 5 miles southeast of Menlo, or 11 miles west of Hoxie,
  moving northeast at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and hail up to two inches in diameter.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
  west central Sheridan County, including the following locations...
  Seguin.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3927 10066 3931 10069 3944 10059 3934 10052
TIME...MOT...LOC 0103Z 240DEG 20KT 3931 10065 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN

$$

Trigg
1 follow-up statement
315 
WWUS53 KGLD 170121
SVSGLD

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Goodland KS
821 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

KSC179-170131-
/O.EXP.KGLD.TO.W.0002.000000T0000Z-260517T0130Z/
Sheridan KS-
821 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR WEST CENTRAL SHERIDAN COUNTY WILL EXPIRE
AT 830 PM CDT...

The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.  However,
gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for
northwestern Kansas.

&&

LAT...LON 3927 10066 3931 10069 3944 10059 3934 10052
TIME...MOT...LOC 0121Z 270DEG 20KT 3936 10054 

$$

Trigg

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 16, 6:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of the Tri- State area this afternoon and evening. Large hail up to 3 inches and damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph are the main hazards. A few tornadoes and blowing dust are also possible.
  • Sunday-Monday, more severe weather is expected during the afternoon and evening hours. All hazards are possible, and will generally favor northern portions of the area.
  • Critical fire weather conditions are possible Sunday and Monday.
  • Blowing dust will be possible with severe storms. Blowing dust may also occur Monday with wind gusts nearing 50 mph for those who do not receive rain over the weekend.
Area forecast discussion, May 16, 6:41 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Goodland KS
541 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of the Tri-
  State area this afternoon and evening. Large hail up to 3
  inches and damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph are the main
  hazards. A few tornadoes and blowing dust are also possible.

- Sunday-Monday, more severe weather is expected during the
  afternoon and evening hours. All hazards are possible, and
  will generally favor northern portions of the area.

- Critical fire weather conditions are possible Sunday and
  Monday.

- Blowing dust will be possible with severe storms. Blowing dust
  may also occur Monday with wind gusts nearing 50 mph for those
  who do not receive rain over the weekend.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
Issued at 1225 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

Current satellite observations show a large upper trough over the
Western Unites States and Rocky Mountains. At the surface, low
pressure has setup over the Panhandles region, but extends towards
the Central Plains and Front Range. With this, we continue to have
both upper level and lower level support for storms.

Early morning storms that formed along an initial convergence zone
or dryline along I-70 are beginning to dissipate as they move north
into an environment that is a little less unstable that the southern
and eastern areas. These early morning storms are not forecast to
make much of a difference in the later storms or prevent them from
being strong. One of the bigger changes is that the convergence zone
that was forecast to be around Highway 40 and I-70 is less likely to
be in place and spark storms. This appears to be due to the low
broadening and having less of a wind convergence zone setup. Still,
there could be some weak convergence or a weak dryline that could
still ignite some storms that would be more likely to be solo and/or
supercellular. If these do form, it would likely be near I-70
between 2-4pm MT. Overall chance is around 30%. The main hazard when
these storms first form would be very large hail around 1-3 inches
in size and maybe a tornado.

Otherwise, we are still on track for storms to form between 1-3pm MT
in Eastern Colorado along an area of surface convergence and
moisture convergence. These storms would likely form into a line
fairly quickly near the Western Yuma and Kit Carson county
borders and push east. While the instability and available
moisture should be lesser to start, enough should be present
for large hail to form. As it becomes more of a line and moves
east into better moisture, the risk for tornadoes and strong
outflow/cold pool winds increases. The issue with this is that
it would likely become a QLCS, making the hazardous wind gusts
more widespread and making any tornadoes hard to see.

As we get into the late afternoon and evening hours, the storms
should push east through the area. If both areas form, they should
begin to merge together close to Highway 25. There could be some
strong supercells if the first cluster form in NW Kansas and isn't
quickly overtaken by the line from Colorado. Be alert for the
potential for very large hail and maybe a strong tornado if this
occurs. Otherwise, the cluster and line should sweep through the
area north of I-70, producing large hail, plenty of wind gusts above
60 mph (maybe pushing 80-90 mph), and a tornado or two.

The majority of the storms should move out of the area by midnight
central time. There may still be additional storms that develop with
the 500mb trough remaining upstream and outflows from earlier
storms, but the threats should be much lower. We may be able to get
some marginal severe weather out of any lingering storms. Otherwise,
temperatures should remain in the 50s and 60s with moisture
continuing to wrap around the low and into the area. This could also
allow for some fog to develop mainly along the Nebraska border
closer to sunrise.

Tomorrow, the upper trough axis is forecast to near more of the Four
Corners region, though ensemble guidance suggests that it may lag a
bit further to the west. This could give the area another round of
severe weather, similar to Saturday with little change in the
environment. The further south and west the surface low is dragged,
the less the area will be filled with dry air and the more
instability we will have for storms. If the low does move more into
or over the area, we would instead run the risk of some critical
fire weather conditions due to the dry air and with wind gusts
nearing 25-30 mph. In this case, the severe weather coverage would
be confined again to the northern portions of the area.

Should the severe weather develop, it will likely follow a similar
time table of starting around 2-4pm MT near the Tri-State border
area. The storms are then forecast to push east/northeast, which may
be the difference of the storms leaving the area instead of pushing
across. All hazards would again be possible. The other area we would
be watching is along the dryline if it is in our area. Storms are
forecast to fire up east of the dryline and push east, again with
all hazards. Likely, this would only impact those east of Highway
83, if at all. Regardless of which/any storm activity that forms,
the severe threat should end close to 9pm-12am CT as the low
diffuses and the support wanes (as long as there are not a bunch of
outflow boundaries in the area).

One thing to be wary of both days is the potential for blowing dust
along the leading edge of storm outflow. The area has still been
somewhat dry, with dust likely to kick up if winds gust above 50
mph. This could lead to brownout conditions, especially ahead of any
organized line of storms. The threat may be lessened Sunday if
Saturday's storms due cluster enough to provide areas with an inch
or two of rain.

Monday, the upper trough axis is forecast to begin pushing east into
the Plains while also broadening. This should begin to push the
moisture and the surface low off to the east. With this, the chance
and risk for severe weather should lower across the area. This
doesn't mean we will be in the clear, as those east of Highway 83
still have some risk if the trough does not push east fast enough.
But ensemble guidance is favoring a fast progression so the chances
are now on the lower side.

The issue is that it will increase the winds as a colder air mass
will then begin to push in from the northwest. With a stronger
pressure gradient, winds could reach 15-30 mph with gusts up to 50
mph. This poses a problem both for fire weather conditions and
blowing dust. If the dry air moves in fast enough or gets pulled
further north, critical fire weather conditions could develop as RH
lowers into the teens. If we do not get much in the form of rain
over the weekend, then blowing dust may occur with the strong
winds.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
Issued at 1216 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

Tuesday is cooler in the wake of a cold frontal passage. High
temperatures are expected in the upper 50s to upper 60s. Our
region is forecast to be under a southwest upper-level flow as a
trough develops west of the Rocky Mountains throughout the
week. Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, there is around a 40%
chance of showers for the northwest county warning area (CWA).

Conditions remain cool Wednesday and Thursday with high temperatures
forecast in the 60s. Southwest upper-level flow will persist through
the week supporting chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms.
Probability of Precipitation (PoPs) are around 30-40% for the CWA.

Ensembles are in disagreement on when the aforementioned trough
ejects eastward and takes us out of the persistent southwest flow,
but it will likely move on after Friday. A slight warming trend
begins Friday with high temperatures forecast in the 70s for Friday
and 80s for Sunday. Chances for showers and thunderstorms remain for
Friday through Saturday with PoPs around 20-30% for the eastern CWA
as several shortwaves pass through the area.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/...
Issued at 532 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

Severe convection will continue to impact the GLD TAF site
through roughly 01Z before shifting east. Wind gusts to 50-55kts
have been observed to the west of the site and it is still
looking very likely that those gusts will be observed at GLD.
As the storms shift eastward, expect MCK to see storm arrival
around 02Z before shifting east of the TAF site around or just
after 03Z. The northern end of the line has been producing gusts
close to 40kts, so kept 40kt mention in the TAF for that time
period. It is still possible that storms could develop ahead of
the main line, so timing may need to be adjusted with updates.

Overnight into Sunday morning (11Z-13Z), some fog or lowered
ceilings may develop across the TAF sites. The chances have
increased a bit with convection ongoing and the added low-level
moisture from the rainfall. Added a TEMPO for lower visibility
at GLD and may need to add at MCK with later updates, especially
if the heavier rainfall occurs at the site. Otherwise, Sunday
morning is expected to see better flying conditions after 15Z.

&&

.GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...None.
CO...None.
NE...None.

&&

SHORT TERM...KAK
LONG TERM...Rhoades
AVIATION...Cooley
Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 4:11 PM CDT, 3 hours 52 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Goodland KS
311 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-172115-
Yuma-Kit Carson-Cheyenne CO-Cheyenne KS-Rawlins-Decatur-Norton-
Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-Greeley-Wichita-
Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow-
311 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026 /411 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026/

This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska...
northwest Kansas and east central Colorado.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of the Tri-State
area. 1 to 3 inch hail, 60 to 80 MPH winds, blowing dust, and
tornadoes are possible. Damage to life and property is possible from
severe storms.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...

Severe storms are possible Sunday and Monday afternoons. 1 to 3 inch
hail, 60 to 80 MPH winds, blowing dust, and tornadoes are possible.
Damage to life and property is possible from severe storms.

Prolonged critical fire weather conditions are possible Sunday and
Monday afternoons, mainly along and southeast of a line from Norton,
KS to Cheyenne Wells, CO. Rapid wildfire growth is possible during
this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 16, 7:54 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Goodland KS
654 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

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

0640 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 NW Colby              39.41N 101.08W
05/16/2026  M56 MPH          Thomas             KS   Mesonet

            Davis; Schielke.

&&

CLD
Local storm report, May 16, 7:55 PM CDT, 8 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Goodland KS
655 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

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

0649 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     5 S Colby               39.32N 101.06W
05/16/2026  M85 MPH          Thomas             KS   Storm Chaser

            Spotter network of wind gusts between 80 and
            84 with a few reaching 85.

&&

KAK
Local storm report, May 16, 7:56 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Goodland KS
656 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

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

0647 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     6 SW Mingo              39.22N 101.05W
05/16/2026  M75 MPH          Thomas             KS   Mesonet

            Plummer; AWN.

&&

CLD
Local storm report, May 16, 8:00 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Goodland KS
700 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

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

0647 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 ENE Colby             39.40N 101.01W
05/16/2026  M88 MPH          Thomas             KS   Mesonet

            Mesonet station FW6347 Colby 2E.

&&

CLD
Local storm report, May 16, 8:02 PM CDT, 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Goodland KS
702 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

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

0649 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 ENE Colby             39.39N 101.02W
05/16/2026  M62 MPH          Thomas             KS   Mesonet

            C0352.

&&

CLD
Local storm report, May 16, 8:03 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Goodland KS
703 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

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

0645 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 SE Colby              39.38N 101.04W
05/16/2026  M59 MPH          Thomas             KS   Mesonet

            F8773.

&&

CLD

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 7:01 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryGLDSherman3 hr
May 16, 7:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatGLDLogan, Sherman, Thomas95 min
May 16, 7:35 PM CDTDust Storm WarningGLDGove, Greeley, Logan, Wallace, Wichita55 min
May 16, 7:36 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDRawlins69 min
May 16, 7:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDSheridan, Thomas63 min
May 16, 7:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatGLDSheridan, Thomas36 min
May 16, 8:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDDecatur37 min
May 16, 8:12 PM CDTDust Storm WarningGLDGove63 min
May 16, 8:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatGLDGraham, Norton, Sheridan73 min
May 16, 8:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGLDNorton58 min
May 16, 9:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threatGLDGraham36 min
May 16, 9:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatGLDGraham45 min
May 17, 5:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatGLDSherman, Wallace35 min
May 17, 6:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatGLDSherman, Wallace63 min
May 17, 6:42 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDSherman, Wallace29 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 2026Every tornado warning in 2026Tornadoes 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.