Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 117, NWS Wichita, KS
NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 26, 2026, 6:13 PM CDT for Elk County, Montgomery County, Wilson County, Kansas. It was in force for 62 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
- Apr 26, 2026, 6:13 PM CDT (23:13 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 26, 2026, 7:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 62 min
- Issued by
- NWS Wichita, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.25 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Elk County, KS, Montgomery County, KS, Wilson County, KS
The radar
The Wichita radar (KICT), 138 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:17 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 watch it was issued in
The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 12:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 9 hr |
| Apr 26, 3:22 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 179 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 54 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -242 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 980 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 37 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 54 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 6 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 26, 3:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Severe storms likely late this afternoon through tonight with potentially significant severe hazards.
- Mostly dry conditions and mild temperatures are expected for Monday through Wednesday with possible rain chances returning late Wednesday night into Thursday.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 26, 3:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wichita KS 329 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Severe storms likely late this afternoon through tonight with potentially significant severe hazards. - Mostly dry conditions and mild temperatures are expected for Monday through Wednesday with possible rain chances returning late Wednesday night into Thursday. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 324 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 Currently there is an upper shortwave moving into the Central Rockies. This shortwave will continue to move east and likely eject into KS late tonight to early hours of Monday morning. At the surface, a warm front is over eastern KS and extends down into western OK with an additional warm front stretched across southern Oklahoma. Severe storms are actively pushing through eastern KS. Portions of central and south-central KS continue to see low clouds and patchy fog. As we move into later this afternoon and evening, clouds will start to clear in northern OK and into southern KS as the warm front across southern OK continues to push north. Instability will increase to values between 2500-3000+ J/kg as moisture advection persists. This instability combined with around 50 kts of effective shear and mid-level lapse rates around 7.5 C/km are sufficient for additional severe storm development with potential to be surface based. Large to very large hail will be possible along with damaging winds and a potential tornado given the increasing low-level SRH with this threat mainly across southern and southeast KS. Then as the upper wave approaches later tonight, additional elevated convection will be possible. Destabilization is expected to continue combined with increased 0-6km bulk wind shear over 50kts, and very steep mid-level lapse rates. This activity would mainly be a hail threat across northern KS into central KS and is anticipated to continue to move into northeast KS during the overnight to early morning hours of Monday. Showers and storms could linger into Monday morning in northern KS and northeast KS with drier air moving in behind a cold front late Monday afternoon. Rich moisture looks to stay well south of our area through Wednesday, resulting in a break of active weather to start the week. Flow aloft will shift to more zonal by Monday night and likely continue through much of the work week. Rain chances may return to the forecast late Wednesday night into Thursday as model soundings hint at elevated showers. Strong to severe thunderstorms are not anticipated given the limited instability. Mild temperatures are progged through most of the week with high temperatures closer to normal with much of the area seeing highs in the upper 60s and 70s. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/... Issued at 1223 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 MVFR to IFR conditions expected through much of the forecast period due to low cigs and reduced vis. Scattered thunderstorms will develop and impact much of the forecast area starting after 02Z and lasting through 08-10Z. Ceilings may lift some during thunderstorm activity, but IFR/LIFR ceilings will continue into Monday morning. Ceilings will begin to lift and clear after 12Z. && .ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...GC AVIATION...AMD
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 26, 3:39 PM CDT, 2 hours 34 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wichita KS 339 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-272045- Russell-Lincoln-Barton-Ellsworth-Saline-Rice-McPherson-Marion-Chase- Reno-Harvey-Butler-Greenwood-Woodson-Allen-Kingman-Sedgwick-Harper- Sumner-Cowley-Elk-Wilson-Neosho-Chautauqua-Montgomery-Labette- 339 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas, South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Tonight Scattered thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon into this evening across parts of southeast Kansas. Severe storms are possible with up to tennis ball size hail, damaging winds up to 70 mph and potentially a tornado. Meanwhile another round of thunderstorms is expected to develop over western Kansas this evening. This activity will then move east/northeast and looks to affect mainly central and south central Kansas after 8 PM or 9 PM. There is some potential for significant severe weather; very large hail around 2 inches in diameter, damaging winds up to 70 mph, and a few tornadoes. A strong tornado is possible across mainly south central and southern Kansas. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday More thunderstorm chances are in the forecast from late Wednesday night through Friday. Severe weather chances remain low for this period. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed late this afternoon into tonight. && For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at: https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 26, 3:48 PM CDT, 2 hours 25 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
348 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0345 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 9 N Yates Center 38.00N 95.75W
04/26/2026 E60 MPH Woodson KS Trained Spotter
&&
WILocal storm report, Apr 26, 3:51 PM CDT, 2 hours 22 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
351 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0349 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 9 N Yates Center 38.00N 95.75W
04/26/2026 E65 MPH Woodson KS Trained Spotter
Estimated 65 mph with pea sized hail.
&&
MWMLocal storm report, Apr 26, 3:54 PM CDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
354 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0352 PM Hail 9 N Yates Center 38.00N 95.75W
04/26/2026 M1.00 Inch Woodson KS Trained Spotter
&&
MWMLocal storm report, Apr 26, 4:05 PM CDT, 2 hours 8 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
405 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0403 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 5 W Neosho Falls 38.01N 95.64W
04/26/2026 E80 MPH Woodson KS Trained Spotter
80+ mph winds estimated with quarter sized
hail reported 9 NE of Yates Center.
&&
MWMLocal storm report, Apr 26, 4:18 PM CDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
418 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0418 PM Hail 5 NW Iola 37.99N 95.45W
04/26/2026 E1.00 Inch Allen KS Trained Spotter
Quarter hail broke one glass window.
&&
MWMLocal storm report, Apr 26, 4:21 PM CDT, 1 hour 52 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
421 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0413 PM Hail 4 NW Iola 37.97N 95.46W
04/26/2026 M1.00 Inch Allen KS Trained Spotter
&&
WIThe office that day
Everything else NWS Wichita, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 7:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Chautauqua, Montgomery | 57 min |
| Apr 25, 7:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler | 55 min |
| Apr 25, 7:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Harper, Kingman | 38 min |
| Apr 25, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Sedgwick | 47 min |
| Apr 26, 10:44 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Ellsworth, Rice | 61 min |
| Apr 26, 11:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | McPherson, Saline | 66 min |
| Apr 26, 11:59 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | McPherson | 31 min |
| Apr 26, 12:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | McPherson, Marion | 69 min |
| Apr 26, 1:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Chase, Marion | 63 min |
| Apr 26, 2:22 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Butler, Chase, Greenwood | 68 min |
| Apr 26, 3:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Allen, Neosho | 24 min |
| Apr 26, 3:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Greenwood, Woodson | 58 min |
| Apr 26, 4:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ICT | Allen, Woodson | 58 min |
| Apr 26, 5:23 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Elk | 52 min |
| Apr 26, 6:47 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | ICT | Montgomery, Wilson | 43 min |
Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Kansas, 2026Every 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.