Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 41, NWS Wichita, KS

April 9, 2026Barton County, Ellsworth County, Kansas

NWS Wichita, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 9, 2026, 6:43 PM CDT for Barton County, Ellsworth 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 9, 2026, 6:43 PM CDT (23:43 UTC)
Expired
Apr 9, 2026, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
62 min
Issued by
NWS Wichita, KS
Area
Storm-based polygon
Hail
1.0 in
Wind
60.0 mph

Counties Barton County, KS, Ellsworth County, KS

The radar

The Wichita radar (KICT), 138 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:46 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.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 9, 5:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 11.7 hours before the alert went out and 250 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2026-04-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2026-04-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 77 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1733 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
108 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 Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 9, 6:43 PM CDT, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 9, 6:43 PM CDT, 0 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 9, 5:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 41 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wichita KS
502 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-102015-
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-
502 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas,
South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

Severe storms will be possible across central Kansas along the I-70
corridor, mainly after 5 pm. The strongest activity may be capable
of producing golf ball sized hail and 60-65 mph wind gusts. Storms
may build southward this evening and tonight while gradually
diminishing in intensity after midnight.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

Strong and severe thunderstorms will remain in the forecast through
Tuesday, with multiple rounds of storms expected through the
period. Repeated rounds of heavy rain could lead to ponding of
water and localized flooding.

We continue to monitor the beginning of next week where we could
see more impactful severe thunderstorms capable of all modes of
severe weather.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight but any reports of
hail or high winds are appreciated.

&&

For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at:
https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 9, 2:00 PM CDT, 4 hours 43 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wichita KS
200 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

KSC053-105-167-091945-
Lincoln KS-Ellsworth KS-Russell KS-
200 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

...GUSTY SHOWERS WILL IMPACT  THROUGH 245 PM CDT...

At 159 PM CDT, an area of showers producing strong winds were
located across portions of central Kansas.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph.

SOURCE...Russell Municipal Airport reported a 67 mph wind gust at
         141 PM CDT.

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

Locations impacted include...
Russell, Ellsworth, Wilson, Kanopolis, Lincoln, Holyrood, Lucas,
Gorham, Sylvan Grove, Geneseo, Luray, Dorrance, Beverly, Lorraine,
Barnard, Milberger, Bunker Hill, Paradise, Waldo, and Kanopolis Lake.

This includes Interstate 70 between Mile Markers 175 and 235.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

&&

LAT...LON 3922 9793 3852 9792 3852 9848 3870 9848
      3870 9904 3913 9904 3913 9849 3922 9849
TIME...MOT...LOC 1859Z 240DEG 48KT 3885 9866

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

CUELLAR
Local storm report, Apr 9, 2:09 PM CDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
209 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

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

0141 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Russell Airport         38.87N 98.82W
04/09/2026  M67 MPH          Russell            KS   ASOS

            ASOS station KRSL Russell Municipal Airport.
            Occurred with a very light shower passing
            through the area.

&&

JC
Local storm report, Apr 9, 2:30 PM CDT, 4 hours 13 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
230 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

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

0141 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst Russell Airport         38.87N 98.82W
04/09/2026  M67 MPH          Russell            KS   ASOS

            Edits previous non-tstm wnd gst report from
            Russell Airport. Occurred with a very light
            shower passing through the area. Per the EM,
            power was knocked out in Russell due to the
            wind gust, but it has since been restored as
            of 2:25PM CDT.

&&

JC
Local storm report, Apr 9, 2:50 PM CDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
250 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

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

0145 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 S Russell             38.86N 98.85W
04/09/2026                   Russell            KS   Public

            Video on social media shows a semi truck
            blown over at the I-70 and US-281 junction.
            Time was estimated base on reports from the
            Russell Municipal Airport of a 67-mph gust
            at 141PM CDT and a 61-mph gust at 153PM CDT.

&&

JC
Local storm report, Apr 9, 3:40 PM CDT, 3 hours 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wichita KS
340 PM CDT Thu Apr 9 2026

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

0200 PM     Non-Tstm Wnd Gst 3 NNE Bunker Hill       38.91N 98.67W
04/09/2026  M58 MPH          Russell            KS   Mesonet

            Measured wind gust from a Kansas State
            Mesonet site located about 3 miles northeast
            of Bunker Hill. Occurred with a light rain
            shower.

&&

JC
Local storm report, Apr 9, 6:28 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 9, 2:00 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementICTEllsworth, Lincoln, Russell45 min
Apr 9, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton, Ellsworth39 min
Apr 9, 6:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTLincoln58 min
Apr 9, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTBarton39 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.