Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 113, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 26, 2026, 2:07 PM CDT for 7 counties in Kansas. It was in force for 53 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 26, 2026, 2:07 PM CDT (19:07 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 26, 2026, 3:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 53 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 60.0 mph
Counties Jackson County, KS, Lyon County, KS, Morris County, KS, Osage County, KS, Pottawatomie County, KS, Shawnee County, KS, Wabaunsee County, KS
The radar
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 30 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:11 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.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 3:03 PM CDT | TSTM WND GST 70 | 4 Ene Reading, KS | measured with hand held anemometer. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26, 12:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 9 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 7.1 hours before the alert went out and 33 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
The text
As transmitted.
612
WUUS53 KTOP 261907
SVRTOP
KSC085-111-127-139-149-177-197-262000-
/O.NEW.KTOP.SV.W.0113.260426T1907Z-260426T2000Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service Topeka KS
207 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Southeastern Morris County in east central Kansas...
Shawnee County in east central Kansas...
Wabaunsee County in east central Kansas...
Northern Osage County in east central Kansas...
Southeastern Pottawatomie County in northeastern Kansas...
Southern Jackson County in northeastern Kansas...
Northern Lyon County in east central Kansas...
* Until 300 PM CDT.
* At 206 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Louisville to 6 miles west of Eskridge to 3
miles southwest of Dunlap, moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.
* Locations impacted include...
Topeka, Wamego, Osage City, Carbondale, Rossville, Alma, Eskridge,
St. Marys, Dover, Silver Lake, Auburn, Lyndon, Burlingame,
Americus, Scranton, Hoyt, Maple Hill, McFarland, Harveyville, and
Paxico.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 70 between mile markers 325 and 355.
Kansas Turnpike between mile markers 135 and 184.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 9564 3848 9635 3852 9635 3852 9646
3885 9627 3924 9639 3932 9567 3909 9559
3907 9560 3899 9556
TIME...MOT...LOC 1906Z 256DEG 32KT 3922 9634 3887 9622 3855 9641
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
CP1 follow-up statement
857
WWUS53 KTOP 261937
SVSTOP
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
237 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
KSC127-261947-
/O.CAN.KTOP.SV.W.0113.000000T0000Z-260426T2000Z/
Morris-
237 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN MORRIS COUNTY IS
CANCELLED...
The storms which prompted the warning have moved out of the warned
area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CDT for
northeastern and east central Kansas.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 9564 3852 9599 3852 9635 3858 9635
3874 9629 3882 9617 3917 9607 3927 9609
3932 9567 3911 9560 3907 9560 3899 9556
TIME...MOT...LOC 1937Z 255DEG 30KT 3928 9603 3890 9601 3856 9614
$$
KSC085-111-139-149-177-197-262000-
/O.CON.KTOP.SV.W.0113.000000T0000Z-260426T2000Z/
Shawnee-Wabaunsee-Osage-Pottawatomie-Jackson-Lyon-
237 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM CDT
FOR SHAWNEE...EASTERN WABAUNSEE...NORTHERN OSAGE...SOUTHEASTERN
POTTAWATOMIE...SOUTHERN JACKSON AND NORTHERN LYON COUNTIES...
At 237 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line
extending from near Emmett to 3 miles south of Keene to 5 miles south
of Admire, moving east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to
roofs, siding, and trees.
Locations impacted include...
Topeka, Osage City, Carbondale, Rossville, Eskridge, St. Marys,
Dover, Silver Lake, Auburn, Lyndon, Burlingame, Scranton, Hoyt, Maple
Hill, Harveyville, Allen, Delia, Admire, Willard, and Bushong.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 70 between mile markers 338 and 355.
Kansas Turnpike between mile markers 136 and 184.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 9564 3852 9599 3852 9635 3858 9635
3874 9629 3882 9617 3917 9607 3927 9609
3932 9567 3911 9560 3907 9560 3899 9556
TIME...MOT...LOC 1937Z 255DEG 30KT 3928 9603 3890 9601 3856 9614
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH
$$
CPWhat 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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Apr 26, 5:52 AM CDT, 8 hours 15 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Complicated severe weather setup tonight. Likely two rounds of severe, one afternoon into early evening and another late evening into the overnight hours. The second round will carry the largest severe threat, but large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes will be possible with both rounds.
- A few storms may linger into Monday, but severe weather threat mostly shifts to our east.
- Cooler pattern arrives for the rest of the week behind Monday's cold front. A few chances for light rain.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 26, 5:52 AM CDT, 8 hours 15 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 552 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Complicated severe weather setup tonight. Likely two rounds of severe, one afternoon into early evening and another late evening into the overnight hours. The second round will carry the largest severe threat, but large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes will be possible with both rounds. - A few storms may linger into Monday, but severe weather threat mostly shifts to our east. - Cooler pattern arrives for the rest of the week behind Monday's cold front. A few chances for light rain. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 339 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 Current water vapor imagery shows the main focus for today - a strong shortwave trough moving onshore to California and phasing with the main western US longwave trough. Broad southwest flow is in place ahead of this system, with the embedded weaker perturbation responsible for yesterday's severe weather weakening over the Plains. As the main shortwave approaches the Plains this morning, pressure will begin to quickly drop in the lee of the Rockies. Southerly winds will allow moisture to stream back northwards, though the exact degree of moisture return may be impacted somewhat by the amount of morning convection over the Arklatex area. Still expecting two rounds of convection in general, with perhaps a brief lull in between. The first appears likely as early as mid-day, with the initial surge of 850 mb WAA. Isentropic ascent along the frontal boundary currently bisecting the forecast area should support a cluster of thunderstorms developing towards central and north-central KS. The broad forcing for ascent may support a messy storm mode, but with increasing shear and instability a more organized line or embedded supercell could emerge, moving east through the early evening hours. If this were the case, large hail and damaging winds would be possible, along with a low threat for a brief tornado. Some locally heavy rain could also occur, particularly if storms can train from west to east. Behind this initial activity, another round of widespread convection is expected to develop after sunset across portions of central Kansas. This would occur as the surface low begins to lift northeast and a very strong LLJ develops. Lots of uncertainty as to the location and extent of this convection, with short-term models still struggling to deal with the evolution of various surface features. Nevertheless, given the strength of the LLJ and the approaching shortwave, the environment will be characterized by extreme shear. So large to very large hail will be possible with any more discrete supercell, and widespread damaging winds with any more linear segment. The overnight tornado threat is slightly more uncertain, and tied to the degree of nocturnal stabilization. However most guidance tends to keep the cap weak enough that surface based storms will remain possible, particularly along and south of Interstate 70. This would support the risk of tornadoes, perhaps strong, well into the night, with any semi-discrete supercell. Any linear segment would carry a QLCS tornado risk, given strong 0-3 km shear largely perpendicular to the front. The severe threat (and potential for more locally heavy rain) will linger into the early morning hours tomorrow, as pressures continue to fall just ahead of the surface low track. Despite the extremely favorable ingredients, it's important as always to keep in mind any potential failure modes. One plausible failure mode could be if more widespread convection develops earlier in the day across parts of northern Oklahoma. This could help limit moisture return overnight, keeping our storms more elevated and the strongest surface based storms to our south. But given the potential ceiling of the event and the very late timing, certainly important to have a way to monitor the storm threat and receive warnings overnight tonight. Still watching early afternoon Monday for a low probability severe threat (mainly in the form of hail) across far eastern KS before the front fully clears the area. However the majority of guidance continues to keep any developing convection to our east across Missouri, leaving behind a dry afternoon as winds turn to the west and then northwest behind the front. Following the front, we stay in a noticeably cooler pattern for the rest of the week as upper troughing deepens to our east. Highs stay mostly in the 60s, with lows in the 40s. A few low chances for light rain Tuesday and again Thu/Fri as embedded shortwaves pass nearby to our south. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/... Issued at 552 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 IFR to MVFR stratus remains west of the main TAF sites, and confidence is still low that it will reach KMHK at any point this morning. Confidence is increasing that thunderstorms will impact the terminals at some point this afternoon, though exact timing and placement is still somewhat uncertain. More thunderstorms, likely accompanied by more widespread MVFR ceilings, look to arrive late evening and overnight, but timing and coverage is uncertain for this round as well. Winds should be more southeasterly after sunrise and stay so through the period, generally around 8-14 kts. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && DISCUSSION...Reese AVIATION...Reese
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 26, 3:44 AM CDT, 10 hours 23 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 344 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-270845- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 344 AM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Several rounds of thunderstorms are expected across the entire area today and tonight, with some of these storms being severe. Large hail, damaging winds, locally heavy rain, and a few tornadoes will all be possible, particularly late this evening into the overnight hours. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER MESSAGE Weather spotters are encouraged to relay reports of hail, damaging wind, tornadoes and flooding. && More detailed information can be found at: www.weather.gov/media/top/DssPacket.pdf
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 26, 12:38 PM CDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
1238 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1229 PM Hail Carlton 38.69N 97.29W
04/26/2026 E1.00 Inch Dickinson KS Emergency Mngr
&&
BDLocal storm report, Apr 26, 12:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
1253 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1250 PM Hail 6 NNW Hope 38.77N 97.11W
04/26/2026 M1.00 Inch Dickinson KS Public
&&
BDLocal storm report, Apr 26, 1:10 PM CDT, 57 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
110 PM CDT Sun Apr 26 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0108 PM Hail 4 W White City 38.80N 96.82W
04/26/2026 M1.00 Inch Morris KS Trained Spotter
&&
BDThe office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 25, 7:14 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Cloud | 31 min |
| Apr 25, 7:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Cloud, Ottawa | 34 min |
| Apr 25, 8:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Cloud, Ottawa | 35 min |
| Apr 25, 8:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Ottawa | 25 min |
| Apr 25, 8:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay | 36 min |
| Apr 25, 9:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley | 35 min |
| Apr 25, 9:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley | 18 min |
| Apr 25, 9:54 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Geary, Riley | 36 min |
| Apr 25, 10:27 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Riley | 33 min |
| Apr 25, 10:57 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Riley | 33 min |
| Apr 26, 11:03 AM CDT | Flood Watch | TOP | Brown, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Marshall, Nemaha and 2 more | 20 hr |
| Apr 26, 11:48 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 42 min |
| Apr 26, 12:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson | 34 min |
| Apr 26, 12:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Dickinson, Geary, Riley | 42 min |
| Apr 26, 12:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Dickinson, Geary, Morris, Riley | 54 min |
| Apr 26, 1:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Clay, Geary, Pottawatomie, Riley | 45 min |
| Apr 26, 1:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Geary, Lyon, Morris, Pottawatomie, Riley, Wabaunsee | 46 min |
| Apr 26, 1:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley | 39 min |
| Apr 26, 2:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon | 64 min |
| Apr 26, 2:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon, Osage, Shawnee, Wabaunsee | 51 min |
| Apr 26, 3:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Coffey, Lyon, Osage | 42 min |
| Apr 26, 3:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Osage | 22 min |
| Apr 26, 3:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Franklin, Osage, Shawnee | 66 min |
| Apr 26, 3:28 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Douglas, Osage, Shawnee | 19 min |
| Apr 26, 3:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Anderson, Coffey | 54 min |
| Apr 26, 4:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Anderson | 29 min |
| Apr 26, 4:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Franklin | 24 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.