Alert archive / Kansas / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 405, NWS Topeka, KS

September 19, 2026Morris County, Riley County, Wabaunsee County, Kansas

NWS Topeka, KS issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 19, 2026, 6:40 PM CDT for Morris County, Riley County, Wabaunsee County, Kansas. It was in force for 65 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: Sep 19, 2026, 6:40 PM CDT (23:40 UTC)
Expired: Sep 19, 2026, 7:45 PM CDT
In force: 65 min
Issued by: NWS Topeka, KS
Area: Storm-based polygon
Damage threat: Destructive
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 80.0 mph

Counties Morris County, KS, Riley County, KS, Wabaunsee County, KS

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 26 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:40 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
Sep 19, 3:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Sep 19, 2:18 PM CDT, 4 hours 22 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

-Scattered strong to severe storms are expected to develop along a front late this afternoon/early this evening. -Shower/storm chances linger through the night, but the severe threat should largely diminish after dark. -A dramatic temperature swing occurs between today and early in the upcoming workweek. Below average temperatures stick around through the week.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 19, 2:18 PM CDT, 4 hours 22 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Topeka KS
218 PM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

-Scattered strong to severe storms are expected to develop along a
 front late this afternoon/early this evening.

-Shower/storm chances linger through the night, but the severe threat
 should largely diminish after dark.

-A dramatic temperature swing occurs between today and early in the
 upcoming workweek. Below average temperatures stick around through
 the week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 206 PM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

The main focus in the short-term is on thunderstorm chances from this
afternoon into tonight, and whether storms will reach severe
thresholds. At 18Z, a cold front was moving into north central KS. A
few agitated cu had grown tall enough to produce isolated, small
showers ahead of the boundary. SBCAPE has increased to 2000-3000 J/kg
ahead of the boundary and DCAPE is over 1000 J/kg, but deep layer
shear is less impressive at around 25 kts. This environment is
developing as expected and continues to indicate downburst wind
potential with any storms that form today. CAMs still do not show a
lot of agreement on timing and location of the more robust
convection, but thinking is that coverage of storms will increase
after 23Z with initiation likely occurring along a line extending
from near Sabetha to Manhattan to Herington. Initial updrafts could
congeal into clusters as the entire system progresses eastward across
the area this evening. Severe potential should begin to diminish in
the hours after sunset in far eastern KS as CIN increases. Most CAMs
then show another cluster of showers and storms moving into central
KS overnight in response to a shortwave ahead of a main wave aloft.
Models show those storms producing some gusty winds in central KS and
weakening with eastward extent.

Rain showers may linger into the early morning hours of Sunday with
chances decreasing after sunrise. The cold front should be south of
the area by midday tomorrow, so with low clouds and north winds,
temperatures will be noticeably cooler (following a six day stretch
of 90+ highs). Will maintain at least slight chance POPs in east-
central areas through the afternoon with rain possibly clipping the
area from the south near the stalled H85 boundary.

A cooler air mass fully settles into the area with a surface ridge
early next week. NBM has high temperatures ranging from the mid 60s
in far northern KS to the mid 70s near I-35 Monday afternoon in part
due to limited insolation from lingering cloud cover. Tuesday could
be the coolest day of the period with highs in the 60s nearly area-
wide (this is cooler than recent nighttime lows). Temperatures slowly
creep back up, but stay on the cool side of average through the
workweek. POPs return later in the week when longer range models show
the next shortwave aloft possibly impacting the region. Confidence
is not currently high on that possible round of wet weather.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/...
Issued at 1237 PM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

The main challenge this period is on thunderstorm chances and timing.
Storms look to develop near a cold front this evening, likely around
23Z/00Z near KMHK. However, there remains some level of uncertainty
with a lack of good agreement between high resolution models. Once
storms develop they will progress eastward and impact the Topeka
terminals late this evening. Storms could produce damaging wind gusts
and hail. Additional showers could develop later in the night, which
is also when MVFR CIGS become likely. Rain chances decrease Sunday
morning, but low stratus could linger into midday.

&&

.CLIMATE...
Issued at 229 AM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

Saturday 9/19:

              Forecast High        Record High (year)

Topeka: 96 99 (set in 2022)

&&

.TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Teefey
AVIATION...Teefey
CLIMATE...Griesemer

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 19, 2:24 PM CDT, 4 hours 16 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 19, 5:57 PM CDT, 43 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
557 PM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

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

0552 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 SW Abilene            38.90N 97.24W
09/19/2026  M60 MPH          Dickinson          KS   Mesonet

            Abilene airport gusted to 60 mph.

&&

DR

Local storm report, Sep 19, 6:20 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
620 PM CDT Sat Sep 19 2026

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

0611 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 W Herington           38.67N 96.96W
09/19/2026  M65 MPH          Dickinson          KS   Trained Spotter

            Measured gust on personal anemometer.

&&

DR

Local storm report, Sep 19, 6:25 PM CDT, 15 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 19, 6:34 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 19, 6:36 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

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Local storm report, Sep 19, 6:38 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 19, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Riley	48 min
Sep 19, 5:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson, Ottawa	54 min
Sep 19, 5:40 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Cloud	50 min
Sep 19, 5:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Geary, Riley	47 min
Sep 19, 5:47 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	TOP	Dickinson	43 min
Sep 19, 5:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Dickinson	55 min
Sep 19, 6:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Cloud, Ottawa	39 min
Sep 19, 6:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Pottawatomie, Riley	22 min
Sep 19, 6:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Dickinson, Geary, Morris	46 min
Sep 19, 6:27 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	TOP	Geary, Morris	33 min
Sep 19, 6:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Clay, Cloud, Ottawa	31 min
Sep 19, 6:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	TOP	Pottawatomie	29 min
Sep 19, 6:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Pottawatomie, Riley	51 min
Sep 19, 6:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	TOP	Jackson, Marshall, Nemaha, Pottawatomie	31 min

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.