Alert archive / Kansas / Tornado Warnings in 2026
Tornado Warning 3, NWS Topeka, KS
NWS Topeka, KS issued this tornado warning at Apr 13, 2026, 6:58 PM CDT for Franklin County, Osage County, Kansas. It was in force for 32 min. 3 reports 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 13, 2026, 6:58 PM CDT (23:58 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 13, 2026, 7:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Topeka, KS
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 2.0 in
Counties Franklin County, KS, Osage County, KS
The radar
The Topeka radar (KTWX), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:04 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 13, 7:07 PM CDT | TORNADO | Quenemo, KS | Delayed report. Storm chaser reported a tornado occurred just southwest of town. Was on the ground approximately two minutes and damaged a sheet metal shed. |
| Apr 13, 7:10 PM CDT | HAIL 2 | 2 W Pomona, KS | Hail was observed on the ground behind the storm. |
| Apr 13, 7:15 PM CDT | TORNADO | 3 Ene Pomona, KS | Spotter confirmed he was seeing debris but is about 15 miles south so can not fully see the actual tornado. |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
Did it verify
Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 2 storm reports to this tornado warning; the first came 9 minutes after it went out.
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 13, 6:33 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 4 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 12.0 hours before the alert went out and 46 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
- 1257 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -253 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 833 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 38 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 380 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 330 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 1.6
The text
As transmitted.
743
WFUS53 KTOP 132358
TORTOP
KSC059-139-140030-
/O.NEW.KTOP.TO.W.0003.260413T2358Z-260414T0030Z/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Topeka KS
658 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a
* Tornado Warning for...
Northwestern Franklin County in east central Kansas...
East central Osage County in east central Kansas...
* Until 730 PM CDT.
* At 657 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Quenemo, moving east 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.
* Locations impacted include...
Centropolis, Pomona, and Quenemo.
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 3856 9557 3863 9559 3872 9534 3856 9533
TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 255DEG 21KT 3861 9556
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN
$$
Jones1 follow-up statement
435
WWUS53 KTOP 140013
SVSTOP
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Topeka KS
713 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
KSC139-140023-
/O.CAN.KTOP.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-260414T0030Z/
Osage-
713 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR EAST CENTRAL OSAGE COUNTY IS CANCELLED...
The tornadic thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out
of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1100 PM CDT for east central
Kansas.
&&
LAT...LON 3856 9551 3866 9551 3872 9534 3856 9533
TIME...MOT...LOC 0013Z 262DEG 20KT 3861 9544
$$
KSC059-140030-
/O.CON.KTOP.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-260414T0030Z/
Franklin-
713 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 730 PM CDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY...
At 713 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located over Pomona, moving
east at 25 mph.
HAZARD...Damaging tornado and two inch hail.
SOURCE...Weather spotters confirmed tornado south of Quenemo.
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.
Locations impacted include...
Centropolis and Pomona.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
To repeat, a tornado is on the ground. 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 3856 9551 3866 9551 3872 9534 3856 9533
TIME...MOT...LOC 0013Z 262DEG 20KT 3861 9544
TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.00 IN
$$
JonesWhat 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 Topeka, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 13, 5:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Red Flag Warning in north-central KS this afternoon and evening. A very high fire danger. -Storms could impact far eastern KS Tuesday evening, bringing a threat for severe weather. -Additional storm chances occur Wednesday and again Friday, with more uncertainty on timing/location. -Cooler weather expected this weekend. Possible freeze and frost early Sunday morning.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 13, 5:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Topeka KS 522 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Red Flag Warning in north-central KS this afternoon and evening. A very high fire danger. -Storms could impact far eastern KS Tuesday evening, bringing a threat for severe weather. -Additional storm chances occur Wednesday and again Friday, with more uncertainty on timing/location. -Cooler weather expected this weekend. Possible freeze and frost early Sunday morning. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 140 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026 Early this afternoon, water vapor satellite imagery showed an upper level trough extending from the Great Basin southwest into southern CA. Broad southwesterly mid level flow of 40 to to 50 KTS was noted from the base of the Southwest US trough, extending northeast across the Plains, then northeast across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes States. A broad upper level ridge was centered off the FL coast across the eastern Gulf. At the surface, an area of low pressure was located across the northeast NE. A warm front extended east northeast across southern MN. A dryline extended west-southwest across eastern NE, to the far western counties of the CWA, into western OK. Winds ahead of the dryline were south-southwesterly at 15 to 25 MPH and gusts to 40 MPH. West of the dryline, winds veered more to the southwest and dewpoints have dropped down into the mid 30s to lower 40s. This afternoon and Tonight: The dryline will move east to a Washington, to Clay center, to Abilene line late this afternoon. Most CAM soundings do not show much of cap but weak confluence along the dryline will not be enough surface convergence to develop thunderstorms. The 3 KM NAM is showing sfc based storms developing across north central OK late this afternoon, which may develop northeastward during the evening hours but most other CAMs do not show any convection developing along the dryline across the CWA. If isolated storms were able to develop ahead of the dryline they would become severe with wind and hail as the primary hazard given MLCAPES around 2000 J/kg and 35 KTS of effective shear. The low level winds may be too veered for a tornado threat. but the probability for storms is below 14 percent across much of the eastern counties of the CWA. But I may place a 15 percent chance in Anderson county in case the 3K NAM is accurate with dryline storms building northeast up towards the southeast counties. Later shifts may need to update this forecast. Tonight, as the LLJ increases to 40 to 50 KTS across east central KS, I cannot rule out a few elevated storms across portions of east central KS but most of the CAMs do not show storms developing late Tonight into early Tuesday morning. Tuesday through Wednesday night: The upper trough across the southwest US will fill as it lifts northeast across the Plains Wednesday night. Tuesday, the dryline will move east across the central part of the CWA. There will not be as much QG forcing, since the H5 trough will still be farther west across UT/AZ. The surface shows more confluence along the dryline, so most of the area will remain dry. Most CAMs develop surface based storms across northern OK/south central KS and these storms may move northeast along across east central KS. The primary hazards will be large hail and damaging wind gusts but any discrete supercell may spawn a few tornadoes. However, the low-level wind fields looks to be veered, so the chances are much lower. Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday night will provide a better chance for thunderstorms as the H5 trough shifts east into the Plains. DCVA ahead of the trough axis will provide for stronger ascent. At the surface a cold front will shift southeast into the northern counties and dryline will push east across the southwest counties. Thunderstorms will develop along the front and possibly south along the dryline. Some of these storms may be severe with the primary hazards being large hail and damaging wind gusts. Through the evening hours a line of storms will congeal along the cold front, and the threat will become isolated damaging wind gusts. The front should push southeast of the CWA during the early morning hours of Thursday. Thursday through Thursday night: Early Thursday, an upper level trough will move onshore across the Pacific northwest and dig southeast into the Great Basin. We may see a break from any thunderstorms as the Pacific front will push east into western MO. Frontolysis will occur through the afternoon hours and westerly winds will diminish and become southerly through Thursday night. Friday through Sunday: The extended range models are in fair agreement. The GFS is a bit more progressive and maybe more favorable for severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours.The H5 trough across the Great Basin will dig east-southeast across the central Rockies, then across the Plains Friday night into Saturday Morning. A cold front will push southeast across the northern High plains, then southeast across NE through the day. A surface low and dryline across western KS will shift east. Thunderstorms will develop across central KS through the afternoon hour. If discrete thunderstorms develop within the warm sector where there will be sufficient vertical wind shear and instability for supercell thunderstorms. The hazards from supercell thunderstorms would be large hail, damaging wind gusts, and possibly a few tornadoes. It still remains uncertain if these discrete supercells will remain south of the area Friday afternoon. Though the slightly more progressive GFS solution would provide a better chance for supercell thunderstorms developing ahead of the cold front/dryline during the afternoon hours before the storms congeal into a squall line. The slower ECMWF solution shows most storms developing ahead of the cold front during the mid and late evening hours. If a line of storms develop the the primary hazard would be isolated damaging wind gusts along the squall line. The cold front will move southeast of the CWA during the morning hours of Saturday and the rain and thunderstorms will shift east of the area. We will see a cool down by the weekend with highs in the mid 50s north to lower 60s south. Highs Sunday will be in the lower to mid 60s. Low temperatures early Sunday morning may fall below freezing across the northern counties of the CWA with mid 30s across much of the area. Therefore, a freeze warning and frost of advisory may be needed Saturday night into Sunday morning. An H5 ridge will move towards the Plains next week, which will cause temperatres to warm into the 70s on Monday and the 80s by the middle of next week. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 520 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026 VFR at all TAF sites through the TAF period with gusty southerly wind. Some thunderstorms have developed down near Emporia, but confidence in these making it into the Topeka area are too low right now to place any mention in the TAF. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 340 AM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026 While green up of vegetation is underway, a Red Flag Warning will continue across north-central KS, where gusty winds and low RH will combine to create extreme fire danger. Dew points are forecast to drop this afternoon in this area as a dryline moves east. Minimum RH behind the dryline could quickly fall to around 20 percent. South-southwest winds will be sustained at 15 to 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 mph throughout the afternoon. Similar conditions will be in place behind the dryline (mainly in central KS) on Tuesday, with minimum RH between 20 and 25 percent and continued gusty south-southwest winds. Fire headlines are not currently anticipated Tuesday. However, at this time the Range Land Fire Index has only a very high fire danger for north central KS. All Burning should be postponed through midweek. && .TOP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Red Flag Warning until 9 PM CDT this evening for KSZ008-KSZ020- KSZ034. && DISCUSSION...Gargan AVIATION...Jones FIRE WEATHER...Gargan/Teefey
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 13, 2:32 PM CDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Topeka KS 232 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026 KSZ008>012-020>024-026-034>040-054>056-058-059-141945- Republic-Washington-Marshall-Nemaha-Brown-Cloud-Clay-Riley- Pottawatomie-Jackson-Jefferson-Ottawa-Dickinson-Geary-Morris- Wabaunsee-Shawnee-Douglas-Lyon-Osage-Franklin-Coffey-Anderson- 232 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Kansas, east central Kansas, north central Kansas, and northeast Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Red Flag Warning through 9 PM. A few isolated severe thunderstorms may occur across the far southeast counties early this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday There is a chance for severe thunderstorms Tuesday through Wednesday night. Then again Friday and Friday night. The primary threats will be hail and wind. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... 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 13, 5:57 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
557 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0558 PM Hail 4 W Reading 38.51N 96.02W
04/13/2026 E1.25 Inch Lyon KS Trained Spotter
&&
FlanaganLocal storm report, Apr 13, 6:00 PM CDT, 58 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
600 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0558 PM Hail 4 W Reading 38.52N 96.03W
04/13/2026 E1.75 Inch Lyon KS Storm Chaser
&&
FlanaganLocal storm report, Apr 13, 6:14 PM CDT, 44 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
614 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0605 PM Hail 1 W Reading 38.52N 95.97W
04/13/2026 E2.00 Inch Lyon KS Public
Report from mPING: Hen Egg (2.00 in.).
&&
FlanaganLocal storm report, Apr 13, 6:30 PM CDT, 28 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
630 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0630 PM Hail 5 S Osage City 38.56N 95.83W
04/13/2026 E2.00 Inch Osage KS Storm Chaser
&&
FlanaganLocal storm report, Apr 13, 6:32 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
632 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0632 PM Hail 1 S Lyndon 38.60N 95.68W
04/13/2026 E1.25 Inch Osage KS Trained Spotter
&&
FlanaganLocal storm report, Apr 13, 6:37 PM CDT, 21 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Topeka KS
637 PM CDT Mon Apr 13 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM Hail Lyndon 38.61N 95.69W
04/13/2026 E1.25 Inch Osage KS Emergency Mngr
&&
FlanaganThe office that day
Everything else NWS Topeka, KS issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 13, 1:48 AM CDT | Red Flag Warning | TOP | Cloud, Ottawa, Republic | 19 hr |
| Apr 13, 4:53 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Morris | 37 min |
| Apr 13, 5:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon | 53 min |
| Apr 13, 5:47 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | TOP | Wabaunsee | 28 min |
| Apr 13, 5:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon, Osage | 63 min |
| Apr 13, 6:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon, Morris, Wabaunsee | 37 min |
| Apr 13, 6:38 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Osage | 37 min |
| Apr 13, 6:46 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | TOP | Lyon | 29 min |
| Apr 13, 6:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Douglas, Franklin, Osage | 54 min |
| Apr 13, 6:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TOP | Lyon, Osage, Wabaunsee | 35 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; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.