Beneficial rainfall supported gradually improving drought conditions across much of northwest Kansas in June. D2 Severe Drought impacted Cheyenne, Rawlins, and Thomas counties the first day of the month, with improvement noted thereafter.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS GLD wrote it up.
Beneficial rainfall supported gradually improving drought conditions across much of northwest Kansas in June. D2 Severe Drought impacted Cheyenne, Rawlins, and Thomas counties the first day of the month, with improvement noted thereafter. D2 Severe Drought impacted Graham county through the 8th, with improvement thereafter. D2 Severe Drought impacted Sheridan and Gove counties through the 22nd, with improvement thereafter. D2 Severe Drought impacted the southern halves of Greeley and Wichita counties through the 29th, with improvement thereafter. Finally, D2 Severe Drought to D3 Extreme Drought impacted Decatur and Norton counties the entire month. Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from a little over one inch over western portions of Greeley county, to about ten inches over north-central Gove and south-central Thomas counties. Normal monthly precipitation amounts range from about two and one-half inches over western Greeley county, to about three and one-half inches over northeast Norton county.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 11:17 PM CST, 43 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 1117 PM MDT Sun May 31 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Monday there is a slight risk for severe storms in the afternoon and evening for the entire area. Supercells will be possible, capable of producing large hail, damaging winds and blowing dust, and perhaps a tornado. - Storm chances continue through much of the week. Severe weather is possible Tuesday. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 1223 PM MDT Sun May 31 2026 Current observations show a large, negatively tilted upper trough over the Western CONUS and High Plains with slight ridging over the south. There is also broad low pressure located along much of the Plains. With this, skies have been clearing and mostly sunny skies are forecast for the remainder of the day. Winds should stay light from the north while temperatures steadily warm towards the 80s. This evening and into tonight, the upper trough axis is forecast to lift north while keeping the area in the southwest flow aloft. With this, some mid-level moisture is forecast to move over the area and increase cloud cover. There is also the chance that some sprinkles/showers will try and form, but dry low levels should keep the chances for anything measurable below 10%. Otherwise, temperatures should drop into the 50s underneath a mix of clear and cloudy skies. Monday, the lifting upper trough axis is forecast to spin in place over the Northwest CONUS more as a low. This will keep the Tri-State area under southwest flow aloft, while allowing lower surface pressure to build just to the west of the area. Between a combination of ridging trying to amplify in the south and low level flow from the southeast, both warmer temperatures (highs reach the 90s for most of the area) and increased low level moisture is forecast. With the warm temperatures and increased moisture availability, storms are forecast to fire up over the area during the afternoon and evening hours. The current forecast has a couple of zones of interest. The first is the usual higher terrain in Eastern Colorado. This zone looks to be more likely to produce storms and then bring them east into and through the area. The other is convergence zones along the leading edge of the surface low. Guidance is a bit more split on this for two reasons. One, the low may be more broad which would limit the strength of the convergence. Two, in spite of increasing moisture, we still may be too dry and end up capped until later storms move through. If the convergence on the low does set up, then storms would likely fire in the area. The favored zone is near I-70. The convergence zones would give the area an earlier start time around 2-4pm MT / 3-5pm CT. Otherwise, we would have to wait until around 5-7pm MT / 6-8pm CT just for the storms to reach Eastern Colorado. It is worth mentioning that if storms don't form over the area, there is another possibility of outflow from storms closer to the Panhandle Region racing north and also providing a spark for storms. These storms would have a chance to be severe, especially with 0-6km shear around 45-50 kts supporting supercells and downshear vectors around 50-55 kts supporting wind gusts of 60-70 mph. The main inhibitor is currently forecast to be the instability, with MUCAPE forecast between 750-2000 J/kg. If the instability is truly on the lower side, then storms would probably end up cycling and clustering which would lower the potential for higher end hazards. For now, messaging hail around 0.5-2", wind gusts 45-65 mph (maybe 75 mph), a tornado or two, and some blowing dust. The entire area is at an equal threat for the hazards for now. If we advect in more moisture and raise dewpoints more into the mid to upper 50s, the hazards would become stronger. Getting into the late evening and overnight hours, storms may continue through the night with little change in the upper or surface pattern. With moisture continuing to advect in, there would be no shortage of fuel for storms. The main question is if there will be enough synoptic forcing or enough storm outflows to produce the continued storms. If the storms do continue, there is a risk for flooding and maybe even some flash flooding. The overall chance looks to be about 20%. Otherwise, with the storms lingering and little change in the pattern, winds should remain from the southeast around 10-15 mph with temperatures in the 50s and 60s. The cooler temperatures are more likely in the west where skies may clear out. Tuesday the upper low is forecast to lift a little more to the north, while still keeping troughing over the Western CONUS and the Tri-State area under southwest flow aloft. The surface pattern isn't forecast to be too different either with lower pressure still to the west of the area and southeast flow at the surface. The main difference for the daytime hours is that mostly cloudy skies are forecast for most of the day Tuesday. So in spite of the ridge in the south trying to amplify, temperatures are currently forecast to be cooler in the 80s. As for storms, the low being shifted back a bit further west are increasing the chance that storms would form west of the area and have to move into the area. This would lead to a later start time, with storms mainly during the evening hours. There is also the chance that the area is stable enough from the prior day's storms and Tuesday's cloud cover to inhibit storms for most of the area. Otherwise, marginal severe hazards are possible with MUCAPE around 1000 J/kg and effective shear lower around 25-35 kts. There could be more flooding concerns if storms cluster over an area that received heavy rain the prior day. The nighttime hours could see storms continue into the night with plenty of moisture remaining. With the storms and cloud cover, lows should be in the 50s and 60s again. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Issued at 117 PM MDT Sun May 31 2026 For the extended period of the week, Wednesday there is a weak ridge that is sandwiched between two lows. The low pressure system to the northwest of the ridge, will kick out some shortwave disturbances that will bring precipitation chances to the region. Then the upper flow transitions to more zonal flow. As next weekend approaches, the upper pattern begins to change. There are signs of a trough that moves into the area from the Pacific Northwest. Guidance has been showing the high temperatures to be in the mid 80s to low 90s for the majority of this period. The lows are forecast to be in the 50-60s range. Winds look to remain relatively calm and from the south to southeast. The only outlier in this is Wednesday where temperatures hangout in the mid to low 80s. However, the lows remain in the 50 to 60 range. As for precipitation chances, the CWA is in the typical afternoon shower/storm chances in the afternoon/evening. Wednesday through Friday PoPs are in the 20-70% range. Saturday and Sunday's precipitation chances decrease to 10-30%. Each day is currently forecast to have atleast 1000 J/kg of SFC CAPE which would support storm development. As for severe potential, there is no strong signal for anything yet. However, different guidance outputs have suggested that the shortwave disturbances could be stronger. Also, more moisture could be advected in increasing more fuel for storms. && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1116 PM MDT Sun May 31 2026 .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1111 PM MDT Sun May 31 2026 Main aviation concern for both KGLD and KMCK for the period will be thunderstorm chances. Overnight, scattered showers and a few isolated thunderstorms may develop towards 12z and persist into Monday morning. Confidence is low in both development and coverage, so will not mention in the TAFs at this time. Later in the afternoon, thunderstorms will redevelop across the area with an upper level disturbance. These storms will have better coverage and will continue into the evening hours. Potential impacts to the terminals will be brief gusty winds and minor visibility reductions in rain. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...None. CO...None. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...KAK LONG TERM...KAK/Holdren AVIATION...024
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 957 AM MDT Sun May 31 2026 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-011600- Yuma-Kit Carson-Cheyenne CO-Cheyenne KS-Rawlins-Decatur-Norton- Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-Greeley-Wichita- Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 957 AM MDT Sun May 31 2026 /1057 AM CDT Sun May 31 2026/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... There is a chance for severe weather Monday and Tuesday afternoon and evening for the entire Tri State area. Possible hazards include large hail, damaging winds, blowing dust, and perhaps a tornado. Potential impacts include but are not limited to damage to vehicles from hail and damage to roofs, siding and trees from wind, as well as hazardous travel due to low visibility in blowing dust. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected today or tonight.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about three to seven inches, lowest over northeast portions of the county. These values are near average to about four inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about two and three-quarters of an inch.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about three to nine inches, lowest over northwest portions of the county. These values are near average to about six inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about three inches.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about three and one-half inches to ten inches, lowest over west-central portions of the county. These values are about one-half inch above average to seven inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about two and three-quarters of an inch.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about five to nine inches, lowest over southwest portions of the county. These values are about one and one-half inches above average to six inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about three inches.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about four and one-half inches to nine inches, highest over south-central portions of the county. These values are about one and one-half inches above average to six inches above average. Normal June precipitation is just under three inches.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about five and one-half inches to ten inches, highest over north-central portions of the county. These values are about three to seven inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county ranges from two and three-quarters of an inch to three and one-quarter of an inch.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about one and one-half inches to six inches, highest over northeast portions of the county. These values are about one inch below average to four inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is a little under three inches.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about three and one-half inches to eight inches, highest over southwest portions of the county. These values are about one-half inch to five inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county ranges from about two and one-half inches to a little over three inches.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about two and three-quarters of an inch to eight inches, highest over southeast portions of the county. These values are about one-half inch below average to five inches above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about three and one-quarter of an inch.
Monthly precipitation amounts ranged from about one to four inches, highest over central and southeast portions of the county. These values are about one and one-half inches below average to one inch above average. Normal June precipitation across the county is about two and three-quarters of an inch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, June 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1345507, 1345508, 1345509, 1345510, 1345511, 1345512, 1345514, 1345515, 1345516, 1345513.