During the late afternoon, and into the evening, numerous thunderstorms formed over Northwest Kansas in the vicinity of a sharpening dryline. One of them produced hail up to baseball size over and near Goodland.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
During the late afternoon, and into the evening, numerous thunderstorms formed over Northwest Kansas in the vicinity of a sharpening dryline. One of them produced hail up to baseball size over and near Goodland. This same storm also produced wind gusts over 80 mph at the Goodland airport. The storm near Goodland produced a brief tornado southwest of Edson as it merged with another storm. As thunderstorms moved eastward, they continued to produce straight-line winds across Thomas, Sheridan, Graham, Norton, and Gove counties. Over 40 power poles were snapped in Sheridan County, and a machine shed north of Hoxie sustained damage. Dust storm conditions were reported on the south edge of the thunderstorm activity as the storms moved east over northern Gove 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 16, 2:10 PM MST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Goodland KS 310 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of the Tri- State area this afternoon and evening. Large hail up to 3 inches and damaging wind gusts up to 80 mph are the main hazards. A few tornadoes and blowing dust are also possible. - Sunday-Monday, more severe weather is expected during the afternoon and evening hours. All hazards are possible, and will generally favor northern portions of the area. - Critical fire weather conditions are possible Sunday and Monday. - Blowing dust will be possible with severe storms. Blowing dust may also occur Monday with wind gusts nearing 50 mph for those who do not receive rain over the weekend. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 1225 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026 Current satellite observations show a large upper trough over the Western Unites States and Rocky Mountains. At the surface, low pressure has setup over the Panhandles region, but extends towards the Central Plains and Front Range. With this, we continue to have both upper level and lower level support for storms. Early morning storms that formed along an initial convergence zone or dryline along I-70 are beginning to dissipate as they move north into an environment that is a little less unstable that the southern and eastern areas. These early morning storms are not forecast to make much of a difference in the later storms or prevent them from being strong. One of the bigger changes is that the convergence zone that was forecast to be around Highway 40 and I-70 is less likely to be in place and spark storms. This appears to be due to the low broadening and having less of a wind convergence zone setup. Still, there could be some weak convergence or a weak dryline that could still ignite some storms that would be more likely to be solo and/or supercellular. If these do form, it would likely be near I-70 between 2-4pm MT. Overall chance is around 30%. The main hazard when these storms first form would be very large hail around 1-3 inches in size and maybe a tornado. Otherwise, we are still on track for storms to form between 1-3pm MT in Eastern Colorado along an area of surface convergence and moisture convergence. These storms would likely form into a line fairly quickly near the Western Yuma and Kit Carson county borders and push east. While the instability and available moisture should be lesser to start, enough should be present for large hail to form. As it becomes more of a line and moves east into better moisture, the risk for tornadoes and strong outflow/cold pool winds increases. The issue with this is that it would likely become a QLCS, making the hazardous wind gusts more widespread and making any tornadoes hard to see. As we get into the late afternoon and evening hours, the storms should push east through the area. If both areas form, they should begin to merge together close to Highway 25. There could be some strong supercells if the first cluster form in NW Kansas and isn't quickly overtaken by the line from Colorado. Be alert for the potential for very large hail and maybe a strong tornado if this occurs. Otherwise, the cluster and line should sweep through the area north of I-70, producing large hail, plenty of wind gusts above 60 mph (maybe pushing 80-90 mph), and a tornado or two. The majority of the storms should move out of the area by midnight central time. There may still be additional storms that develop with the 500mb trough remaining upstream and outflows from earlier storms, but the threats should be much lower. We may be able to get some marginal severe weather out of any lingering storms. Otherwise, temperatures should remain in the 50s and 60s with moisture continuing to wrap around the low and into the area. This could also allow for some fog to develop mainly along the Nebraska border closer to sunrise. Tomorrow, the upper trough axis is forecast to near more of the Four Corners region, though ensemble guidance suggests that it may lag a bit further to the west. This could give the area another round of severe weather, similar to Saturday with little change in the environment. The further south and west the surface low is dragged, the less the area will be filled with dry air and the more instability we will have for storms. If the low does move more into or over the area, we would instead run the risk of some critical fire weather conditions due to the dry air and with wind gusts nearing 25-30 mph. In this case, the severe weather coverage would be confined again to the northern portions of the area. Should the severe weather develop, it will likely follow a similar time table of starting around 2-4pm MT near the Tri-State border area. The storms are then forecast to push east/northeast, which may be the difference of the storms leaving the area instead of pushing across. All hazards would again be possible. The other area we would be watching is along the dryline if it is in our area. Storms are forecast to fire up east of the dryline and push east, again with all hazards. Likely, this would only impact those east of Highway 83, if at all. Regardless of which/any storm activity that forms, the severe threat should end close to 9pm-12am CT as the low diffuses and the support wanes (as long as there are not a bunch of outflow boundaries in the area). One thing to be wary of both days is the potential for blowing dust along the leading edge of storm outflow. The area has still been somewhat dry, with dust likely to kick up if winds gust above 50 mph. This could lead to brownout conditions, especially ahead of any organized line of storms. The threat may be lessened Sunday if Saturday's storms due cluster enough to provide areas with an inch or two of rain. Monday, the upper trough axis is forecast to begin pushing east into the Plains while also broadening. This should begin to push the moisture and the surface low off to the east. With this, the chance and risk for severe weather should lower across the area. This doesn't mean we will be in the clear, as those east of Highway 83 still have some risk if the trough does not push east fast enough. But ensemble guidance is favoring a fast progression so the chances are now on the lower side. The issue is that it will increase the winds as a colder air mass will then begin to push in from the northwest. With a stronger pressure gradient, winds could reach 15-30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph. This poses a problem both for fire weather conditions and blowing dust. If the dry air moves in fast enough or gets pulled further north, critical fire weather conditions could develop as RH lowers into the teens. If we do not get much in the form of rain over the weekend, then blowing dust may occur with the strong winds. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... Issued at 1216 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026 Tuesday is cooler in the wake of a cold frontal passage. High temperatures are expected in the upper 50s to upper 60s. Our region is forecast to be under a southwest upper-level flow as a trough develops west of the Rocky Mountains throughout the week. Overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, there is around a 40% chance of showers for the northwest county warning area (CWA). Conditions remain cool Wednesday and Thursday with high temperatures forecast in the 60s. Southwest upper-level flow will persist through the week supporting chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Probability of Precipitation (PoPs) are around 30-40% for the CWA. Ensembles are in disagreement on when the aforementioned trough ejects eastward and takes us out of the persistent southwest flow, but it will likely move on after Friday. A slight warming trend begins Friday with high temperatures forecast in the 70s for Friday and 80s for Sunday. Chances for showers and thunderstorms remain for Friday through Saturday with PoPs around 20-30% for the eastern CWA as several shortwaves pass through the area. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 1121 AM MDT Sat May 16 2026 For KGLD... VFR conditions are forecast through the period. There is a 20-30% chance that storms may form near or over the terminal between 22-02Z. If these storms form, they could be severe with large hail and wind gusts over 50 kts. After 03Z, the storm threat should end and winds shift to out of the southeast. There may be some brief low level wind shear at 200ft with winds potentially switching to out of the south at speeds around 40 kts. Finally, there is a low chance for fog and/or low ceilings below 3000ft after 12Z. Keep an eye on the weather as KGLD is close to a fair amount of hazards the next 24 hours. For KMCK... VFR conditions are forecast through about 10-12Z when some lower ceilings around 1000ft and fog are possible. Before that, a line of storms is expected to move through the terminal, likely producing wind gusts above 40-50 kts. The current forecast time is 02Z, but could be anywhere between 00-04Z. Once the storms pass, there may be some brief low level wind shear around 200-400ft as winds shift to be more from the south and try to reach 40 kts. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...None. CO...None. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...KAK LONG TERM...Rhoades AVIATION...KAK
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Goodland KS 311 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-172115- Yuma-Kit Carson-Cheyenne CO-Cheyenne KS-Rawlins-Decatur-Norton- Sherman-Thomas-Sheridan-Graham-Wallace-Logan-Gove-Greeley-Wichita- Dundy-Hitchcock-Red Willow- 311 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026 /411 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026/ This hazardous weather outlook is for extreme southwest Nebraska... northwest Kansas and east central Colorado. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for most of the Tri-State area. 1 to 3 inch hail, 60 to 80 MPH winds, blowing dust, and tornadoes are possible. Damage to life and property is possible from severe storms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... Severe storms are possible Sunday and Monday afternoons. 1 to 3 inch hail, 60 to 80 MPH winds, blowing dust, and tornadoes are possible. Damage to life and property is possible from severe storms. Prolonged critical fire weather conditions are possible Sunday and Monday afternoons, mainly along and southeast of a line from Norton, KS to Cheyenne Wells, CO. Rapid wildfire growth is possible during this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Goodland KS
126 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
KSZ002-161845-
Rawlins KS-
126 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN RAWLINS COUNTY
THROUGH 145 PM CDT...
At 125 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles southeast of Atwood, moving northeast at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
This storm will remain over mainly rural areas of southeastern
Rawlins County.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3962 10109 3971 10111 3984 10094 3985 10075
3962 10075
TIME...MOT...LOC 1825Z 227DEG 15KT 3971 10095
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
JRMThe Goodland radar (KGLD), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:31 UTC.
39 thunderstorm wind, 17 hail, 1 tornado, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail report sizes across town ranged from quarter, to golfball, to baseball.
Hail report sizes ranged from half-dollar, to hen egg, to baseball.
Report courtesy of spotter network.
Report from mPing.
Courtesy of spotter network.
Courtesy of spotter network.
Received several reports of large hail across Goodland from several different sources. Hail diameter sizes ranged from half-dollar, to golfball, to hen egg, to nearly tennis ball.
Reported hail sizes ranged from ping-pong to nearly baseball.
Two-inch diameter hail measured at the National Weather Service office.
Measured 2.4 inch diameter hail. The hailstone had been lying on the ground for a few minutes before measurement.
Courtesy of the Sheriff's office.
Report from mPing.
Brief tornado occurred in a field one mile southwest of Edson. No damage occurred, and the tornado was stationary.
Measured by a personal weather station. Gusts ranged from 64 to 71 mph.
Reported by an off-duty NWS employee.
Measured at Goodland Municipal Airport.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Social media report of a damaged stand-alone shed.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Report from mPing.
Courtesy of spotter network.
Measured by a personal weather station. Gusts ranged from 62 to 75 mph.
There were a handful of severe wind gusts in Colby measured by personal weather stations. Gusts ranged from 59 to 73 mph.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Spotter network report of wind gusts between 80 and 84 mph, with a few gusts reaching 85 mph.
A wall of dust reported on social media moving eastward ahead of the precipitation. Visibility fell to zero for a few minutes. The worst visibility was across the northern part of the county.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Large, one to three inch diameter tree limbs blown down.
Report from mPing.
Measured at the Oberlin Municipal Airport.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Photos of two to four and one-half inch diameter live tree limbs down at an I-70 rest area.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Thunderstorm winds blew off parts of a tin roof that had been repaired a few years earlier. The roof was nailed down. The tin roof was blown into a nearby electric pole, causing it to break a foot off the ground. A metal sign and post was blown off its anchor near the hospital. Three large healthy branches from a Black Locust tree, about 12 inches in diameter, blown down on property. Various other large branches broken across town with diameter of 6-12 inches. The fuel station sign at Hwy 24 and 23 intersection was blown out. A 5'x8' enclosed trailer was rolled onto its side on the west side of town.
A nearly new, but empty grain bin, was ripped off its foundation and crumpled about 40 yards away. The top of the bin was in a field across the road.
Six power poles snapped near the base between CR 70N and CR 60N.
An empty grain bin, with brackets bolting the bin to the foundation, was blown off the foundation and into another bin. Top of the bin was blown about 100 yards to the east.
Two large, healthy cedar trees uprooted.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Large cedar tree limbs in wind break were broken. There was damage done to gutters on the house, which may have been due to the limb hitting the gutters. A small tower for internet was bent over the nearby garage. A small unanchored grain bin used for storage was blown off the foundation. An irrigation engine on a stand was tipped over.
Measured by a personal weather station.
An old grain bin was removed from its foundation. A wire enclosed pen was tossed against a grain bin. Destroyed an unanchored chicken coop with several baby chicks killed. An empty grain wagon knocked over onto its side.
An irrigation pivot was blown over and had metal from an unknown building tangled in it.
Irrigation pivot overturned.
Irrigation pivot blown over.
Irrigation pivot overturned.
Spotter network report of 55 to 60 mph winds, with a few 65 mph gusts.
Twenty seven power poles where snapped off along this line segment on CR 10E. These poles were still in somewhat new condition. The total number of poles snapped across the county was 45. Nearly all of the poles across the county were laying to the east.
Steel beams and part of the metal roof were ripped off a machine shed. The roof ended up about a mile to the east. Three steel beams were missing, with two beams twisted. Steel beams were also torn off the anchoring on the south side of the building. A grain auger and light weight trailers were blown over. Empty fertilizer tanks were also blown over. The top of one of the grain bins was dented in on the west side. A 14'x20' calf shed was destroyed and blown over 120 yards to the east. A west facing garage door was blown inward and ripped off its track. An anchored wooden swing set was blown over.
Seven snapped poles over a quarter mile distance.
Irrigation pivot blown over.
Measured by a personal weather station.
Occurred along Highway 383 between Keith Sebelius Lake and Clayton.
Measured at the Hill City Municipal Airport. Gusts ranged from 68 to 86 mph.
Photo of a large rest stop sign bent.
Two separate reports of dust storm conditions along the south edge of the thunderstorm behind the outflow boundary winds of the thunderstorm. One report was from Grinnell, the other was from Grainfield.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kansas, 2026Warnings in Kansas, May 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: 1336441, 1336442, 1336444, 1336445, 1336446, 1336447, 1336472, 1336478, 1336451, 1336454, 1336467, 1336480, 1325176, 1336474, 1336471, 1336475, 1336481, 1336477, 1336482, 1336479, 1336483, 1336484, 1336491, 1336486, 1336490, 1336492, 1336493, 1325180, 1336494, 1337762, 1336852, 1336853, 1336496, 1336497, 1336498, 1337769, 1337836, 1337858, 1337867, 1337868, and more.