LIVE BLOG: KS storms bring large hail, heavy rain, strong winds
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for southeastern Elk and Chautauqua counties until 11 p.m. This line of storms could produce 60 mph gusts and quarter size hail as it moves to the east.
Harper and Sumner counties are the only ones left in the Severe Thunderstorm Watch. This remains in effect through 10 p.m.
Storm Team 12 says Severe Thunderstorm Watches have been canceled for Harvey, Kingman, Marion and Sedgwick Counties.
Watches remain in effect for Harper, Sumner, Cowley, Butler, Chase, Morris, Geary, Lyon, Greenwood, Elk and Chautauqua Counties.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for south central and southeastern Kansas until 10 p.m..
Tonight, the best chances for storms will be in central and eastern Kansas late in the afternoon (about 4 p.m.) into the early evening (around 9 p.m.). By 9 p.m., these storms will move out of our area, into eastern Kansas.
These storms could become strong to severe at times, with a few tornadoes possible, large hail (up to about ping pong ball to golf ball size), and damaging winds (60-70 mph).
Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon from Kansas City to Wichita southward into Oklahoma.
The latest surface and upper air data continues to suggest severe storms will develop after 4 P.M. with a high chance of large hail (1"-2.5") and damaging wind gusts (60-70 m.p.h.) with the strongest storms.
The Storm Prediction Center has also increased the risk of a few tornadoes in the Enhanced Risk area, which includes Wichita and south-central Kansas.
Keep an eye to the sky and have a plan is severe weather approaches later this afternoon/evening.
Severe storms yesterday afternoon moved across central Kansas overnight producing a variety of severe weather.
No major damage was reported, however large hail, wind gusts as high as 70 m.p.h. and a few tornadoes were reported across western Kansas.
Some of the largest hail fell across Rawlings and Gove Counties, where baseball hail (2.75") was reported. A landspout and several funnel clouds were reported in Decatur and Sheridan counties (NW-Kansas), another landspout was reported in Finney County, while a funnel cloud was also reported in Seward County (SW-Kansas).
A brief tornado was observed near north of Syracuse. Across south-central Kansas damaging winds and hail became more prominent. An estimated wind gust to 70 m.p.h. was reported in near Udall, with a 51 m.p.h. wind gust reported at the airport in El Dorado.
Minor roof damage was reported to the hospital in Harper as winds gusted to an estimated 60 m.p.h.
Heavy rain and flooding are the main remaining threats for most of western Kansas as a large batch of storms that popped up this evening roll into central and south central Kansas. The good news for people in south central Kansas is that we're not expecting the large hail threat.
Pockets of strong winds of 60 to 65 mph are reported in Harper and Kingman counties. These wind-powered storms are expected to reach the Wichita area by about 11 p.m.
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Storms continue to trek east into central and south central Kansas with severe thunderstorm warnings now issued for Barton Rice, Reno, Harper and Kingman counties.
We're looking at torrential rain and strong wind as the main threats with some small hail is also possible.
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A tornado warning in Hamilton County remains in effect until 9:45 p.m. This warning now includes part of Kearney County. A brief, land-spout tornado was reported north of Syracuse with another warning in effect until 9:15. The tornado warning for Thomas County has been allowed to expire.
Hail in the Quinter area is causing trouble for traffic on Interstate 70.
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A tornado warning for Thomas County does not include Colby. This storm is east of town, moving east. We are receiving some minor damage reports that include windows broken by hail in Colby.
We're also following reports of wind damage in Dodge City including a shed carried by winds out of a yard on the south side of town.
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The tornado warning impacting the Quinter area in Gove County has been allowed to expire. There are reports of approximate baseball-sized hail about four miles west of Quinter.
Severe thunderstorm warnings throughout western Kansas remain in effect through at least 9:30 p.m.
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People in the Quinter should take cover due to the report of a rotating wall cloud. There is a tornado warning in effect for Gove County. The tornado warning for Deacatur County also remains in effect.
A storm north of Colby is gaining strength and could produce hail of larger than golf-ball size.
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A new tornado warning for Decatur County includes an area along Highway 36 and the town of Oberlin. There have been no reports of a tornado with this storm. The tornado warning is in effect until 8:30 p.m.
Storms moving east from Dodge City include heavy rainfall and hail of about quarter-sized. Similar storms have developed in the Garden City area.
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A tornado warning is issued for northwest Decatur County with rotation showing up on radar. There is no confirmation of a tornado with this storm. The warning is in effect until at least 8 p.m.
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Several counties in western Kansas (north and south) are in severe thunderstorm warnings.
A storm impacting Rawlins County is capable of producing up to golf-ball-sized hail.
One of the strongest storms on radar moved through the Liberal area, dropping hail a little more than quarter-sized. Other strong thunderstorms south of Dodge City could bring intense rain to town.
Large hail is still well to the south of Dodge City.
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A new severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for eastern Meade, Clark ans southern Ford counties until 7:45 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm about 12 miles southeast of Fowler is moving north at about 35 mph.
A new severe thunderstorm warning is also in effect for Rawlins County until 7:30 p.m. Storms tracking north and east continue to carry primary threats of hail and strong winds.
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Severe thunderstorm warnings are now popping up in western Kansas, issued for Haskell, Meade, Seward, Rawlins, Finney, Gray and Decatur counties.
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The day's first severe thunderstorm warning is for Beaver, Okla., just south of the Kansas border, a little south and east of Liberal in Seward County, Kan. The potentially strong storm is heading north toward Kismet. As of 6 p.m., there are no warnings in Kansas, but most of W. Kansas is in a severe thunderstorm watch as more storms are expected to develop over the next couple hours. The primary threats these storms will carry are the strong winds and large hail.
Storms are expected to reach central Kansas about 9 p.m. and could be to the Hutchinson and Wichita areas by about 11 p.m.
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Chief Meteorologist Ross Janssen says that severe storms will develop through the early evening hours across western Kansas and then move east. Storms will produce large hail and strong winds early on, but late in the evening (after 10 p.m.), the main threat will be damaging wind gusts of 60-70 mph.
Storms will reach central Kansas between 9 and 10 p.m., and won't get to Hutch or Wichita until 11 p.m. or midnight. Main concern when storms arrive in south central Kansas will be strong wind gusts and heavy rains.
Saturday morning will be cooling down in western Kansas with highs in the 60s and 70s. Another round of storms will develop east of I-135 Saturday evening. The main threats will again be large hail and wind gusts over 60 mph. We expect the severe weather threat to diminish late Saturday night.
Sunday should be quieting down for most of the state.
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The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the following Kansas counties: Barber; Clark; Comanche; Edwards; Ellis; Finney; Ford; Gove; Grant; Gray; Greeley; Hamilton; Haskell; Hodgeman; Kearny; Kiowa; Lane; Logan; Meade; Morton; Ness; Pawnee; Pratt; Rush; Scott; Seward; Stafford; Stanton; Stevens; Trego; Wallace; Wichita until 10 p.m.
Storm Team 12 expects storms to start popping up in western Kansas between 6 and 7 p.m. Hail, wind and isolated tornadoes are possible with these storms.
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Meteorologist Mark Larson says gusty winds will crank-up and strong storms will roll across Kansas Friday. The best chance for severe will be this evening and we've issued a Storm Team 12 Weather Alert due to the threats of large hail and damaging winds. More strong storms will also be possible late Saturday across central and eastern Kansas.
Friday will be breezy and humid with highs in the mid 80s to near 90, except for northwest Kansas, under a partly cloudy sky.
Look for scattered strong to severe storms to to fire-up Friday evening across western Kansas, then push eastward overnight. Large hail and high winds will all be threats until about midnight.
A weak cold front will plow across Kansas Saturday bringing more storms. Large hail, high winds and locally heavy rainfall will all be late day and early evening threats for the eastern half of our state. Saturday's highs will range from near 70 northwest to the lower 90s for southeastern Kansas.
Behind the front Sunday skies will clear, it'll be storm-free, and high temps will fall into the 70s to near 80 degrees.
WICHITA AREA FORECAST:
Today: Partly cloudy, breezy. Wind: SE 10-20; gusty. High: 88.
Tonight: Increasing clouds, storms late. Wind: SE 10-20. Low: 68.
Tomorrow: Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy, strong storms after 5 p.m. Wind: SE 15-25; gusty. High: 91.
Tomorrow night: Early evening storms then mostly cloudy. Wind: SE/NW 10-20. Low: 60.
Sun: High: 80 Mostly to partly cloudy. Late night storms.
Mon: High: 83 Low: 62 Mostly cloudy.
Tue: High: 87 Low: 65 Mostly cloudy, p.m. storms.
Wed: High: 86 Low: 67 Mostly to partly cloudy.
Thu: High: 89 Low: 69 Partly cloudy.
Fri: High: 92 Low: 71 Mostly sunny.
