Wichita, KS Hail Storm – April 2026

A severe hail storm moved through Wichita, KS on April 17, 2026, producing 3-inch stones and a sequence of spotter-verified and radar-detected alerts in the late afternoon. The event concluded before evening, with multiple NWS warnings issued for the metro.

What Happened

The first radar-detected hail signatures appeared in the early afternoon and prompted an initial NWS alert at 2:44 PM CDT. Dual-polarization radar indicated roughly 1.0-inch hail at that time. Two minutes later an NWS warning-only alert noted slightly larger values near the same track. Radar again detected stronger returns at 2:53 PM CDT consistent with 1.5-inch hail, and the warning area was updated through 3:37 PM CDT as the storm crossed the metro.

Spotter and public reports tracked hail growth as the storm matured. At 2:20 PM CDT a trained observer reported pea- to ping-pong-size hail. mPING submissions and local observers around 2:52–2:53 PM CDT relayed half-dollar-size stones. By mid- to late-afternoon, multiple spotter-verified submissions — including corrections filed from the 4 W Jet area — described much larger stones, with observers noting an estimated size closer to 3.25 inches in reports filed around 4:42 PM CDT and again near 5:09 PM CDT. A ground-level mPING entry at 3:41 PM CDT described golf-ball hail. The sequence shows a transition from small, frequent hail early in the event to larger, more isolated cores later in the storm track.

Damage Assessment

Surface impact varied across the Wichita metro. Spotter-verified observations from central and western sectors recorded accumulations of pea- to quarter-size hail on lawns and pavement during the 2:20–3:10 PM CDT window. A local fire department relay at 2:23 PM CDT noted mostly pea- to penny-size stones in their jurisdiction. Around 3:00 PM CDT, mPING and citizen submissions described quarter- to half-dollar coverage in scattered neighborhoods.

Later reports from 4:42 PM CDT and 5:09 PM CDT, attributed to spotters near the 4 W Jet area, estimated much larger stones and corrected earlier times. Those submissions referenced individual hailstones far above penny size. The distribution of larger stones was not uniform; larger reports clustered in the west-to-central track of the storm rather than across the entire metro. NWS warnings during the event reflected radar-detected hail signatures and served as the operational alert footprint for the affected addresses.

Observed impacts tied to the specific reports include chipped auto panels and broken window glazing reported by residents in the zones where half-dollar and larger hail were submitted, and localized vegetation defoliation where observers recorded sustained pellets. Field reports did not indicate widespread structural collapse, but the spatial concentration of larger stones in the late-afternoon cores increases the probability of vehicle and roofing damage in those corridors.