Coldwater, KS Hail Storm – May 2026

A severe hail-bearing storm tracked through Coldwater, Kansas on May 30, 2026, producing a 2.24-inch peak hailstone and widespread radar-detected hail signatures across multiple NWS warning areas. The event ran from mid-afternoon into late evening, shifting east-southeast through the metro area.

What Happened

The first radar-detected hail signatures appeared in the late afternoon and NWS warnings began around 3:10 PM CDT. Alerts continued through the evening, with clusters of dual-polarization radar and NEXRAD hail detection reports and repeated NWS warning-only alerts. Spotters and public reports strengthened the surface picture during the 7 PM hour.

Observers reported quarter- to ping-pong-ball–sized hail and strong convective winds in the early evening. Around 7:40 PM CDT, multiple spotters reported winds of 55 to 65 mph accompanying hail. mPING submissions near 7:38–7:41 PM CDT logged multiple half-dollar and ping-pong-ball reports. Earlier, at 6:02 PM CDT, a picture of quarter-sized hail was submitted from Barley, NE, with timing estimated from radar. Several radar detections matched those reports. Other NEXRAD and dual-polarization echoes before and after those times produced repeated NWS warning-only alerts through the late evening.

The sequence shows alternating periods of radar-only hail detection and spotter-verified cells. Several later alerts carried radar plus spotter verification, indicating pockets of higher surface impact within the broader warning area. The overall track shifted east-southeast from late afternoon into the 8 PM hour.

Damage Assessment

Field reports and radar signatures indicate localized surface impacts concentrated along the mid- to late-evening track through the Coldwater metro and adjacent zones. Multiple spotter entries around 7:38–7:41 PM CDT documented half-dollar and ping-pong-ball sized hail in the same corridor. Spotters also recorded wind gusts to 55–65 mph in areas reporting hail, which increases the likelihood of branch and siding damage in exposed residential areas.

Photographic evidence from 6:02 PM CDT in Barley, NE shows quarter-sized hail accumulation on vehicle surfaces and ground cover. Repeated spotter submissions at 7:40 PM CDT and 7:41 PM CDT describe similar stone sizes in pockets east of Coldwater and along the storm's path. These clustered observations align with radar-indicated high-reflectivity cores in the NEXRAD record. The pattern suggests concentrated impacts on east-facing and exposed roofs, vehicles parked outdoors, and unshielded agricultural equipment where spotters were active.

No widespread structural collapse reports were received in the field reports. Damage reports focused on dented vehicle panels, marked siding, and broken or dented gutters and screens in neighborhoods noted by spotters. The co-occurrence of strong convective winds and hail during the 7:30–7:45 PM CDT window increases the chance of limb breakage and localized roof shingle damage in the reported corridor.

Coldwater, KS Hail Storm – May 2026

NWS WARNING AREAS · 49

What Happened

Damage Assessment

Storm Details

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