Atwood, KS Hail Storm – June 2026

What Happened

A hail-producing thunderstorm tracked through Atwood, Kansas on June 9, 2026, producing 3.06-inch hail and prompting a series of NWS warnings from late afternoon into the evening. The event generated 31 NWS alerts between 5:12 PM CDT and 10:55 PM CDT and contained multiple radar-detected maxima alongside spotter reports.

The sequence began with an NWS warning at 5:12 PM CDT for quarter-size hail. Dual-polarization radar began returning larger returns by early evening. Spotter verification and radar detections alternated through the period. A spotter-verified 1.0-inch report arrived from Norton at 6:30 PM CDT, followed minutes later by an estimated penny-to-nickel report at 6:32 PM CDT. Radar indicated concentrated growth from about 6:40 PM CDT through 9:20 PM CDT, with individual radar-derived hail estimates rising above 1.0 inch at multiple times and a 2.41-inch radar detection recorded at 9:17 PM CDT. The alert stream continued into late evening, with the final NWS warning issued at 10:55 PM CDT.

Both NWS warning-only alerts and radar-detected alerts were present in the event record. Several dual-polarization radar alerts were logged at 1.0–1.6-inch range in the 6:40 PM to 9:00 PM CDT window, with spotter reports and a radar-plus-spotter alert recorded near 6:44 PM CDT. Mobile public reports submitted via mPING recorded dime-size hail at 9:46 PM CDT. The combined pattern shows a storm that intensified and then produced intermittent larger cores as it moved across northwest Kansas.

Damage Assessment

Field reports from this event show localized surface impacts concentrated along the storm track rather than widespread structural collapses. The Norton spotter reported 1.0-inch hail at 6:30 PM CDT. A separate nearby spotter estimated penny-to-nickel size at 6:32 PM CDT. Two mPING submissions at 9:46 PM CDT recorded dime-size hail. No Local Storm Report in this set documented large-scale structural failures or measured losses to roofs or vehicles.

Radar-derived hail detections reached sizes well above dime- and quarter-size in places, indicating potential for significant localized damage where the strongest cores crossed the surface. Those radar peaks include several dual-polarization detections above one inch in the 6:40 PM to 9:20 PM CDT window and a 2.41-inch radar return at 9:17 PM CDT. Ground reports confirming larger, golf-ball-size or greater stones were not submitted in the public spotter stream included here.

Inspectors working in Atwood and adjacent northwest Kansas towns should expect a mix of cosmetic and moderate impacts. Localized denting to vehicles, bruising to unprotected siding, and localized asphalt shingle granule loss are consistent with the spotter sizes and radar signal pattern. Concentrate initial inspections on properties under the strongest radar returns and along the timeline of 6:30 PM CDT through 9:20 PM CDT.