Storm Updates: Plains Slight — Oct 13

Tropical: None · Severe: Slight · Flood: Slight

What Changed

• Severe Thunderstorm Watches 682 (southern/eastern Kansas into west-central/northwest Missouri until 11 PM CDT) and 683 (western Oklahoma and eastern Texas Panhandle into northwest Texas until Midnight CDT) remain in effect. Primary threats continue as large hail to 2.5 inches and damaging winds to 75–80 mph, with isolated tornado possible.
• SPC 2000 UTC Day 1 Outlook holds the Slight Risk (~80,580 sq mi) from northwest Missouri/Kansas into the southern High Plains. Minor Marginal expansion for overnight wind into far northeast Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, and southwest Missouri. Marginal continues for western/central New York.
• Preliminary LSRs continue to accumulate: hail to 2.75 inches near Matador TX and near Mclean TX, 2.50 inches near Hedley TX, 2.00 inches near Lipscomb TX, plus multiple 1.00–1.75 inch reports across KS/OK/TX. Wind gusts measured to 81 mph near Turkey TX, 75 mph near Flomot TX, 70 mph near Easton KS, with tree limbs down and a power pole reported down near Grantville KS.
• Active Severe Thunderstorm Warnings persist, including destructive threats (80 mph winds, quarter-size hail) impacting the Kansas City metro area, plus ongoing warnings in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. WPC Day 1 Slight ERO and Flood Watches remain for KS/MO including the Kansas City metro. No U.S. tropical watches or warnings.
• Tropical lane unchanged. No named tropical cyclone threatens or has just hit U.S. land. Hurricane Simon remains offshore Mexico; Atlantic basin clear.

Live Status

As of approximately 5:20 PM PDT / 0020Z Wednesday, October 14, 2026 (7:20 PM CDT), Severe Thunderstorm Watches 682 and 683 stay live over the central and southern Plains. The SPC Day 1 Slight Risk continues to cover widely scattered severe storms capable of large hail, severe gusts, and possibly a tornado from the central/southern Plains into the Lower Missouri Valley this afternoon into tonight. Moist boundary layer, moderate buoyancy, and shear have supported supercells and clusters; preliminary reports confirm the hazards are verifying with large hail and damaging winds. A developing low-level jet is aiding maintenance into the evening.

Marginal Risk holds for western/central New York and the overnight expansion into far northeast Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, and southwest Missouri. WPC maintains the Slight Excessive Rainfall Outlook; Flood Watches cover the Kansas City metro and surrounding counties in Kansas and Missouri. Multi-day unsettled weather is expected to continue through Thursday before cooler air arrives.

Hotspots

KS / NW MO — Watch 682 live

Southern and eastern Kansas into west-central and northwest Missouri remain under Watch 682 until 11 PM CDT. This includes the Kansas City metro, Wichita, and Topeka corridors. Primary threats: large hail (1–2.5 inches), damaging winds (60–80 mph), and a low but non-zero tornado risk. Concurrent Flood Watches for the Kansas City metro and east-central/southeast Kansas. Active warnings, including destructive wind threats in the KC area, plus preliminary hail and wind reports in central Kansas; storms continue organizing and tracking eastward this evening.

Western OK / eastern TX Panhandle — Watch 683 live

Western Oklahoma and the eastern Texas Panhandle into northwest Texas under Watch 683 until Midnight CDT. Threats: large to very large hail (to 2.5 inches), damaging winds (to 75 mph), isolated tornado. Preliminary LSRs include 2.75-inch hail near Matador and Mclean TX, 2.50-inch near Hedley, and measured gusts to 81 mph near Turkey TX. Active warnings with radar-indicated large hail and strong winds continue. WPC Slight ERO extends into the Permian Basin and Caprock region.

Western/central NY and overnight Marginal

Marginal Risk area. Mesoscale discussions have indicated scattered storms possible with gusty winds; watch issuance remains unlikely given modest instability. Overnight Marginal expansion covers far northeast Oklahoma, southeast Kansas, and southwest Missouri for potential organized wind gusts if convection persists.

Just Hit

Preliminary SPC Local Storm Reports for the convective day (from 1200 UTC) include hail to 2.75 inches (near Matador, Motley TX and near Mclean, Wheeler TX), 2.50 inches (near Hedley, Donley TX), 2.00 inches (near Lipscomb TX), 1.75 inches near Matador, and multiple 1.00-inch reports across Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Wind reports include a measured 81 mph gust (near Turkey, Hall TX), 75 mph (near Flomot, Motley TX), 70 mph near Easton KS, 63 mph near McAdoo TX, plus tree limbs down near Hazelton KS and a power pole down near Grantville KS. Radar-indicated larger hail and 70–80 mph gusts remain under active warnings, including destructive threats over the Kansas City metro. Residual minor Flood Warnings elsewhere are non-severe leftovers from prior events.

Pulse Table

Restoration Read

Slight Risk severe is under live Watches 682 and 683, with preliminary LSRs confirming large hail (to 2.75 inches) and damaging wind gusts (to 81 mph) across the Texas Panhandle and central Kansas. Teams covering Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka, Amarillo, and Lubbock corridors should stage for tree, roof, siding, and exterior damage from hail and gusts. Concurrent Flood Slight and active Flood Watches make water the co-equal ticket; monitor low-lying areas, creeks, and urban runoff in the watch zones as rainfall rates climb this evening. No tropical or coastal surge tickets. Standard posture: confirm county products on weather.gov, stage for mixed wind/hail/water response, and re-check as storms continue to mature and track east.

What This Is Not

Not an official warning. Not an Enhanced or higher severe day. Not a Moderate or higher excessive rainfall day. Not a tropical threat to the U.S. coast or Gulf. Not a reason to invent tornadoes or widespread damage beyond the preliminary reports. The Slight is the official category; Watches 682 and 683 confirm the threat is underway. All reports remain preliminary and subject to revision.

Looking Ahead One Day

SPC Day 2 Outlook places a Slight Risk over portions of the southern Plains into the Ozark Plateau (mainly damaging winds, with isolated hail and a tornado or two possible) for Wednesday afternoon and evening, with Marginal elsewhere including parts of the upper Ohio Valley. WPC continues the multi-day heavy rain potential into the Plains/Missouri Valley corridor. Cooler air is expected later in the week.

Rising Queries

Trends unreachable this run.

Storm Hub

No named storm threatening U.S. land. Prior residual hubs: Hurricane Isaias 2026 and Tropical Storm Rachel 2026. No new hub created.

Sources

Primary: spc.noaa.gov (Day 1 outlook 2000 UTC, mesoscale discussions, Watches 682 and 683, today’s LSRs), WPC Day 1 ERO, NWS watches/warnings summary, nhc.noaa.gov (no U.S. tropical threats). Morning desk: Storm Updates: Plains Slight — Oct 13 Morning.

Informational only — not an official weather warning. Confirm local products on weather.gov before travel or work. Watches and warnings expire and are replaced. Preliminary reports can change.