Hail & Wind Storms in Topeka, KS — Latest Dates and Sizes
Hail and wind activity within ~25 miles of Topeka, Kansas or recorded for its county: the last 12 months from NWS warnings, storm reports, and station measurements, plus official NOAA records back to 2010.
Latest hail and wind near Topeka
- Last reported hail (0.75 in.+, screening): August 18, 2026 — 1.00 in. reported 24 mi N of Topeka (5 WNW Mayetta), SPC storm report.
- Last wind gust 45 mph+ (screening): September 19, 2026 — 70 mph reported 9.7 mi NW of Topeka (Silver Lake), SPC storm report.
- 2026 so far: 6 hail days and 13 wind days within 25 miles (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| September 19, 2026 | — | 70 mph reported |
| September 12, 2026 | — | 59 mph measured |
| August 18, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | 70 mph reported |
| August 14, 2026 | 1.25 in. reported | 80 mph reported |
| July 9, 2026 | — | 65 mph reported |
| June 13, 2026 | — | 70 mph reported |
| June 9, 2026 | 1.00 in. reported | 70 mph reported |
| June 8, 2026 | — | 62 mph measured |
| May 18, 2026 | — | 85 mph reported |
| April 27, 2026 | 1.75 in. reported | 70 mph reported |
Was your address hit on September 19, 2026? Check any address free with the Free Report Snapshot — a YES/NO estimate at the screening thresholds.
Topeka storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 137 wind and hail events, NWS warning products included, within 25 miles of Topeka, Kansas or recorded for Shawnee County in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 (89 wind, 48 hail).
- The strongest gust within 25 miles of Topeka in the last 12 months was 85 mph, reported 24 mi E of Topeka (Lawrence) on May 18, 2026 (SPC storm report; storm reports and station gusts only, warnings excluded).
- The largest hail reported within 25 miles of Topeka in the last 12 months was 1.75 in., 4.2 mi NW of Topeka (4 NW Topeka) on April 27, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report).
- The busiest day by event count near Topeka was April 27, 2026, with 24 events.
- Shawnee County alone recorded 97 of those wind and hail events (60 wind, 37 hail); the Kansas page ranks counties by events of every type, floods and Special Weather Statements included.
Topeka, Kansas storm history at a glance (last 12 months)
This free weather history for Topeka — home to about 130,000 residents — draws on StormAuditor's consolidated public record: 137 wind and hail events within 25 miles of Topeka or recorded for Shawnee County in the trailing 12 months — 89 wind and 48 hail.
Events combine NWS warning products, observed Local Storm Reports, station measurements and official NCEI records in one event table. Because they include warnings, and wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, they measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year.
Busiest days near Topeka by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- April 27, 2026 — 24 events incl. warnings · 8 wind · 16 hail
- April 26, 2026 — 19 events incl. warnings · 9 wind · 10 hail
- May 18, 2026 — 12 events incl. warnings · 11 wind · 1 hail · storm-date page: 10 storm reports
- June 8, 2026 — 9 events incl. warnings · 7 wind · 2 hail
- April 23, 2026 — 9 events incl. warnings · 6 wind · 3 hail
Storm-day records for Topeka
Storm-date pages for the biggest days near Topeka: a report or station gust within 25 miles met NWS severe criteria (hail 1.00 in.+ or wind 58 mph+), with at least two separate observations. Not every storm day in the table above has a page. Each page lists the reports, station gusts and a free way to check one address:
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report within 25 miles of Topeka showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The latest and largest hail, the latest and strongest gust, and the storm-day table all use this record.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count NWS warnings, storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts (50 mph+) and NCEI entries within 25 miles of Topeka or recorded for Shawnee County, tornado entries counted as wind. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for hail and for wind. A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings count once per county per day, and each NCEI entry once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. Events measure how busy the area was, not whether a storm hit: one storm can bring warnings and reports from many places, so the busiest days by event count can differ from the storm days.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) within 25 miles of Topeka or in Shawnee County from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
Topeka hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 6, 2025. Storms from October 7, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,211 NCEI Storm Events entries within 25 miles of Topeka or in Shawnee County for this period, on 208 separate storm days. Thunderstorm wind outnumbers hail here: 636 wind reports against 548 hail reports.
The most storm days came in 2010, with 23; the fewest in a full year was 7, in 2018. Across 2022–2024, the area averaged 13 storm days a year, matching the 15-year average of 13.
On May 21, 2011, 5.25 in. (larger than softball size) hail was reported in Shawnee County — the largest in these records for this area. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 11 different years of this record, the latest being 2023. The strongest measured thunderstorm gust was 89 mph on July 19, 2018 in Douglas County. NCEI also lists 27 tornado entries for the area — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Hail peaks in May (30% of all hail reports), while thunderstorm wind reports cluster in June. December through February accounts for 2 storm days.
- Average: 13 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- April and May: 53% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 109 in 2011
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 64 | 42 | 3 | 23 | 2.75 in. | 83 mph |
| 2011 | 109 | 42 | 3 | 14 | 5.25 in. | 70 mph |
| 2012 | 47 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 3.00 in. | 79 mph |
| 2013 | 31 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 2.25 in. | 61 mph |
| 2014 | 38 | 30 | 1 | 15 | 2.75 in. | 66 mph |
| 2015 | 30 | 34 | 1 | 14 | 2.50 in. | 68 mph |
| 2016 | 46 | 47 | 3 | 14 | 2.75 in. | 79 mph |
| 2017 | 41 | 34 | 1 | 15 | 2.00 in. | 64 mph |
| 2018 | 16 | 37 | 0 | 7 | 1.75 in. | 89 mph |
| 2019 | 34 | 31 | 7 | 14 | 2.00 in. | 72 mph |
| 2020 | 35 | 29 | 0 | 10 | 4.50 in. | 75 mph |
| 2021 | 6 | 60 | 0 | 11 | 1.50 in. | 81 mph |
| 2022 | 8 | 38 | 2 | 10 | 1.25 in. | 76 mph |
| 2023 | 28 | 75 | 0 | 13 | 4.00 in. | 72 mph |
| 2024 | 7 | 94 | 3 | 15 | 1.75 in. | 86 mph |
| 2025 through Oct. 6 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 1.25 in. | 62 mph |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/ks/topeka.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
Topeka storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
How big did hail get in Topeka, 2010–Oct. 2025?
5.25 in., larger than softball size, reported on May 21, 2011 in Shawnee County, per NCEI. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 11 years of this record in all, most recently 2019, 2020 and 2023.
Which year had the most storm days near Topeka, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2010, with 23 storm days (64 hail reports, 42 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 tornado entries). The 15-year average is 13 storm days.
How many hail reports does Topeka see in a typical year?
About 36 hail reports a year (2010–2024 average), with 1-inch or larger hail reported every year. Thunderstorm wind averages 42 reports a year.
What month has the most hail near Topeka?
May has the most hail reports (167, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by April (124) and June (79).
What is the strongest measured thunderstorm gust near Topeka, 2010–Oct. 2025?
89 mph, measured on July 19, 2018 in Douglas County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
Topeka hail map and wind map
Researching hail or wind in Topeka? The Hail Explorer and Wind Explorer map radar-derived hail swaths and peak-gust wind swaths across Kansas, including the Topeka metro: pick any storm date and see how estimated hail size and gust bands tracked through Shawnee County. Both explorers are included with Pro+ and Organization plans.
County-level activity is on the Impact Heatmap (free with an account), and day-by-day history is on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher).
Free Topeka weather report by address
Area maps show where storms tracked; an insurance claim or roof inspection turns on what happened at the property. Three ways to check one Topeka address:
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES/NO instantly on estimated wind of 45 mph or more and hail of 0.75 in. or larger (screening thresholds) at the address.
- The free Address Lookup lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA observations near the address — free Topeka wind history and free Topeka hail history.
- A complete Weather Report for $2.99 covers every qualifying storm date at one address over the last 2 years.
All values are estimates from public NOAA data under our published methodology (see Limitations).
Storm professionals: restoration and exterior contractors, public adjusters, and crews and teams on one Organization plan work from this same public record — see StormAuditor for professionals.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Free Topeka storm data download
The Topeka storm records for the last 12 months download free, free to reuse under the data license: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/ks/topeka.json.
- Coverage: every wind and hail record within about 25 miles of Topeka or recorded for Shawnee County, with dates, counties, event types, measured gusts and hail sizes.
- Rows: each source record before consolidation, including every NWS warning product and smaller storm reports, so the row count differs from the event counts above.
- Statewide files are on the Kansas storm data page.
Nearby city storm pages:
- Shawnee hail & wind history
- Olathe hail & wind history
- Emporia hail & wind history
- Kansas City hail & wind history
- Overland Park hail & wind history
- Kansas City, MO hail & wind history
- Kansas statewide storm data
Guides for reading this data
Cite or link to this data — free
Free to quote, summarize, reuse, and link — for bloggers, journalists, researchers, contractors, and AI writing tools. No permission or credit required. A ready-made citation and link are below if they help. Terms: StormAuditor data & content license.
Citation: StormAuditor. "Topeka, KS Hail & Wind Storm History." Updated September 19, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/ks/topeka
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/ks/topeka">Topeka, KS Hail & Wind Storm History — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.
Data last refreshed October 7, 2026. Event counts cover wind and hail (warning products, and storm reports from 50 mph or 0.75 in.); flood activity and Special Weather Statements are not counted here.