HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Storms that moved through central Kansas Friday night and early Saturday morning produced some hail, but the big story was that parts of the region saw their heaviest rainfall in quite some time.
The National Weather Service in Wichita said that the heaviest rainfall total from their cooperative observer network as of 7 AM Saturday was 1.94 inches reported about seven miles south of Windom in McPherson County. Also seeing inch-plus rainfall amounts out of this storm were Sterling with 1.52 inches and a gauge two miles northwest of Goessel with 1.67 inches. One report from the Hutchinson area indicated 1.53 inches although Hutchinson Regional Airport only recorded 0.63 of an inch.
On the other extreme, Great Bend only received a trace of rainfall, with .03 reported at the National Weather Service Office in west Wichita. The heaviest rainfall was along and to the north of US 50 from western Stafford County to the Emporia area.
Other regional rainfall totals as of 7 AM Saturday, as reported by the National Weather Service:
McPherson 0.85
Lyons/Rice County Airport 0.68
Lindsborg 0.73
5 miles SW of Inman 0.61
Kingman 0.17
Mt. Hope 0.26
Newton 0.56
Salina 0.80
Macksville 0.88
Up to ping pong ball (1.5”) diameter hail was reported Friday evening near Preston in northeast Pratt County, with quarter size hail reported west of Kingman. Quarter-sized hail was also reported just after midnight Saturday between McPherson and Moundridge according to the National Weather Service.
