Lightning TrackerLawrence storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Lawrence, KS, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Lawrence, KS
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Lawrence by the numbers
Lawrence gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 919 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 275 hail reports, 632 damaging-wind reports and 12 tornado reports. On average that is 14.7 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in May, June, July, when 60% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 24 hail reports, 88 wind reports and 3 tornado reports around Lawrence; the largest hail was 2.75″ (baseball) on Apr 13, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Lawrence
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi W · Douglas Co. |
| Oct 13, 2026 | Hail 1.50″ | 12 mi NE · Leavenworth Co. |
| Sep 19, 2026 | Damaging wind | 24 mi NW · Jefferson Co. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Damaging wind | 17 mi SE · Johnson Co. |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Hail 2.00″ | 19 mi SE · Johnson Co. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 24 mi W · Shawnee Co. |
| Sep 9, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi S · Douglas Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Damaging wind | 20 mi E · Wyandotte Co. |
| Sep 6, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 21 mi E · Johnson Co. |
| Aug 21, 2026 | Damaging wind | 20 mi NE · Leavenworth Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Lawrence
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Lawrence
Lawrence averages 7.0 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 3.50 inches — about the size of a tea cup — reported 21 miles from the city centre on Mar 13, 2024. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Lawrence
There have been 12 tornado reports within 25 miles of Lawrence since 2016; the strongest was rated EF4 (May 28, 2019, 12 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Lawrence on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Lawrence
Questions about storms in Lawrence
Does Lawrence get a lot of severe storms?
Lawrence averages 14.7 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Lawrence?
Most severe-weather reports around Lawrence come in May, June, July.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Lawrence?
3.50 inches (tea cup size) on Mar 13, 2024, 21 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Lawrence?
Yes — 12 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF4 on May 28, 2019.
How do I get storm alerts for Lawrence?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Lawrence, KS. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Lawrence, KS. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 27, 2026.