Powerful storms race across Plains with hurricane-force wind gusts, baseball-sized hail
The action kicked off early Tuesday morning when severe thunderstorms plowed across Kansas, where a record 101-mph wind gust was reported in Wichita. The rounds of severe weather came one day after tornadoes tore across Minnesota and Nebraska in the Midwest.
Damaging storms plow across Plains
Powerful thunderstorms raced across portions of the Plains on Tuesday, producing hurricane-force wind gusts and baseball-sized hail. FOX Weather Meteorologists Craig Herrera and Zack Green break down the latest on Wednesday, June 18.
WICHITA, Kan. – Powerful thunderstorms raced across portions of the central U.S. on Tuesday, producing hurricane-force wind gusts, flooding rain, baseball-sized hail and vivid lightning.
The rounds of severe weather came one day after tornadoes tore across Minnesota and Nebraska in the Midwest.
WATCH: Wichita slammed with storms packing vivid lightning, flooding rain
A dramatic video recorded in Wichita, Kansas, shows a man inside his car outside a business as a powerful thunderstorm unleashes torrential rain, vivid lightning and thunder on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Thunderstorms fired up in Kansas early Tuesday morning, producing a 101-mph wind gust in Wichita.
Power was knocked out to tens of thousands of utility customers as the storms rolled through, and video shared from the area showed torrential rain falling outside a business as an employee waited patiently inside his car for conditions to improve.
Storms continued to develop during the day into the afternoon and evening hours, with more reports of 75-mph wind gusts and baseball-sized hail.
Watch: Supercell thunderstorm causes sky to turn ice blue in Kansas
A video shared by Exclusive FOX Weather Storm Tracker Mark Sudduth shows the sky turn an eerie ice blue while he was tracking a supercell thunderstorm in Harper, Kansas, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Exclusive FOX Weather Storm Tracker Mark Sudduth was also in Kansas on Tuesday tracking storms as they raced across the area, and he caught incredible video of the sky appearing to look an eerie ice blue due to the storm's. intensity.
Oklahoma, too, was hit hard by the storms.
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WATCH: Powerful storm produces heavy rain, low visibility in Oklahoma
A dramatic video shared from Pawhuska, Oklahoma, shows a powerful thunderstorm dumping heavy rain leading to low visibility on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
A video shared from Pawhuska showed how intense conditions were when a thunderstorm rolled through the area.
The video showed intense rain falling and vivid lightning that dropped visibility.
WATCH: Storms wallop Edmond, Oklahoma, with heavy rain, thunder
A video shared from Edmond, Oklahoma, shows a powerful thunderstorm dumping heavy rain and producing loud rumbles of thunder on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
Another video from Edmond, Oklahoma, showed lightning in the night sky as loud, intense rumbles of thunder were heard.
Massive hail was also reported, with baseball-size hail falling near Conway Springs, Kansas, as well as 2-inch hail near Laramie, Wyoming.
A 2.25-inch hailstone was also reported near Platteville, Colorado.