Wichita sits in the heart of “Tornado Alley” and receives around 800 mm (about 31 inches) of rain a year, with spring bringing the country’s most intense severe thunderstorm season as warm Gulf moisture collides with drier air from the High Plains. These storms can produce supercells capable of large hail, damaging wind, and tornadoes, alongside intense rainfall that floods low-lying streets and creeks within an hour. The Arkansas River running through the city has a more gradual flood pattern compared with these fast-developing local storms. Because spring severe weather here can escalate from calm to dangerous quickly, radar tracking is treated as an essential everyday seasonal tool. NWS Doppler radar KICT (Wichita) covers the region.
Learn more: How Does Rain Radar Work? · Open the full Rain Map