By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A Saturday evening hail storm that tracked over the county dropped hail as large as baseballs in some parts of Marion.

More than an inch of rain fell in some parts of the county, said Robb Lawson, forecaster with the National Weather service in Wichita.

City administrator Roger Holter said the storm was worse in the southern portion of town than in the northern portion.

The police department’s canine vehicle got several divots from hail and the fire department command vehicle also was damaged, Holter said.

Insurance agents were busy Monday getting damage inspections and submitting claims.

Case and Sons insurance had a roofer out looking at damages.

Shelter insurance agent Doug Heery spent a large part of Monday submitting hail damage claims.

Paul Howerton, meteorologist with the National Weather Office in Wichita, said the storm tracked eastward through Chase County and dissipated near Emporia, but a portion of the storm system split off and tracked northeast, where it hammered the Topeka area with golf ball-sized hail.

The county will get a brief break from stormy, cold weather today with clear skies and highs in the low 60s, but freezing temperatures will return along with a chance of snow Thursday night into Friday morning, Lawson said.

Friday’s highs are expected to be even colder at 48 with overnight temperatures right at freezing.

“I know it’s been a cold week but we aren’t breaking any records,” he said. “It’s been so warm these last couple of weeks that it feels much colder.”