Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 19, NWS North Platte, NE

July 11, 1986Lincoln County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this tornado warning at Jul 11, 1986, 7:57 PM CDT for Lincoln County, Nebraska. It was in force for 18 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 11, 1986, 7:57 PM CDT (00:57 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 1986, 8:15 PM CDT
In force
18 min
Issued by
NWS North Platte, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Lincoln County, NE

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 11, 8:19 PM CDTHail 1.5Lincoln, NE

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 1.0 hours before the alert went out and 15 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1986-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 963 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 1986-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 103 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
963 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-57 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1681 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
48 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
103 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
202 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
6.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KLBF 120057
TORLBF
NEC111-120115-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
757 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 815 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...CENTRAL LINCOLN

AT 748 PM CDT A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS REPORTED BY NATIONAL WEATHER
5 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF NORTH PLATTE..MOVING EAST

IF YOU ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO...YOU SHOULD GO TO A
BASEMENT SHELTER IF AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE GO TO A CENTRAL ROOM ON
THE LOWEST FLOOR POSSIBLE.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES FOR A
REINFORCED BUILDING.

THIS TORNADO WILL HIT NORT@H PLATTE.  TAKE COVER!"

REPORTS OF TORNADOS OR TORNADO DAMAGE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO A LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

MONSON 120056Z

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 11, 3:12 PM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
312 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 1986

AT 310 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE INTENSIFING ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND
WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ACROSS WESTERN LINCOLN
COUNTY IN A LINE FROM ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHWEST OF NORTH PLATTE TO
DICKENS IN SOUTHWEST LINCOLN COUNTY WHICH IS ABOUT 20  MILES SOUTHWEST
OF NORTH PLATTE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTAIN PEA TO MARBLzE SIZE
HAIL ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE MOVING ACROSS THE NORTH PLATTE AREA BY 330 PM
CDT THIS AFTERNOON.

MONSON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:22 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
420 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
   AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

AT 420 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
NEBRASKA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF NORTH
PLATTE MOVING TO THE EAST.  AS THIS THUNDERSTORM MOVED ACROSS THE
COMMUNITY OF NORTH PLATTE PEA SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED BY CIVIL DEFENSE
WHILE AT THE AIRPORT BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AMOUNTED TO 0.25 OF AN INCH.

OTHER WEAKER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS LOGAN..THOMAS AND
MCPHERSON COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS
MAY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.
THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.
MONSON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 5:14 PM CDT, 2 hours 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
513 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
   AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

AT 513 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA WERE
DECREASING HOWEVER ONE STRONG THUNDERSTORM REMAINS IN CUSTER COUNTY.

THIS THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES WEST OF BROKEN BOW OR 44
MILES NORTHEAST OF NORTH PLATTE.  THIS THUNDERSTORM PRODUCED PEA TO
MARBLE SIZE HAIL IN ARNOLD AS IT PASSED THROUGH ALONG WITH 30 TO 40
MILE AN HOUR WINDS AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.

PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE COMMUNITIES OF MERNA..
ANSELMO AND BROKEN BOW AS THE THUNDERSTORM MOVES THROUGH THESE
COMMUNITIES BY 530 PM CDT.

MONSON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 6:14 PM CDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
613 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
   AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

AT 613 PM CDT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING ACROSS SOUTHWEST
AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST ARTHUR
COUNTY ABOUT 62 MILES NORTHWEST OF NORTH PLATTE.  ANOTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THEDFORD IN THOMAS
COUNTY ABOUT 51 MILES NORTH OF NORTH PLATTE.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE
BEEN MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AND HAVE BEEN INTENSIFYING.  SMALL HAIL
ALONG WITH WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MILES AN HOUR CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE
THUNDERSTORMS.
ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MAYWOOD IN FRONTIER COUNTY
ABOUT 26 MILES SOUTH OF NORTH PLATTE MOVING TO THE EAST.
MONSON
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 7:12 PM CDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
715 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 10 PM CDT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
   AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR CENTRAL AND EAST PORTIONS OF ARTHUR
COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELED.

AT 712 PM CDT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING ACROSS SOUTHWEST
AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN EXTREME NORTHWEST LINCOLN
COUNTY ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF NORTH PLATTE.  ANOTHER STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED IN NORTHWEST CUSTER COUNTY ABOUT 46 MILES
NORTHWEST OF NORTH PLATTE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE INCREASED WITH
IN THE PAST HOUR..THE STORMS ARE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

HORN

The office that day

Everything else NWS North Platte, NE issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 8:16 PM CDTTornado WarningLBFLincoln14 min
Jul 11, 8:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFLincoln60 min
Jul 12, 2:12 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCuster63 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.