Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1990

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Omaha, NE

March 13, 1990Butler County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Mar 13, 1990, 7:33 PM CST for Butler County, Nebraska. It was in force for 27 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: Mar 13, 1990, 7:33 PM CST (01:33 UTC)
Expired: Mar 13, 1990, 8:00 PM CST
In force: 27 min
Issued by: NWS Omaha, NE
Area: Whole counties

County Butler 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 13, 7:55 PM CST	Tornado F4	Butler, 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

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 65 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 3595 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 87 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 98 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLNK 140133
TORLNK
NEC023-140200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN NE
733 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM CST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF NEBRASKA
      BUTLER

AT 730 PM CST RADAR STILL SHOWED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING TORNADOES LOCATED OVER WESTERN BUTLER COUNTY.
THIS THUNDERSTORM IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MPH AND
WILL MOVE THROUGH DAVID CITY SHORTLY.  DAVID CITY IS ABOUT 34 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LINCOLN.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

 TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.  THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER
 SITUATION.

 DAVIS

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, Mar 13, 3:03 PM CST, 4 hours 30 minutes before

NEZ010-020-IAZ009-131900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
255 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFF AREA...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THAT THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT
OF THE OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS AREA AND INTO WEST CENTRAL IOWA.
AT 250 PM CST THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE FROM NORTHEAST HARRISON
INTO NORTHWEST SHELBY COUNTY OF IOWA...45 MILES NORTHEAST OF OMAHA.

NEW THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.  STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED NEAR BEATRICE AND IN NORTHWEST
RICHARDSON COUNTY...75 MILES SOUTH OF OMAHA.  ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AS WELL AS
WESTERN IOWA UNTIL 600 PM CST.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL
TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER INCLUDING TORNADOES.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER CLOSELY THROUGH THE REST OF THE
AFTERNOON.  LISTEN TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADIO STATION OR
OTHER LOCAL TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS.  BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER
IF A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING IS ISSUED.

SEELEY

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 4:48 PM CST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

NEZ001-005-011-132100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
345 PM MST TUE MAR 13 1990

...A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE PANHANDLE TONIGHT...
...A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
FOR LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...

AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM IS PRODUCING SNOW IN THE PANHANDLE OF
NEBRASKA.  SCOTTSBLUFF AND ALLIANCE REPORTED 2 INCHES OF NEW SNOW IN
THE PAST HOUR.  MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES TO FALL IN PARTS OF
THE PANHANDLE.  SOME SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 8 INCHES ARE LIKELY
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE WYOMING BORDER.

TRAVEL IN THE PARTS OF THE PANHANDLE WILL BE DIFFICULT TONIGHT...
MOTORISTS SHOULkD REDUCE SPEED AND BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS.

GAVERS

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 6:09 PM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes before

NEZ010-020-IAZ009-140100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
600 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...A TORNADO WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR MUCH OF
EASTERN NEBRASKA AND ADJACENT SOUTHWEST IOWA...

AT 600 PM CST...MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA
AND ADJACENT SOUTHWEST IOWA HAD DISSIPATED.  HOWEVER...MORE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION THIS EVENING.
THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE AND SOME MAY PRODUCE TORNADOES.

PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA SHOULD CONTINUE TO
MONITOR THE WEATHER.  BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A STRONG REINFORCED
BUILDING IF SEVERE WEATHER IS REPORTED OR IF A WARNING IS ISSUED.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
JOHNSON

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 6:20 PM CST, 1 hour 13 minutes before

NEZ001-005-011-140300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
615 PM MST TUE MAR 13 1990

...A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE PANHANDLE TONIGHT...
...A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
FOR LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...

AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES PRODUCING SNOW IN THE PANHANDLE OF
NEBRASKA.  AS OF 5 PM MST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS IN THE PANHANDLE INCLUDED
7 INCHES AT CHADRON...4 INCHES AT SCOTTSBLUFF...AND 3 INCHES AT
ALLIANCE.  SOME SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 10 INCHES ARE LIKELY
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE WYOMING BORDER.

TRAVEL IN THE PANHANDLE WILL BE DIFFICULT TONIGHT.  MOTORISTS
SHOULD EXPECT TO ENCOUNTER DELAYS DUE TO SNOW.  WITH PARTICULARLY
HEAVY SNOW IN THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE...STAY HOME IF YOU CAN.

FREEZING RAIN HAD SPREAD INTO NORTHWEST NEBRASKA JUST EAST OF
THE PANHANDLE.  AT 5 PM MST MULLEN REPORTED FREEZING RAIN BEGINNING
TO COAT SURFACES.  VALENTINE CONTINUED TO RECEIVE LIGHT RAIN WITH
A TEMPERATURE OF 34 DEGREES.

DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO DETERIORATE IN NORTHWEST
NEBRASKA JUST EAST OF THE PANHANDLE IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
A WINTER STORM WATCH IS STILL IN EFFECT FOR LATER TONIGHT.

POLLACK

Local storm report, Mar 13, 7:04 PM CST, 29 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
700 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

500 PM CST...WIND DAMAGE TO BARN 6 NE OF VOUNCIL BLUFFS IA...REPORTED
            BY CD DIRECTOR POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
515 PM CSZT..7 WEST OF UNDERWOOD IA...WESTERN POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY...
            GARAGE DAMAGED...SEVERAL ROOFS OFF OF BARNS...TREE DAMAGE
            POWER OUTAGES...BUT NO INJURIES.

BYRD

Special weather statement, Mar 13, 7:23 PM CST, 10 minutes before

NEZ010-140300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
730 PM CST TUE MAR 13 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA.  THESE
STORMS HAVE ALREADY CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE IN THE KEARNEY...GRAND
ISLAND...AND HASTINGS AREAS AND HAVE JUST MOVED THROUGH THE YORK AREA.
THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 75 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST FOR
MUCH OF EASTERN NEBRASKA.

RESIDENTS OF SAUNDERS AND DODGE COUNTY SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
SIGNS OF DANGEROUS WEATHER DURING THE NEXT HOUR.  LISTEN FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIApTELY IF SEVERE WEATHER
APPROACHES!
WATTERS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 13, 7:03 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OAX	Butler	27 min
Mar 13, 7:49 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OAX	Dodge, Saunders	46 min
Mar 13, 8:04 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Jefferson, Saline, Seward	56 min
Mar 13, 8:06 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OAX	Butler	24 min
Mar 13, 8:24 PM CST	Tornado Warning	OAX	Seward	36 min
Mar 13, 9:11 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Lancaster	64 min
Mar 13, 9:37 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass, Sarpy, Saunders	68 min
Mar 13, 10:23 PM CST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Washington	52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 1990 Every tornado warning in 1990 Tornadoes in 1990

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.