Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Omaha, NE

April 26, 1991Jefferson County, Saline County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Apr 26, 1991, 4:24 PM CDT for Jefferson County, Saline County, Nebraska. It was in force for 51 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
Apr 26, 1991, 4:24 PM CDT (21:24 UTC)
Expired
Apr 26, 1991, 5:15 PM CDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS Omaha, NE
Area
Whole counties

Counties Jefferson County, NE, Saline County, NE

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Apr 26, 5:10 PM CDTHail 1.25Jefferson, 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 (KOVN), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 126 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1991-04-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 21 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, Omaha, NE at 12:00Z on 1991-04-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 531 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-435 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
562 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
531 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
672 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
8.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLNK 262124
TORLNK
NEC151-095-262215-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN NE
424 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS IAST AT 35 MPH.  PEOPLE IN NORTH OF THOMP
SON WEST OF FAIRBURY ARE CURRENTLY IN ITS PREDICTED PATH.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS STORM SITUATION.  ACT QUICKLY.  IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THIS TORNADO MOVE TO A SHELTER BELOW GROUND IF
AVAILABLE.  OTHERWISE.SSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 515 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF NEBRASKA
      SALINE...JEFFERSON

AT 417 PM RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO NEAR REYNOLDS IN JEFFERSON
COUNTY MOVING NORTH NORTH E..GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST
FLOOR POSSIBLE.  AVOID WINDOWS.  ABANDON CARS AND MOBILE HOMES...
TAKE COVER IN A REINFORCED BUILDING OR GET INTO A DITCH OR CULVERT.

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, Apr 26, 1:16 PM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before
NEZ010-015-020-IAZ009-012-262330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
115 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EASTERN NEBRASKA UNTIL 8 PM CDT...

SKIES WERE CLEARING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA WITH LOW CLOUDS AND DRIZZLE
STILL TO THE NORTH OF OMAHA.  SUNSHINE IN THE SOUTH WARMED TEMPERATURES
INTO THE MID 70S AT 1 PM.  THE OMAHA AREA WAS AROUND 70 WITH 60S NORTH-
WARD IN THE COOLER.  WINDS WERE GUSTING FROM THE SOUTH AT 15 TO 25 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH
THE EVENING WITH SOME REACHING THE SEVERE LEVEL.  HIGH TEMPERATURES
WILL RANGE FROM AROUND 80 IN THE SOUTH TO MID 60S IN THE NORTH.
WINDS WILL CONTINUE FROM THE SOUTHEAST AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH SOME HIGHER
GUSTS.

ANDERSON
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 1:29 PM CDT, 2 hours 55 minutes before
NEZ015-261828-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN NE
128 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHAST NEBRASKA UNTIL 8 PM...

THE SKIES WERE CLEARING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA BUT LOW CLOUDS AND DRIZZLE
COULD STILL BE FOUND TO THE NORTH OF OMAHA.  SUNSHINE WARMED
TEMPERATURES INTO THE 80S BY 130 PM.  THE WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 45 MILES
AN HOUR.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE
EVENING HOURS..WITH SOME REACHING THE SEVERE LEVEL.

TZ
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 2:39 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
NEZ010-015-019-020-262100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
230 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR EASTERN AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA UNTIL 8 PM CDT...

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN
NEBRASKA UNTIL 800 PM CDT THIS EVENING.  AT 230 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS
WERE STRENGTHENING RAPIDLY OVER NORTHCENTRAL KANSAS AND EXTREME
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...IN THE CONCORDIA AREA AND BETWEEN HASTINGS
AND BEATRICE.  THEY WERE LOCATED BETWEEN 90 MILES AND 110 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF OMAHA...OR 50 TO 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LINCOLN.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH NORTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MILES AN HOUR.
LINCOLN WILL PROBABLY NOT SEE ANY STORMS UNTIL AFTER 4 PM AND OMAHA
NOT UNTIL AFTER 5 PM...BUT AFTER THAT SEVERE WEATHER IS DEFINITELY
A THREAT.  KEEP IN TOUCH WITH RADIO/TV/AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO THROUGH
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR UPDATES ON THIS DANGEROUS WEATHER
SITUATION.

COSTANTINOU
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 2:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
NEZ003-004-007-008-009-262330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORFOLK NE
240 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...A TORNADO WATCH FOR NORTHEAST AND NORTHCENTRAL NEBRASKA UNTIL
8 PM CDT THIS FRIDAY EVENING...

AT 240 PM CDT NORFOLK RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE SOME STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS OVER PARTS OF NORTHCENTRAL NEBRASKA.  THE STRONGEST STORM
WHICH WAS LIKELY PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS WAS LOCATED 50
MILES EAST OF VALENTINE...OR ABOUT 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF BASSETT.  OTHER
STORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL NEBRASKA BUT AT THE PRESENT
TIME WERE NOT STRONG.

THE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH SO PERSONS IN EASTERN KEYA PAHA
COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT IN THE NEXT 45 MI$NUTES AS THE STRONGEST STORM
MOVES THAT WAY.  IF YOU LIVE IN NORTHCENTRAL OR NORTHEAST NEBRASKA
BE PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THIS EVENING.
KLEFFMAN
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 3:01 PM CDT, 1 hour 23 minutes before
NEZ015-262000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN NE
300 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHAST NEBRASKA UNTIL 8 PM...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY UNTIL 330 PM...

A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM DORCHESTER-CRETE AREA
SOUTHEAST TOWARDS CONCORDIA KANSAS.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.  THE LEADING EDGE OF THESE STORMS HAD
PUSHED INTO JEFFERSON COUNTY AS FAR EAST AS FAIRBURY.  AT THIS SPEED
THE STORMS WILL FIRST APPROACH LINCOLN BETWEEN 330 AND 4PM.

THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT.  STAY TUNED TO RADIO/TV OR NOAA
WEATHER RADIO FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.  THIS IS A DANGEROUS WEATHER
SITUEATION.

TZ
Special weather statement, Apr 26, 4:07 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
NEZ015-262130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN NE
405 PM CDT FRI APR 26 1991

...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTHAST NEBRASKA UNTIL 8 PM...

A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT FOR GAGE COUNTY IN
SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. ALSO A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR SOUTHEAST JEFFERSON COUNTY. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING FOR SALINE SEWARD AND BUTLER COUNTIES IS CANCELLED. THE
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE ABOVE THREE COUNTIES HAVE WEAKENED OR MOVED OUT OF
THE AREA WHILE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THAT PRODUCED A TORNADO IN
NORTHEAST KANSAS IS IN GAGE COUNTY ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BEATRICE
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. ALSO STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURING IN
SEVERAL AREAS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
JB

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 26, 2:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJefferson63 min
Apr 26, 3:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXSaline55 min
Apr 26, 3:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXGage, Jefferson, Saline, Seward57 min
Apr 26, 3:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXButler57 min
Apr 26, 4:44 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXGage, Lancaster46 min
Apr 26, 5:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJefferson, Saline44 min
Apr 26, 5:18 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXOtoe42 min
Apr 26, 5:18 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXCass57 min
Apr 26, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXLancaster63 min
Apr 26, 5:47 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXSarpy58 min
Apr 26, 6:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXDouglas69 min
Apr 26, 6:09 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXGage, Jefferson, Saline66 min
Apr 26, 6:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXWashington42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

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.