Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1997

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 55, NWS Hastings, NE

June 20, 1997Nance County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jun 20, 1997, 10:15 PM CDT for Nance County, Nebraska. It was in force for 45 min. 2 reports 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
Jun 20, 1997, 10:15 PM CDT (03:15 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 1997, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Nance County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 126 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:14 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 20, 10:33 PM CDTHail 0.75Fullerton, NE
Jun 20, 11:00 PM CDTHail 0.75Fullerton, 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.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jun 20, 8:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 3.3 hours before the alert went out and 136 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 00:00Z on 1997-06-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5994 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 1997-06-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 89 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
5994 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1151 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
89 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
186 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
4.8
Supercell composite
25.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGRI 210317 RRA
SVRGRI
NEC125-210400-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1015 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 1997
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS NE  HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA
 
   ...NANCE COUNTY
 
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE INTO BELGRADE BY 1040 PM. PERSONS IN
WESTERN NANCE COUNTY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR LARGE HAIL AND TORRENTIAL
RAINFALL THROUGH 1045 PM...
 
AT 1014 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS 30 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF GRAND
ISLAND IN SOUTHWEST NANCE COUNTY.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10
MPH AND WILL CONTINUE TO RAKE ACROSS RURAL WESTERN NANCE COUNTY.
PERSONS FULLERTON SHOULD MOVE INDOORS AS WELL TO A PLACE OF SAFETY FROM
THIS DANGEROUS STORM.
 
 A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
THESE STORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH LITTLE
OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  TAKE COVER NOW.
 
MORITZ

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Jun 20, 1:00 PM CDT, 9 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 20, 1:00 PM CDT, 9 hours 15 minutes before
CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
100 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 1997

ONCE AGAIN...TSTMS AND TEMPS ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES.

WILL MAKE THIS A QUICK ONE WITH ANTICIPATED STORMS THIS AFTN.
WILL FOLLOW ETA AS IT...AT THIS POINT...HAS PERFORMED VERY WELL
WITH POSITION OF FRONT AND SFC LO PRES...AND ALSO WITH THE AMT
OF LL MOISTURE THAT HAS ADVECTED NORTH INTO AREA TODAY.

AT 17Z...SFC LO WAS DEEPENING AROUND GLD WITH STATIONARY FRONT
SNAKING NORTH THRU THE MIDDLE OF NEB. OUTFLOW BOUNDARY EVIDENT
FROM GRI/HSI SE TO THE SOUTH OF LNK AT 16Z STILL THERE...BUT
TOUGHER TO SEE IN SFC OBS. THE BEGINNING OF A WARM FRONT ALSO
TAKING SHAPE FROM SFC LO EAST ACROSS EXTREME NRN KS.

TEMPS IN THE 80S/90S...AND DWPTS INTO THE LOW/MID 70S MAKING FOR
VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS THIS AFTN. JUST WAITING FOR THE CAP TO
BREAK LATE THIS AFTN AS TROF EVIDENT WITH PROFILERS OVER THE HI
PLAINS MOVES EAST INTO THIS JUICY ATMOS.

SCT TRWS TO FIRE LATE AFTN INTO THE EVENING. SVR STORMS LIKELY.
AN MCS ALSO FCST TO FORM FROM CONVECTION THAT FIRES WEST OF US.
THIS WORKS INTO CWA OVERNIGHT. WITH ALL THIS JUICE...WILL LEAVE
MENTION OF HEAVY RAIN IN FCST. GIVEN LOWS THIS AM...AND ALL THE
CLDS AND PRECIP EXPECTED TONIGHT...WILL BUMP LOWS TO ABOUT 70
SRN PART OF NEB...MID 60S NW. 70/75 KS. GENERAL S WIND 10/20
SHIFTING TO NE...GUSTY/VARIABLE WITH STORMS.

TOMR...GOOD CHC STORMS LEFTOVER IN AM AND AGAIN LATE IN DAY FROM
EXTREME SRN NEB INTO NCNTRL KS. SOME CHC TO THE NORTH AS WELL
TEMPS RANGING FROM MID 80S NORTH OF FRONT IN NEB...TO 90/95 KS.
NORTHEAST WIND 5/15 NEB.

TOMR NIGHT...PRETTY QUITE AFTER EVENING STORMS FROM NEB/KS BORDER
SOUTH. NEXT SYS ALSO BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE WEST ON HI PLAINS...BUT
WILL LIKELY NOT MAKE IT INTO CNTRL NEB JUST YET. LOWS ABIT COOLER
WITH 65ISH TEMPS MORE WIDESPREAD IN NEB...ABOUT 70 IN KS.

INTO SUNDAY...CHC TRWS AGAIN LATE IN DAY AS NEXT SYSTEM TAKES
SHAPE VERY WARM TEMPS AGAIN AS SOUTHERLY FLOW REALLY PICKS UP.
WOULD PUT INTO THE 90S AGAIN IN MANY AREAS...AND WELL INTO THE 90S
KS. 30% AFTN POPS...ALLOW THEY MAY HOLD OFF TIL EVENING.

GRI BU 070/085/065/092 6303
ODX BU 065/082/060/091 6303
LXN BU 065/084/060/093 6303
HBR BB 072/087/067/092 6433
BEL BB 075/092/069/094 6443

GURNEY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 20, 8:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
NEZ075-061-076-060-077-084-082-072-040-062-063-083-047-074-048-
041-086-073-049-046-087-039-085-064-210300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
800 PM CDT FRI JUN 20 1997

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 489 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM...

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 491 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM...

A TORNADO WATCH...NUMBER 489...IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM.  THIS WATCH
COVERS THE AREA WEST OF A LINE FROM LEXINGTON TO HOLDREGE TO ALMA. SOME
ADDITIONAL CITIES INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH ARE ELWOOD AND BEAVER CITY.

ANOTHER TORNADO WATCH...NUMBER 491...IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM.  THIS
WATCH COVERS THAT AREA IN SOUTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA EAST OF A LINE FROM
ORD TO KEARNEY TO FRANKLIN.  ADDITIONAL CITIES INCLUDED IN THIS WATCH
ARE...GRAND ISLAND...HASTINGS...SUPERIOR...AND YORK.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT.  BE READY TO TAKE
QUICK ACTION AS SECONDS MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE.

KISNER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 20, 7:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHoward, Merrick, Nance45 min
Jun 20, 8:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGreeley51 min
Jun 20, 8:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHoward, Merrick, Nance46 min
Jun 20, 9:00 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDMerrick45 min
Jun 20, 9:42 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDDawson48 min
Jun 20, 9:45 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDMerrick, Polk30 min
Jun 20, 9:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHoward39 min
Jun 20, 10:04 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDHoward41 min
Jun 20, 10:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDValley47 min
Jun 20, 10:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo, Sherman49 min
Jun 20, 10:31 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDDawson44 min
Jun 20, 10:43 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGreeley, Howard32 min
Jun 20, 11:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDMerrick, Nance45 min
Jun 20, 11:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHall45 min
Jun 20, 11:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDAdams, Kearney39 min
Jun 20, 11:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDClay, Hamilton50 min
Jun 20, 11:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPolk50 min
Jun 20, 11:23 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo37 min
Jun 20, 11:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDFillmore, York41 min
Jun 21, 12:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDClay, Fillmore41 min
Jun 21, 1:06 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGosper39 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 1997Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1997

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.