Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Hastings, NE

April 8, 1999Polk County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at Apr 8, 1999, 11:51 AM CDT for Polk County, Nebraska. It was in force for 39 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
Apr 8, 1999, 11:51 AM CDT (16:51 UTC)
Expired
Apr 8, 1999, 12:30 PM CDT
In force
39 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Polk County, NE

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:55 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
Apr 8, 12:05 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 57Stromsburg, NE
Apr 8, 12:20 PM CDTHail 1Shelby, 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
Apr 8, 6:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr
Apr 8, 11:45 AM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 4.9 hours before the alert went out and 254 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 12:00Z on 1999-04-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 200 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 12:00Z on 1999-04-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 419 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
200 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-178 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
677 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
419 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
469 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 KGRI 081657 RRB
TORGRI
NEC143-081730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING  ...CORRECTED FOR EXPIRATION TIME...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1151 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR PEOPLE IN...
  POLK COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 1230 PM CDT

* AT 1151 AM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS AND NATIONAL WEATHER
  SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 17 MILES NORTH OF YORK...
  OR 5 MILES EAST OF POLK...MOVING NORTH AT 55 MPH.

* TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  SHELBY AT NOON 

TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN A BASEMENT OR GO TO A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. GET UNDER A STURDY PIECE OF FURNITURE AND COVER
YOUR HEAD WITH A BLANKET OR PILLOW. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

&

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.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 8, 3:55 AM CDT, 7 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 3:55 AM CDT, 7 hours 56 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
355 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE...POSSIBLY SEVERE...AND WIND SPEEDS MAIN
CONCERN TODAY...

IR IMG CONTINUES TO SHOW LOW LEVEL STATUS (LL MOISTURE) AND SOME ACC
DEVELOPMENT SE OF LINE FORM LNK TO HLC. EXPECT THESE CLOUDS TO
ADVANCE NORTHWARD OVER SE CWA AND INCREASE INSTABILITY THIS MORNING
IN ADVANCE OF STRONG SFC LOW. LOOKS LIKE AVN MODEL TO GO WITH FOR
TRACKING THIS SYSTEM ACROSS THE PLAINS THIS MORNING AS IT SEEMS
TO HANDLE SFC FEATURES WELL.

MENTIONED LIKELY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN CWA TODAY NEAR
BEST MOIST ADV AND LIFT. 88D SHOWING SOME REFLECTIVITY RETURNS OF 25
DBZ NORTH OF I-80 FROM YORK TO LNK.  EXPECT DRY SLOT OVER WESTERN CWA
AND TRIMMED BACK POPS TO 40% CHANCE FOR TODAY. WIND ADVISORY THIS
AFTERNOON ALL CWA EXCEPT NORTHERN SEVEN COUNTIES CLOSER TO LOW AND
BLENDS WELL WITH OTHER WARNING AREAS.

PRETTY MUCH WENT WITH GUID ON TEMPS BUT RAISE THEM A HAIR IN NC KS
EXTRM SOUTHERN NEBR WITH GOOD AFTERNOON SUN AND WEST DOWNSLOPING
WIND.

EXTENDED...ONLY CHANGE MADE WAS CHANCE A SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ON MONDAY...OTHERWISE LEFT AS IS.

.GID...WIND ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE-80

PURDY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 8, 10:27 AM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-091200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1027 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
GENERALLY EAST OF EAST OF THE TRI CITIES.

SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA TODAY.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING PULLED NORTH INTO THE LOW AND WILL
CREATE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE.  ALSO THERE WILL BE A HIGH DEGREE
OF WIND SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHICH WILL HELP A FEW STORMS DEVELOP
INTO SUPERCELLS.

LOCATIONS TO EAST OF A LINE FROM SMITH CENTER KANSAS TO GRAND ISLAND
NEBRASKA WILL SEE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION.

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING 30 COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

PHILLIPS          ROOKS          SMITH
JEWELL            OSBORNE        MITCHELL

IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN
HOWARD     MERRICK     POLK      YORK
HAMILTON   HALL        BUFFALO   DAWSON
GOSPER     PHELPS      KEARNEY   ADAMS
CLAY       FILLMORE    THAYER    NUCKOLLS
WEBSTER    FRANKLIN    HARLAN    FURNAS

DDN
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 10:27 AM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-091200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1027 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
GENERALLY EAST OF EAST OF THE TRI CITIES.

SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA TODAY.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING PULLED NORTH INTO THE LOW AND WILL
CREATE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE.  ALSO THERE WILL BE A HIGH DEGREE
OF WIND SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHICH WILL HELP A FEW STORMS DEVELOP
INTO SUPERCELLS.

LOCATIONS TO EAST OF A LINE FROM SMITH CENTER KANSAS TO GRAND ISLAND
NEBRASKA WILL SEE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION.

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING 30 COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

PHILLIPS          ROOKS          SMITH
JEWELL            OSBORNE        MITCHELL

IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN
HOWARD     MERRICK     POLK      YORK
HAMILTON   HALL        BUFFALO   DAWSON
GOSPER     PHELPS      KEARNEY   ADAMS
CLAY       FILLMORE    THAYER    NUCKOLLS
WEBSTER    FRANKLIN    HARLAN    FURNAS

DDN
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 10:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-091200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1042 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
GENERALLY EAST OF EAST OF THE TRI CITIES.

SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA TODAY.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING PULLED NORTH INTO THE LOW AND WILL
CREATE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE.  ALSO THERE WILL BE A HIGH DEGREE
OF WIND SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHICH WILL HELP A FEW STORMS DEVELOP
INTO SUPERCELLS.

LOCATIONS TO EAST OF A LINE FROM SMITH CENTER KANSAS TO GRAND ISLAND
NEBRASKA WILL SEE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION.

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING 30 COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

PHILLIPS          ROOKS          SMITH
JEWELL            OSBORNE        MITCHELL

IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN
HOWARD     MERRICK     POLK      YORK
HAMILTON   HALL        BUFFALO   DAWSON
GOSPER     PHELPS      KEARNEY   ADAMS
CLAY       FILLMORE    THAYER    NUCKOLLS
WEBSTER    FRANKLIN    HARLAN    FURNAS

DRK
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 10:42 AM CDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-091200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1042 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
GENERALLY EAST OF EAST OF THE TRI CITIES.

SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA TODAY.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING PULLED NORTH INTO THE LOW AND WILL
CREATE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE.  ALSO THERE WILL BE A HIGH DEGREE
OF WIND SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHICH WILL HELP A FEW STORMS DEVELOP
INTO SUPERCELLS.

LOCATIONS TO EAST OF A LINE FROM SMITH CENTER KANSAS TO GRAND ISLAND
NEBRASKA WILL SEE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION.

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING 30 COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

PHILLIPS          ROOKS          SMITH
JEWELL            OSBORNE        MITCHELL

IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN
HOWARD     MERRICK     POLK      YORK
HAMILTON   HALL        BUFFALO   DAWSON
GOSPER     PHELPS      KEARNEY   ADAMS
CLAY       FILLMORE    THAYER    NUCKOLLS
WEBSTER    FRANKLIN    HARLAN    FURNAS

DRK
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 10:53 AM CDT, 58 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-091200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1053 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
GENERALLY EAST OF EAST OF THE TRI CITIES.

SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA TODAY.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING PULLED NORTH INTO THE LOW AND WILL
CREATE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE.  ALSO THERE WILL BE A HIGH DEGREE
OF WIND SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHICH WILL HELP A FEW STORMS DEVELOP
INTO SUPERCELLS.

LOCATIONS TO EAST OF A LINE FROM SMITH CENTER KANSAS TO GRAND ISLAND
NEBRASKA WILL SEE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION.

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING 30 COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

PHILLIPS          ROOKS          SMITH
JEWELL            OSBORNE        MITCHELL

IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN
HOWARD     MERRICK     POLK      YORK
HAMILTON   HALL        BUFFALO   DAWSON
GOSPER     PHELPS      KEARNEY   ADAMS
CLAY       FILLMORE    THAYER    NUCKOLLS
WEBSTER    FRANKLIN    HARLAN    FURNAS

DRK
Special weather statement, Apr 8, 10:53 AM CDT, 58 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-091200-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1053 AM CDT THU APR 8 1999

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PART OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

SPOTTER ACTION...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON FOR AREAS
GENERALLY EAST OF EAST OF THE TRI CITIES.

SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS MOVING ACROSS NEBRASKA TODAY.
WARM AND MOIST AIR IS BEING PULLED NORTH INTO THE LOW AND WILL
CREATE A VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE.  ALSO THERE WILL BE A HIGH DEGREE
OF WIND SHEAR WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHICH WILL HELP A FEW STORMS DEVELOP
INTO SUPERCELLS.

LOCATIONS TO EAST OF A LINE FROM SMITH CENTER KANSAS TO GRAND ISLAND
NEBRASKA WILL SEE THE GREATEST RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS
AFTERNOON.  THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.  HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE
QUESTION.

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS TO THE FOLLOWING 30 COUNTIES...

IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...

PHILLIPS          ROOKS          SMITH
JEWELL            OSBORNE        MITCHELL

IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

VALLEY     GREELEY     NANCE     SHERMAN
HOWARD     MERRICK     POLK      YORK
HAMILTON   HALL        BUFFALO   DAWSON
GOSPER     PHELPS      KEARNEY   ADAMS
CLAY       FILLMORE    THAYER    NUCKOLLS
WEBSTER    FRANKLIN    HARLAN    FURNAS

DRK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 8, 11:21 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDMerrick, Nance39 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 1999Every tornado warning in 1999Tornadoes in 1999

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.