Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 38, NWS Hastings, NE

June 3, 1999Harlan County, Nebraska; Phillips County, Kansas

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at Jun 3, 1999, 8:15 PM CDT for Harlan County, Nebraska; Phillips County, Kansas. It was in force for 45 min. 4 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 3, 1999, 8:15 PM CDT (01:15 UTC)
Expired
Jun 3, 1999, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Whole counties

Counties Phillips County, KS, Harlan County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:18 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 3, 8:15 PM CDTHail 0.88Woodruff, KS
Jun 3, 8:18 PM CDTTornado F0Woodruff, KS
Jun 3, 8:20 PM CDTHail 1.75Stamford, NE
Jun 3, 8:50 PM CDTHail 0.75Alma, 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 3, 7:45 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC3 hr
Jun 3, 4:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 164 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 1999-06-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2027 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 1999-06-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 160 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
2027 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-76 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1167 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
160 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
202 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.2
Supercell composite
12.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

944 
WFUS1 KGRI 040116 RRA
TORGRI
KSC147-NEC083-040200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
815 PM CDT THU JUN 3 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR PEOPLE IN...
  NORTHERN PHILLIPS COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
  SOUTHERN HARLAN COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 900 PM CDT

* AT 813 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  DEVELOPING TORNADO 18 MILES NORTHWEST OF PHILLIPSBURG...OR 3 MILES
  NORTHEAST OF LONG ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

* TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  WOODRUFF AT 830 PM 
  ALMA AT 845 PM 
  REPUBLICAN CITY AT 900 PM 

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 Jun 3, 2:50 PM CDT, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 3, 2:50 PM CDT, 5 hours 25 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
250 PM CDT THU JUN 3 1999

MAIN CONCERN FOR THIS PACKAGE WILL BE PCPN TONITE AND SATURDAY AS
WELL AS IN THE OUTER PERIODS. S/WV THAT INDUCED TSRA ACROSS THE CWA
THIS MORNING HAS MOVED OFF TO THE EAST AND IS NOW LOCATED NEAR THE
IOWA/MO BORDER. MEANWHILE LATEST LAPS DATA SHOWING HIER
INSTABILITIES ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA WITH CAPES
NEARING 3700 J/KG...LIS AROUND -8 AND STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW OF LL
MOISTR WITH DEW POINTS AROUND 70 DEG. PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF UPPER
LEVEL SUPPORT AND TRIGGERING MECHANISM TO INITIATE TS DEVELOPMENT.
WITH THIS IN MIND WILL GO WITH SMALL POPS TONITE. BUT IF SOMETHING
DOES DEVELOP...THE ATM SHOULD BE SUFFICIENTLY UNSTABLE AND JUICY TO
SUSTAIN POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. WITH THIS SCENARIO IT WILL NOT
TAKE MUCH RAINFALL TO CAUSE SOME FLASH FLOODING MAINLY ACROSS
EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA WHERE FFG IN SOME PLACES HAVE 1-3 HR
GUIDANCE VALUES UNDER AN INCH. FOR SAT DAYTIME HEATING WILL ALLOW
INSTABILITIES TO INCREASE ACROSS THE CWA SO WILL ONLY ADD TOKEN
SLIGHT CHANCE FOR LATE AFTN TS CONSIDERING AMOUNT OF MID LEVEL WAA
WHICH SHOULD DEVELOP RELATIVELY DECENT CAP. FRI NITE LEE SIDE LOW
STRENGTHENS OVER THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS AND SOUTHERLY FLOW
CONTINUES TO DRAW IN ADDITIONAL MOISTR TO THE AREA. LAYER RH
INCREASE OVERNITE AS NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE CENTRAL
ROCKIES. BEST LIFT IS PROGGED BY 12Z SO WILL WORD FOR SMALL POPS
TOWARD DAYBREAK. ON SAT MOISTR HANGS AROUND AND WILL AGAIN GO WITH
SMALL POPS WITH INFLUENCE OF NEXT DISTURBANCE INTO THE REGION.

IN THE EXTENDED...NOT MUCH CHANGE MADE HERE AS TREND CONTINUES FOR
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. IN GENERAL...BY SUN 12Z MRF AND UKMET ARE IN
AGREEMENT WITH NEXT S/WV TROF OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AND BY LATE
DAY MOVING IT INTO THE EASTERN DAKOTAS/WESTERN MIN. CANADIAN MODEL
AND NOGAPS ARE MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THIS FEATURE AND DONT BY SOLN.
BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF THE DISTURBANCE...STRONG DPVA AND LINGERING
INSTABILITIES WILL WORD FOR EARLY TS. AFTERWHICH...DRIER MORE STABLE
AIR ADVCTS INTO AREA BY SUNDAY NITE FOR PLEASANT CONDITIONS DURING
THE NITETIME HOURS AND MOST OF MONDAY. TSRA CHANCES LOOK GOOD DURING
THE OVERNITE HOURS ON MONDAY AND ESPECIALLY TUESDAY AS INSTABILITIES
ONCE AGAIN ARE ON THE INCREASE FROM DAYTIME HEATING AND MOISTR
ADVECTING INTO THE AREA VIA SOUTHERLY FLOW.

.GID...NONE

DEE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 3, 8:04 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-DDHHMM-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
804 PM CDT THU JUN 3 1999

...TORNADO WATCH 367 FOR ROOKS COUNTY IN KANSAS HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 10 PM CDT
HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER.  NO SEVERE
WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE COUNTY THE REST OF TONIGHT.

DRK
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 8:04 PM CDT, 11 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-DDHHMM-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
804 PM CDT THU JUN 3 1999

...TORNADO WATCH 367 FOR ROOKS COUNTY IN KANSAS HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 10 PM CDT
HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER.  NO SEVERE
WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE COUNTY THE REST OF TONIGHT.

DRK
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 8:08 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
808 PM CDT THU JUN 3 1999

...TORNADO WATCH #367 FOR ROOKS COUNTY IN KANSAS HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 10 PM CDT
HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER.  NO SEVERE
WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE COUNTY THE REST OF TONIGHT.

DRK
Special weather statement, Jun 3, 8:08 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
808 PM CDT THU JUN 3 1999

...TORNADO WATCH #367 FOR ROOKS COUNTY IN KANSAS HAS BEEN
CANCELLED...

THE TORNADO WATCH THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA UNTIL 10 PM CDT
HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER.  NO SEVERE
WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE COUNTY THE REST OF TONIGHT.

DRK

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 3, 10:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDValley58 min
Jun 3, 11:18 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDValley57 min
Jun 4, 12:13 AM CDTTornado WarningGIDValley32 min
Jun 3, 7:33 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDPhillips42 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 1999Tornado Warnings in Kansas, 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.