Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 1999

Tornado Warning 48, NWS North Platte, NE

July 2, 1999Sheridan County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this tornado warning at Jul 2, 1999, 9:10 PM MDT for Sheridan County, Nebraska. It was in force for 45 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
Jul 2, 1999, 9:10 PM MDT (03:10 UTC)
Expired
Jul 2, 1999, 9:55 PM MDT
In force
45 min
Issued by
NWS North Platte, NE
Area
Whole counties

County Sheridan County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 163 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:11 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
Jul 2, 9:15 PM MDTThunderstorm Wind 58Gordon, 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 nearest sounding before it

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 00:00Z, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 178 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, Rapid City, SD at 00:00Z on 1999-07-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 890 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Rapid City, SD at 00:00Z on 1999-07-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 76 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
890 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-280 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
962 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
72 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
76 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
259 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 KLBF 030310 RRA
TORLBF
NEC161-030355-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1010 PM CDT (910 PM MDT) FRI JUL 2 1999

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN SHERIDAN COUNTY IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE

* UNTIL 955 PM MDT (1055 PM CDT)

* AT 906 PM MDT... NORTH PLATTE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  DEVELOPING TORNADO 32 MILES NORTHEAST OF ALLIANCE OR 10 MILES
  NORTH OF SMITH LAKE... MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS WARNING
  REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT
  FOR ALL OF SHERIDAN COUNTY UNTIL 945 PM MDT.

THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN RURAL AREAS BETWEEN HIGHWAY
20 AND THE NIOBRARA RIVER.

GO TO THE BASEMENT OR A SMALL INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR!

DLS

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 2, 1:45 PM MDT, 7 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 2, 1:45 PM MDT, 7 hours 25 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
245 PM CDT FRI JUL 2 1999

...FORECAST CHALLENGES ARE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES TONIGHT THEN
TEMPERATURES...

SURFACE WARM FRONT HAS LIFTED NORTH THROUGH MOST OF CWFA PUSHING
DEWPOINTS INTO LOWER TO MID 70S SE OF AXIS FROM VTN TO IML. WARM
FRONT EXTENDED SW TO LOW IN FAR SE WY. CI FROM CONVECTION OVER MTNS
HAS KEPT TEMPERATURES A BIT COOLER THAN EXPECTED SO FAR. VERY
UNSTABLE BUT CAPPED ATMOSPHERE IS OVER AREA FROM MCK TO VTN.
FORECAST PROBLEM IS WHERE CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT. NEAREST
UPSTREAM TSRA ACTIVITY AT 19Z WAS FROM CENTRAL CO TO SW KS
ASSOCIATED WITH WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVING OUT OF NEW MEXICO. WITHOUT
STRONG DYNAMICS...WILL LEAVE IN 20 PERCENT POPS FOR OVERNIGHT
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS FORECAST AREA...EXCEPT IN THE NE. IN ONL TO ANW
GROUP THE PROXIMITY TO THE WARM FRONT AND UPSTREAM SURFACE DEWPOINTS
IN MID 70S WILL WARRANT KEEPING POPS A BIT HIGHER AT 30 PERCENT.
THIS AREA WILL ALSO NEED TO BE WATCHED FOR POTENTIAL HEAVY RAINFALL
AS FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES THERE ARE LOW DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL.

ETA HAD BEST RUN TO RUN MODEL CONSISTENCY AND WAS BETTER THAN NGM
WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS. IT ALSO HAD GOOD HANDLE ON VORT MAX AT 18Z
MOVING OUT OF SW AND THUS MODEL OF CHOICE. NOT A LOT OF DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN MODELS IN HANDLING OF MAJOR FEATURES.

WENT CLOSER TO WARMER FAN TEMPERATURES FOR HIGHS SAT AND SUNDAY WITH
OVERNIGHT LOWS CLOSE TO GUIDANCE. EXPECT CAP TO REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH
TO LEAVE OUT MENTION OF TSRA SATURDAY AND WILL KEEP FORECAST DRY AND
HOT WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS MENTIONED IN MOST ZONES. HOT AND DRY
TREND WILL PERSIST SUNDAY WITH SURFACE TROUGH HANGING TOUGH OVER
WESTERN NE. IN EXTENDED...93P GUIDANCE NOW HAS HIGHS ONLY IN LOWER 80S
FOR MONDAY WITH MRF SHOWING DRY COLD FRONT TO PUSH INTO FORECAST
AREA AND WILL CUT HIGHS BACK SOME FOR MONDAY AND ADD CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS FOR WEDNESDAY WITH SHORTWAVE MOVING OVER RIDGE THROUGH
AREA.

.LBF...NONE.
SHEETS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 2, 7:59 PM MDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
NEZ005>010-022-024>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-030645-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
858 PM CDT (758 PM MDT) FRI JUL 2 1999

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 AM CDT (1230 PM MDT) FOR
PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA UNTIL 130 AM CDT (1230 PM MDT). COUNTIES INCLUDED IN THE
WATCH INCLUDE BLAINE...BOYD...BROWN...GARFIELD...HOLT...KEYA
PAHA...LOUP...ROCK...WHEELER...CUSTER...FRONTIER...HAYES...
LINCOLN...LOGAN...MCPHERSON...CHERRY...HOOKER AND THOMAS COUNTIES.
THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF OGALLALA...IMPERIAL...NORTH PLATTE...
VALENTINE...BROKEN BOW...AINSWORTH AND O NEILL.

VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS EXIST ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA WITH THE THREAT FOR A FEW TORNADOES. STORMS WILL CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 80 MPH IN THE VICINITY OF SOME STORMS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR PART OF
WESTERN NEBRASKA HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO THE TORNADO WATCH. COUNTIES
WHICH ARE NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE DEUEL...ARTHUR AND
GRANT COUNTIES.

TLK
Local storm report, Jul 2, 8:04 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
904 PM CDT FRI JUL 2 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0850 PM    NORTH PLATTE              NE   60 MPH WIND GUST
07/02/99   LINCOLN                        14-16 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          DOWN

0850 PM    2 E NORTH PLATTE          NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/02/99   LINCOLN

0853 PM    2 E NORTH PLATTE          NE   70 MPH WIND GUST
07/02/99   LINCOLN                        70 MPH WIND GUST AT
                                          AIRPORT

DP
Local storm report, Jul 2, 8:04 PM MDT, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
904 PM CDT FRI JUL 2 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0850 PM    NORTH PLATTE              NE   60 MPH WIND GUST
07/02/99   LINCOLN                        14-16 INCH DIAMETER TREE
                                          DOWN

0850 PM    2 E NORTH PLATTE          NE   0.75 INCH HAIL
07/02/99   LINCOLN

0853 PM    2 E NORTH PLATTE          NE   70 MPH WIND GUST
07/02/99   LINCOLN                        70 MPH WIND GUST AT
                                          AIRPORT

DP
Local storm report, Jul 2, 8:47 PM MDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
947 PM CDT FRI JUL 2 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0850J PM    4 NE PAXTON               NE   60 MPH WIND GUST
07/02/99   KEITH                          60 MPH WIND GUST WITH
                                          TREE LIMBS DOWN

DP
Local storm report, Jul 2, 8:47 PM MDT, 23 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
947 PM CDT FRI JUL 2 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0850J PM    4 NE PAXTON               NE   60 MPH WIND GUST
07/02/99   KEITH                          60 MPH WIND GUST WITH
                                          TREE LIMBS DOWN

DP
Local storm report, Jul 2, 9:06 PM MDT, 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  NORTH PLATTE NE
1006 PM CDT FRI JUL 2 1999

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0950 PM    5 SW HAY SPRINGS          NE   1.00 INCH HAIL
07/02/99   SHERIDAN

DP

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 2, 6:06 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFChase, Hayes64 min
Jul 2, 6:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFChase62 min
Jul 2, 6:46 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFPerkins59 min
Jul 2, 7:00 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFPerkins50 min
Jul 2, 7:09 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFLincoln61 min
Jul 2, 7:43 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFKeith, Lincoln, McPherson47 min
Jul 2, 8:15 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCuster, Lincoln, Logan60 min
Jul 2, 8:15 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFThomas60 min
Jul 2, 8:29 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFHooker, McPherson61 min
Jul 2, 8:43 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFSheridan62 min
Jul 2, 9:20 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry60 min
Jul 2, 9:33 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry62 min
Jul 2, 9:56 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFCherry64 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.