Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2001

Tornado Warning 68, NWS Omaha, NE

July 17, 2001Douglas County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Jul 17, 2001, 10:45 PM CDT for Douglas 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: Jul 17, 2001, 10:45 PM CDT (03:45 UTC)
Expired: Jul 17, 2001, 11:30 PM CDT
In force: 45 min
Issued by: NWS Omaha, NE
Area: Whole counties

County Douglas County, NE

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 18 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:47 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 17, 10:53 PM CDT	Thunderstorm Wind 61 M	Omaha, NE	A supercell thunderstorm tracked across Douglas county and the greater Omaha area producing widespread wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph. These strong winds downed some power poles and trees as well as blew around a lot of outdoor furniture throughout the central an
Jul 17, 10:53 PM CDT	Hail 1.75	Omaha, NE	Although large hail was not widespread with the supercell that produced the wind damage to Omaha this evening, a few reports of golfball size hail was reported in the far northwest part of the city.

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.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 17, 10:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 18 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 3248 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -91 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1677 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 154 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.9
Supercell composite: 40.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KOAX 180346
TOROMA

NEC055-180430-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
1045 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  DOUGLAS COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 1130 PM CDT

* AT 1042 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY STRONG
  ROTATION AND A DEVELOPING TORNADO 4 MILES NORTH OF ELKHORN...OR
  ABOUT 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF OMAHA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
  BENNINGTON AROUND 1050 PM CDT
  BOYS TOWN AROUND 1100 PM CDT

THIS REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FOR
DOUGLAS COUNTY.  

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...GO TO A BASEMENT. IF A BASEMENT
IS NOT AVAILABLE...TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. AVOID WINDOWS.

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO THREAT...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINUDS 
ARE EXPECTED.

$$

LAT...LON 4139 9639 4131 9639 4125 9632 4122 9608
          4138 9596

DDN

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jul 17, 2:57 PM CDT, 7 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 2:57 PM CDT, 7 hours 48 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
257 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

...CONVECTIVE/FLOODING CONCERNS MAIN PROBLEM...AS WELL AS HEAT...

STORMS FROM SUNDAY NIGHT PRODUCED HEAVY RAINS OVER A FEW NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA COUNTIES...RESULTING IN 3-HR FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES
AROUND 1.5 INCHES...GENERALLY FROM NORFOLK NORTH.  ADDITIONAL
STRONG/SEVERE CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON OVER NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WITH A WEAKER CLUSTER FROM CENTRAL INTO
NORTHEAST.  18Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS A WEAK LOW OVER MCK...WITH A
WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM THE LOW TO NEAR I-80.  EXTREME
MOISTURE POOLING IS TAKING PLACE JUST NORTH OF THIS BOUNDARY...WITH
19Z METARS SHOWING 81 DEWPOINTS AT COLUMBUS AND AT FREMONT...AND 80
AT OMA AND TQE.  SOUTH OF THE BOUNDARY A VERY HOT AIRMASS
EXISTS...WITH 19Z TEMPERATURES OF 105 AT RSL...104 SLN...102 CNK.

UNSEASONABLY STRONG JET STREAM SHOWING UP ON PROFILER NETWORK...AND
PULLING SUBTROPICAL PLUME FURTHER INTO PLAINS.  PLATTEVILLE PROFILER
HAD A 95 KNOT JET MAX MOVE THROUGH AT 15Z...AND AT 18Z WAS STILL 80
KNOTS.  WATERVAPOR AND IR IMAGERY SHOWING HOW ACTIVE THIS JET
IS...TAPPING THE STRONG INSTABILITY IN PLACE.  12Z OAX SOUNDING
MODIFIED FOR MAX TEMPERATURE SHOWS A WEAK CAP WITH 4500 J/KG CAPE.
GENERAL THINKING IS THE JET AND THE SURFACE BOUNDARIES SHOULD BE
SUFFICIENT TO TRIGGER FURTHER DEVELOPMENT...THUS WILL CARRY CHANCE
POPS NORTH AND POSSIBLY CENTRAL.  SOUTHERN COUNTIES ARE MORE
DIFFICULT WITH A STRONGER CAP AND NO WELL DEFINED SURFACE BOUNDARY.
DESPITE ALL THE MODELS EXCEPT THE AVN DEVELOPING CONVECTION IN THE
SOUTHEAST...WILL GO DRY THERE TONIGHT.  SEE SWOMCD 1534 FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL.

COORDINATED WITH FSD AND LBF ON FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FAR
NORTHERN ZONES.  THIS AREA HAS BEST CHANCE FOR BACKBUILDING
MCS...AND WITH FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE VALUES LOW...WILL ISSUE WATCH
FOR TONIGHT.

BEYOND TONIGHT...UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES TO BUILD WITH 5920 M HEIGHT
LINE MOVING MORE NORTH WITH TIME.  WILL GO WITH TYPICAL SUMMER RIDGE
PATTERN AND LEAVE POPS OUT AND KEEP TEMPERATURES WARM.  MODELS
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP CONVECTION OFF/ON THROUGH THE WEEK DEEP INTO THE
RIDGE...BUT WILL DISCOUNT UNTIL MORE EVIDENCE COMES IN.

REGARDING THE WARM TEMPERATURES...SOUTHERN ZONES CERTAINLY HAVE A
BETTER CHANCE OF REACHING CRITERIA THAN NORTHERN ZONES.  PER
COORDINATION WITH TOPEKA...WILL KEEP ADVISORY GOING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTHERN ZONES.  HOWEVER WILL NOT EXTEND THE ADVISORY
FOR CENTRAL/NORTHERN ZONES BASED ON CHANCES FOR CONVECTION...AND
LESS CONFIDENCE IN REACHING THE 105 DEGREES FOR 3 HOURS DAYTIME
CRITERIA AND THE 80 AT NIGHT OVERNIGHT CRITERIA.

.OMA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT FOR KNOX...CEDAR...ANTELOPE...
       PIERCE...WAYNE...MADISON...STANTON...CUMING COUNTIES.

       HEAT ADVISORY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NEZ050>053-065>068-
       078-088-093 AND IAZ069-079-080-090-091

NIETFELD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 17, 5:25 PM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-180430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
525 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2001

THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT IN
EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA.

A VERY UNSTABLE AND MOIST AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS AIR MASS WILL INTERACT WITH A NUMBER OF
SURFACE BOUNDARIES AND UPPER AIR DISTURBANCES TO BRING A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION TONIGHT.

BASED ON THE DEGREE OF ATMOSPHERIC INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR...SOME
OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS APPEAR
TO BE THE MAIN RISK...HOWEVER ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT
DURING THE EVENING. IN ADDITION TO THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE IN
THE ATMOSPHERE...AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE. A FLASH FLOOD
WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED TONIGHT FOR NORTHEAST NEBRASKA.

GW

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 17, 9:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Dodge	43 min
Jul 17, 9:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Dodge, Washington	61 min
Jul 17, 10:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Dodge	31 min
Jul 17, 10:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Douglas	45 min
Jul 17, 10:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Washington	32 min
Jul 17, 11:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Sarpy	48 min
Jul 18, 6:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Jefferson	50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2001 Every tornado warning in 2001 Tornadoes in 2001

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.