Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 169, NWS Hastings, NE

July 21, 2002Sherman County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2002, 4:07 PM CDT for Sherman County, Nebraska. It was in force for 53 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 21, 2002, 4:07 PM CDT (21:07 UTC)
Expired
Jul 21, 2002, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Sherman County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 114 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:10 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 21, 4:30 PM CDTHail 0.75Ashton, 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 133 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 2002-07-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 119 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 2002-07-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
119 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-460 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1766 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
28 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

153 
WUUS53 KGID 212107
SVRGRI
NEC163-212200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
406 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SHERMAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 500 PM CDT

* AT 404 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES NORTH OF ASHTON...OR ABOUT 34 MILES   
NORTHWEST OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING EAST SLOWLY AT 5 MPH.

PEOPLE IN SHERMAN COUNTY SHOULD SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE
AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS LARGE HAIL THE SIZE OF DIMES 
AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH.

LAT...LON 4138 9918 4106 9916 4106 9877 4137 9878

NNNN

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 Jul 21, 2:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
255 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2002

A BREAK IN THE HEAT IS ON THE WAY.

COLD FRONT FROM NORTH-CENTRAL NEBRASKA INTO NORTHEAST COLORADO AT
19Z WITH TEMPS IN THE UPPER 60S AND 70S BEHIND THE FRONT.  PRE-
FRONTAL TROF HAS PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF A ONEIL TO ORD TO LEXINGTON
TO MCCOOK LINE.  WINDS THERE HAVE SWITCHED TO THE NORTH BUT COOLER
AIR MUCH BEHIND.  SOME ISOLATED SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE
TROF WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THESE PRIOR TO ISSUANCE TO SEE IF ANY
ADJUSTMENTS ARE NEEDED TO WORDING.

ONCE FRONT STARTS TO MOVE SOUTH THIS EVENING...IT WILL MAKE GOOD
PROGRESS THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT.  SETTING UP TO THE
SOUTH OF THE AREA BY MONDAY MORNING.  BEST LEFT WILL BE BEHIND THE
FRONT AND EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS/STORMS OVER MOST OF THE AREA
TONIGHT.  HAVE BUMPED POPS UP TO 50 PERCENT.  GIVEN CURRENT DRY
WEATHER TREND DONT WANT TO GET OVERLY HOPEFUL ON RAIN CHANCES.

SOME LINGERING PRECIP POSSIBLE MONDAY MORNING IN KANSAS ZONES AND
WILL KEEP SMALL CHANCES THERE...OTHERWISE...GOOD DRYING AND
SUBSTANCE BEHIND FRONT WILL PROVIDE MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES BY AFTERNOON.

UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE REST OF THE
PERIOD.  NOT MUCH TO HANG HAT ON AFTER THIS ROUND OF STORMS TO GIVE
CHANCES FOR RAIN.  WILL GO BACK TO DROUGHT FORECAST WITH DRY
CONDITIONS AND TEMPS BACK INTO THE 90S BY MID WEEK.

.GID...NONE

KISNER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 21, 11:30 AM CDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-221000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1130 AM CDT SUN JUL 21 2002

...VERY HOT AND HUMID AGAIN TODAY...HOWEVER SOME RELIEF IS ON
THE WAY AND SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING...

BEFORE TEMPERATURE DROP HOWEVER...ANOTHER VERY HOT DAY IS ON TAP
WITH AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM 98 TO 105 DEGREES OVER
THE FORECAST AREA. REMEMBER TO USE GOOD JUDGMENT AND EXTREME CAUTION
IF YOU PLAN WORK OR RECREATION OUTSIDE TODAY.

TODAY...A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA...ARRIVING IN NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS BEFORE MIDNIGHT. AHEAD OF
THE FRONT HOWEVER...SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL BRING MOSTLY HIGH AND
DRY CONDITIONS...WITH WARM MID LEVEL TEMPERATURES IN THE ATMOSPHERE
PUTTING THE BRAKES ON THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON.

LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL
MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT...COOLING THE MID LEVELS...AND HELP TO
FURTHER DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. IN ADDITION...LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
WILL CONVERGE ALONG OR NEAR THE FRONT...PROVIDING A FAVORABLE AREA
FOR THUNDERSTORM FORMATION. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO
DEVELOP AFTER 3 PM CDT...MAINLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 92. ALTHOUGH
WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...SOME EARLY STORMS IN THIS
VERY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT MAY GO SEVERE...WITH STRONG WINDS BEING THE
PRIMARY THREAT. THERE WILL ALSO BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR HAIL TO 1 INCH
WITH A FEW OF THESE STORMS.

THE FRONT WILL PROGRESS TO THE SOUTHEAST...AND REACH INTO PORTIONS OF
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS BY 10 PM...HOWEVER MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS
BY THIS TIME WILL WEAKEN AS THE SUN GOES DOWN AND WE LOSE DAYTIME
HEATING. OVERALL COVERAGE HOWEVER WILL INCREASE BEHIND THE FRONT...
AND FURTHER TO THE SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM MAY
BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH SOME SMALL
HAIL WILL BE MOST LIKELY.

AGAIN...ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...SPOTTERS
MAY BE NEEDED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.

10
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 2:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-221000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
230 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2002

...STORM SPOTTERS MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON EVENING...

REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...A COOL FRONT IS CONTINUING TO
TRACK SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
ALOFT...AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE IS MOVING THROUGH JUST BEHIND THE
FRONT...COOLING THE MID LEVELS...AND HELPING TO FURTHER DESTABILIZE
THE ATMOSPHERE. ALSO...A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM NEAR
LEXINGTON NEBRASKA...SOUTH INTO NORTHERN KANSAS...IS PROVIDING AN
AREA OF CONVERGENCE THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FAVORABLE AREA FOR
THUNDERSTORM FORMATION. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG A
LINE BETWEEN GREELEY AND OXFORD NEBRASKA...AND WILL FILL IN AND
DRIFT NORTHEASTERLY AT 15 TO 20 MPH...WHILE THE FRONT ITSELF MOVES
TO THE SOUTHEAST. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT
EXPECTED...SOME EARLY STORMS IN THIS VERY UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT MAY
GO SEVERE...WITH STRONG WINDS BEING THE PRIMARY THREAT. THERE WILL
ALSO BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR HAIL TO 1 INCH WITH A FEW OF THESE
STORMS.

TONIGHT...THE FRONT WILL PROGRESS TO THE SOUTHEAST...AND REACH INTO
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS BY 9 PM...HOWEVER MOST OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS BY THIS TIME WILL WEAKEN AS THE SUN GOES DOWN AND WE
LOSE DAYTIME HEATING. OVERALL COVERAGE HOWEVER WILL INCREASE BEHIND
THE FRONT...AND FURTHER TO THE SOUTH AFTER MIDNIGHT. AN ISOLATED
SEVERE STORM MAY BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN
WITH SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE MOST LIKELY.

AGAIN...ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...SPOTTERS
MAY BE NEEDED FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.

10

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 21, 4:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGreeley, Howard60 min
Jul 21, 4:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo60 min
Jul 21, 5:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHoward58 min
Jul 21, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDFurnas66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2002Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2002

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.