Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 170, NWS Hastings, NE
NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 21, 2002, 4:15 PM CDT for Greeley County, Howard County, Nebraska. It was in force for 60 min. 2 reports 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, 4:15 PM CDT (21:15 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 21, 2002, 5:15 PM CDT
- In force
- 60 min
- Issued by
- NWS Hastings, NE
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Greeley County, NE, Howard County, NE
The radar
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:16 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 21, 4:20 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Greeley, NE | |
| Jul 21, 4:30 PM CDT | Hail 0.75 | Cotesfield, 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, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 172 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
741 WUUS53 KGID 212115 SVRGRI NEC077-093-212215- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 415 PM CDT SUN JUL 21 2002 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A * SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... GREELEY COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA HOWARD COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA * UNTIL 515 PM CDT * AT 410 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 8 MILES SOUTH OF SPALDING TO 8 MILES WEST OF COTESFIELD...OR FROM 45 MILES NORTH OF GRAND ISLAND TO 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. * SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... SCOTIA AT 435 PM CDT GREELEY AT 500 PM CDT SPALDING AT 515 PM CDT PEOPLE IN GREELEY AND HOWARD COUNTIES 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 4105 9873 4105 9830 4172 9831 4173 9874 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 20 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 2:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 20 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 45 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 45 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 4:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Sherman | 53 min |
| Jul 21, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Buffalo | 60 min |
| Jul 21, 5:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Howard | 58 min |
| Jul 21, 6:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GID | Furnas | 66 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.