Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 175, NWS Hastings, NE

July 24, 2002Greeley County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 24, 2002, 7:35 PM CDT for Greeley County, Nebraska. It was in force for 55 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 24, 2002, 7:35 PM CDT (00:35 UTC)
Expired
Jul 24, 2002, 8:30 PM CDT
In force
55 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Greeley County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 143 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:37 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 24, 8:19 PM CDTHail 1Spalding, 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 watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 24, 4:50 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC5 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2002-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 735 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, Omaha, NE at 00:00Z on 2002-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 70 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
735 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-160 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2139 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
70 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
310 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

851 
WUUS53 KGID 250035
SVRGRI
NEC077-250130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
734 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT

* AT 732 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 12 MILES NORTH OF SPALDING...OR ABOUT 43 MILES
  SOUTH OF ONEILL...MOVING SOUTH AT 20 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS SEVERE STORM INCLUDE SPALDING... 
GREELEY...AND RURAL AREAS OF EASTERN GREELEY COUNTY.

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

DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL THE
SIZE OF QUARTERS ARE LIKELY.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS 
CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE OR NO WARNING.

LAT...LON 4175 9832 4173 9871 4141 9874 4141 9829

GUYER

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 24, 3:29 PM CDT, 4 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 24, 3:29 PM CDT, 4 hours 6 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
329 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2002

...MAIN FOCUS IS THUNDERSTORM CHANCES OVER NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AND
PROSPECTS FOR SEVERE WX TONIGHT...

12Z MORNING UPPER AIR ANALYSIS AND WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWING LOW
AMPLITUDE LARGE SCALE PATTERN OVER THE CONUS. UPPER RIDGE CENTERED
OVER THE FOUR CORNERS AREA YIELDING MODEST SUMMERTIME W/NW FLOW INTO
THE CENTRAL PLAINS. LOW TO MID LEVEL RIDGE CONTINUES TO SHIFT
EASTWARD...WITH 700MB/850MB MOIST AXIS FROM TX/OK THROUGH WESTERN
SECTIONS OF KS AND NEB.

LATEST AFTERNOON SUBJECTIVE SURFACE ANALYSIS FEATURING LOW PRESSURE
ADVANCING EASTWARD ACROSS CNTRL SD...WITH ASSOCIATED WARM FRONTAL
STRUCTURE EXTENDING E/SE THROUGH EASTERN SD INTO NW IA. TROUGH/WIND
SHIFT POSITIONED FROM THE SFC LOW SOUTHWARD INTO WESTERN NEB. AXIS OF
65F SFC DEWPOINTS LOCATED AHEAD OF THE TROUGH...AIDED BY MODEST 5-10F
SFC DEWPOINT RISES OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS.

SURFACE LOW TO CONTINUE TO TRACK FROM CENTRAL SD INTO NORTHEAST NEB
TONIGHT...WITH ACCOMPANYING LOW LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDING BACK TOWARD
WESTERN NEB. OPERATIONAL ETA CONFINES CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT TO
NORTHEAST NEB LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...WITH LATEST NCEP/FSL
RUC20 FOLLOWING SUIT. HOWEVER...12Z ETA KAIN-FRITSCH ALREADY DEVELOPS
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ALONG THE TROUGH BY 21Z IN NORTH CENTRAL NEB...
WITH MORE EXPANSIVE DEVELOPMENT SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL AND SCNTRL NEB
BY 00Z. WOULD EXPECT REALITY TO BE SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN THESE
SOLUTIONS. OVERALL...ORIENTATION OF THICKNESSES AND ETA-BASED CORFIDI
VECTORS SUGGEST A GENERAL SSEWRD PROPOGATIONAL COMPONENT TO EVENING
THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER NCNTRL/NE NEB.

ALTHOUGH BULK OF ACTIVITY SHOULD BE CONFINED TO THE N/NE SECTIONS OF
CWA...SOME ISOLATED PULSE-TYPE DEVELOPMENT POSSIBLE S/SW DOWN THE
TROUGH THROUGH THE WESTERN NEB CWA -- HOWEVER INCREASINGLY HIGHER
CINH/LFCS SHOULD GREATLY LIMIT S/SW EXTENT OF DEVELOPMENT.

SEVERE STORMS ARE A POSSIBILITY TONIGHT -- ESPECIALLY IN THE NE
PORTION OF THE CWA -- GIVEN LIKELY MCS PROPAGATION IN AMBIENT
ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY AMPLE DEEP LAYER SHEAR / 40-50 KNOTS
0-6KM / FOR STORM ORGANIZATION AND MODERATE INSTABILITY. OBJECTIVELY
DERIVED SFC BASED CAPES RUNNING AROUND 3000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON...
WITH 100MB MIXED LAYER CAPES AROUND 1500 J/KG. DAMAGING WINDS APPEAR
TO BE MAIN THREAT GIVEN DEEP LAYER SHEAR...30-50 KNOT MID LEVEL
FLOW...AND INVERTED-V CHARACTERISTICS. IN SPITE OF INSTABILITY AND
POTENTIAL FOR UPDRAFT ROTATION GIVEN DEEP LAYER SHEAR...RELATIVELY
HIGH FREEZING/WET-BULB ZERO LEVELS WILL TEND TO LIMIT LARGE HAIL
THREAT. HIGH LCLS/LFCS SUGGEST TORNADIC POTENTIAL AT A MINIMUM IN
CWA.

THURSDAY SHOULD BE FAIRLY QUIET DURING THE DAY AS THUNDERSTORM
COMPLEX MOVES INTO IA...AND POSSIBLY NORTHERN MO DURING THE MORNING.
HOWEVER...REMNANT OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM MCS MAY FIGURE INTO THE
MIX. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES WARMER ON THURSDAY AS UPPER
RIDGE SHIFTS EASTWARD AND BEGINS TO DAMPEN -- HIGH TEMPS LIKELY
APPROACHING 95 IN MUCH OF THE NEB CWA...WITH A FEW 100 DEGREE
READINGS POSSIBLE IN SOUTHERN CWA.

MCS THEN LOOKS TO DEVELOP IN WESTERN NEB THURSDAY NIGHT AS ETA
PROGGED 50KT LOW LEVEL JET GETS ACTIVE FROM WESTERN KS INTO SOUTHWEST
NEB. ACTIVITY WOULD SEEMINGLY PRESS EASTWARD ACROSS THE CWA OVERNIGHT
PER CORFIDI VECTORS. PLENTIFUL LOW TO MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND
IMPRESSIVE COUPLED UPPER JET STRUCTURE OVERSPREADING THE CENTRAL
PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT WILL ADD INTO THE MIX AS WELL.

WITH SIMILAR SET-UP IN PLACE INTO FRI/SAT...WILL REINTRODUCE MAINLY
NIGHTTIME TSRA CHANCES.

IN THE OUTER PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST...LATEST EUROPEAN AND 00Z GFS
INDICATE LITTLE CHANGE IN BROAD SCALE PATTERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND...
HOWEVER THERE SOME HINTS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA TROUGH DEVELOPMENT
AND CORRESPONDING FLOW AMPLIFICATION BY THE EARLY TO MIDDLE PART OF
NEXT WEEK. OPERATIONAL GFS POSITIONING OF UPPER TROUGH OVER THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES BY LATE WEEKEND RATHER DEBATABLE GIVEN DEGREE OF
VARIABILITY AMONGST GFS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS. ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION
POSSIBLE SOMETIME IN LATE WEEKEND/EARLY NEXT WEEK TIME FRAME...
GENERAL DRY FORECAST WILL BE MAINTAINED ATTM UNTIL DETAILS BETTER
AVAIL THEMSELVES. STATUS QUO FOR OUTER PERIOD TEMPS.

.GID...NONE

GUYER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 24, 5:15 PM CDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-251200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
515 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2002

...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING ACROSS PARTS OF
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

AREAS GENERALLY NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM ELWOOD TO SUPERIOR ARE
AT A RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AFTER 600 PM. THE PRIMARY HAZARD
WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS TO 70 MPH...WITH ISOLATED LARGE HAIL UP TO AN
INCH IN DIAMETER POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT
BE RULED OUT...PRIMARILY NORTH OF GRAND ISLAND.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS FROM AROUND ONEILL SOUTHWEST TO BURWELL
WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO
THE REGION. DURING THE EVENING...THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP INTO A
BOW ECHO...GIVING A GREATER THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS...
ESPECIALLY NORTH AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 AND I-80.

SPOTTER GROUPS...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
SHOULD MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THEIR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER
UPDATED FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS.

GURNEY
Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:08 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
708 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2002

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

0705 PM    12 NW ORD                 NE   1.75 INCH HAIL
07/24/02   VALLEY                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

07
Local storm report, Jul 24, 7:28 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
728 PM CDT WED JUL 24 2002

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

0725 PM    9 N ARCADIA               NE   TORNADO
07/24/02   VALLEY                         BRIEF TOUCHDOWN.
                                          REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

07

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 24, 7:21 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDValley39 min
Jul 24, 8:26 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDSherman64 min
Jul 24, 9:05 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo, Hall, Howard70 min
Jul 24, 9:09 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDBuffalo66 min
Jul 24, 10:04 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDAdams, Kearney56 min
Jul 24, 11:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDAdams44 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.