Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2002

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 209, NWS Hastings, NE

August 12, 2002Merrick County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 12, 2002, 2:20 AM CDT for Merrick County, Nebraska. It was in force for 40 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Aug 12, 2002, 2:20 AM CDT (07:20 UTC)
Expired: Aug 12, 2002, 3:00 AM CDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS Hastings, NE
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Merrick County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:20 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.

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

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 158 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: 1357 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 2325 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 55 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

218 
WUUS53 KGID 120720
SVRGRI
NEC121-120800-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
220 AM CDT MON AUG 12 2002

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 300 AM CDT

* AT 215 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF CHAPMAN...OR ABOUT 9 MILES
  NORTH OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CHAPMAN AT 235 AM CDT

PEOPLE IN MERRICK 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 QUARTERS.

LAT...LON 4117 9828 4105 9829 4089 9827 4108 9804

NNNN

09

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 Aug 12, 1:54 AM CDT, 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 12, 1:54 AM CDT, 26 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
154 AM CDT MON AUG 12 2002

SFC/UA ANALYSIS SHOW STG UPR TROF FOR AUG STANDARDS WRAPPING UP ACRS
SC CANADA. IMPRESSIVE POST FNTL ISALLOBARIC SURGE FM NE PANHANDLE
INTO SRN SD ATTM WITH 3HR PRES RISES OF 5MB AND SFC GRADIENT WIND
GUSTS TO ABT 30 MPH ON AVERAGE. CONVN ALG COLD FNT HAVING A DIFFICULT
TIME DVLPG SWWD WITH OTHER ELEVATED STORMS FURTHER E BUT ON THE WAY
OUT. OUTFLW INDUCED CHANNELING INADV OF STORM ALG COLD FNT SE OF
ORD SHLD CONTINUE TO TRACK SE. WOULD STILL THINK ADDNL STORMS MAY
FIRE FM BBW TO LBF AS THAT AREA NOT WORKED OVR BY PRIOR CONVN...BUT
AS YET SEE NO INDICATION EVEN THOUGH VWP OUT OF GLD SHOWING STG LL
WAA CONTINUES AHD OF BNDRY AND EXISTING ELEVATED CAPE LYR ON 00Z LBF
SNDG NOT TO MENTION WRN EXTENT OF OUTFLW CLOSE TO MERGING WITH FRONT.

MAIN DIFFICULTIES THIS AM ARE NEED AND SUBSEQUENT PLACEMENT OF POPS
TDA AND ANOMALOUS TEMPS TIL WED. WILL MONITOR RADAR/SAT TRENDS TIL
ZONE ISSUANCE BFR MAKING FINAL DETERMINATION ON TDAS POP. TEMPS AN
ENTIRELY SEPARATE ISSUE AND TROUBLING. INITIAL CAA SURGE IMPRESSIVE
FOR SURE BUT MINORS OUT BY AFTN WITH ENOUGH MIXING TO FVR WARMER
NUMBERS EVEN UNDER EXTENSIVE MID CLD CVR. TONIGHT...SUBSIDENCE
INDUCED CLRG LINE TO PROGRESS SEWD THRU CWFA IN BEHIND SECONDARY
UPSTREAM TROF. THIS AND BLDG SFC RIDGE SHLD RESULT IN CHILLY AUG
NIGHT. WAA THEN TO ENSUE BY TUE AFTN AS UPR TROF BEGINS TO PULL EWD.
WARMING TREND THEN ON TAP INTO THE WEEKEND AHD OF NXT POWER-HOUSE
TROF DROPPING OUT OF CANADA.

.GID...NONE.

TEH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 11, 9:46 PM CDT, 4 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
946 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

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

0920 PM    5 N ARCADIA               NE   .88 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   VALLEY                         REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

0941 PM    ARCADIA                   NE   .75 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   VALLEY                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

07

Local storm report, Aug 11, 10:18 PM CDT, 4 hours 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1018 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

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

1016 PM    6 W PHILLIPSBURG          KS   1 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   PHILLIPS                       REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Local storm report, Aug 11, 10:46 PM CDT, 3 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1046 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

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

1034 PM    3 SE BOELUS               NE   60 MPH TSTM GUST
08/11/02   HOWARD                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, Aug 11, 11:21 PM CDT, 2 hours 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1121 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

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

1050 PM    ATHOL                     KS   .75 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   SMITH                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

1110 PM    SMITH CENTER              KS   1 INCH HAIL
08/11/02   SMITH                          REPORTED BY HAM RADIO
                                          OPERATOR.

Local storm report, Aug 11, 11:40 PM CDT, 2 hours 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1140 PM CDT SUN AUG 11 2002

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

1120 PM    SMITH CENTER              KS   WIND DAMAGE
08/11/02   SMITH                          NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
                                          REPORTED BY LAW
                                          ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL.

Special weather statement, Aug 12, 2:19 AM CDT, 1 minute before

NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-120750-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
219 AM CDT MON AUG 12 2002

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 595 HAD EXPIRED FOR
CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

THE OVERALL SEVERE THREAT HAS DIMINISHED AND THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR CENTRAL NEBRASKA WAS ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 200 AM.
HOWEVER...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH DAYBREAK ARE STILL
POSSIBLE...WITH AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM POSSIBLE. THE MAIN HAZARDS
FROM THESE STORMS THIS MORNING WILL BE HEAVY RAIN AND ISOLATED HAIL
UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER.

6

A LACK OF MOISTURE AND LIMITED INSTABILITY CONTINUES TO INHIBIT
THUNDERSTORM FORMATION OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS
EVENING. A BETTER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MATERIALIZE AFTER
MIDNIGHT AS A COLD FRONT OVER NORTHERN NEBRASKA SINKS SOUTHWARD...AND
LOW LEVEL JET OVER KANSAS INTENSIFIES. AN ISOLATED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WITH HAIL THE SIZE OF DIMES AND 60 MPH WINDS IS POSSIBLE
OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER THE THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL HAS DIMINISHED.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 11, 8:18 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Valley	57 min
Aug 11, 8:22 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Furnas	53 min
Aug 11, 9:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Sherman, Valley	56 min
Aug 11, 9:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Greeley	67 min
Aug 11, 10:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Howard	56 min
Aug 11, 10:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Sherman	63 min
Aug 11, 10:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Buffalo, Hall	67 min
Aug 11, 11:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Merrick, Nance	66 min
Aug 12, 12:57 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	York	48 min
Aug 12, 1:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Howard	45 min
Aug 12, 2:06 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Hall	54 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2002 Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.