Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 199, NWS Hastings, NE

July 3, 2003Phelps County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 3, 2003, 9:18 PM CDT for Phelps County, Nebraska. It was in force for 42 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
Jul 3, 2003, 9:18 PM CDT (02:18 UTC)
Expired
Jul 3, 2003, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
42 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Phelps County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 92 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:20 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 watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 3, 6:15 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 2.3 hours before the alert went out and 114 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 00:00Z on 2003-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 707 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 00:00Z on 2003-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 126 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
707 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-238 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2462 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
126 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
322 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WUUS53 KGID 040218
SVRGID
NEC137-040300-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
918 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  PHELPS COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 1000 PM CDT

* AT 915 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES WEST OF ATLANTA...OR ABOUT 12 MILES
  WEST OF HOLDREGE...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  LOOMIS AT 930 PM CDT...

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

THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT IS STRONG AND DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

LAT...LON 4067 9964 4066 9932 4059 9937 4050 9940
          4035 9947 4034 9963
$$

7

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 3, 3:37 PM CDT, 5 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 3, 3:37 PM CDT, 5 hours 41 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
337 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

...FORECAST CHALLENGES REVOLVE AROUND WARM TEMPS AND DELINEATION OF
RAIN/T-STORM CHANCES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...

UPPER AIR DATA ANALYSIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH WATER VAPOR IMAGERY
FEATURES PERSISTENT UPPER RIDGE FROM THE DESERT SOUTHWEST TO THE
NORTHERN PLAINS...WHILE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED HEIGHT
FALLS SPREAD INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES/CANADIAN PRAIRIES.

18Z SURFACE ANALYSIS REVEALS CONFLUENCE AXIS EXTENDING FROM ALONG
I-80 IN SCNTRL NEB EASTWARD INTO SOUTHWEST IOWA...WHILE LEE TROUGH
ORIENTED N/S FROM WESTERN NEBRASKA INTO EASTERN COLORADO. FURTHER
UPSTREAM...COLD FRONT ACROSS NORTHERN/WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA MAKING A
GRADUAL APPROACH TOWARD THE AREA.

INITIAL CONCERN IS FOR TSTM CHANCES TONIGHT. ANY ISOLD TSTM
PROSPECTS THIS EVENING WILL LIKELY BE RELEGATED TO WESTERN/NCNTRL NEB
-- AND POSSIBLY INTO THE N/W FRINGE OF THE CWA -- GIVEN STRONG
INHIBITION AND FACT THAT COLD FRONT IS STILL WELL N/W OF THE CWA. IN
A RELATIVE SENSE...A LITTLE BETTER CHANCE COMES TO THE AREA LATE
TONIGHT...MAINLY FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA...AS THE COLD FRONT
APPROACHES. OTHERWISE...LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT SIMILAR TO NIGHTS
PREVIOUS.

PROVIDED DEVELOPMENT OCCURS LATE TONIGHT...COULD BE A FEW LEFTOVER
TSTMS DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY...HOWEVER BULK OF THE MORNING/
AFTERNOON SHOULD BE RAIN-FREE. ANOTHER CONCERN WILL BE THE HEAT...
ALTHOUGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE A FEW DEGREES COOLER GIVEN SOME
ADDITIONAL CLOUD COVER AND EXPECTED PASSAGE OF FRONT FOR AT LEAST
THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE CWA. AS SUCH...HEAT INDICES SHOULD BE
MARGINAL AS TO NOT NECESSITATE AN ADVISORY.

COLD FRONT/TROUGH WILL GRADUALLY SLIDE SOUTHWARD ON FRIDAY...LIKELY
ORIENTED SOMEWHERE ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR BY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVENING. 12Z ETA SUGGESTS 3000-3500 MLCAPES AS NEAR 70 DEWPOINTS POOL
IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT. DEEP LAYER SHEAR ON THE ORDER OF 30-40
KTS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS. ASSOCIATED
THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY
DEVELOPMENT -- TORNADO PROSPECTS SHOULD BE MINIMAL GIVEN DEEPLY MIXED
ENVIRONMENT. NATURALLY WITH SUCH A WARM AIRMASS ALOFT...KEY QUESTION
BECOMES COVERAGE/TIMING OF SUCH ACTIVITY. IN SPITE OF INHIBITION/WARM
TEMPS ALOFT...LFCS ARE REACHABLE...AS STRONG FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING
SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR ISOLD TO SCATTERED TSTM DEVELOPMENT BY THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. BOTH 12Z OPERATIONAL ETA BMJ SCHEME
AND ETA KAIN-FRITSCH SUGGEST CONVECTIVE SIGNAL BY THE 00Z/03Z
TIMEFRAME.

FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MEANDER ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...MAINTAINING AT LEAST SLIGHT -- MAINLY AFTERNOON/
NIGHTTIME -- TSTM CHANCES.

IN THE EXTENDED...ENSEMBLE CONSENSUS SUGGESTS SECONDARY SHORTWAVE
TROUGH TO MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS ON SUNDAY/MONDAY...WITH
LOW AMPLITUDE WESTERLIES ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER THEREAFTER. AS
SUCH...TSTM CHANCES REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH
DRY/NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURE PATTERN FOR MID WEEK.

.GID...NONE.

GUYER
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 3:00 PM CDT, 6 hours 18 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-041200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
300 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP
THIS EVENING...GENERALLY NORTH OF A GOTHENBURG TO KEARNEY LINE AND
NEAR SURFACE A TROUGH THAT STRETCHES FROM NORTHEASTERN TO
SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE AHEAD OF A COOL FRONT ADVANCING SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE DAKOTAS
INTO NORTHERN NEBRASKA AFTER MIDNIGHT. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE
STRONG OR SEVERE...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF A LOUP CITY TO YORK LINE. THE
PRIMARY HAZARD IS LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE COOL FRONT WILL SLOW DOWN OVER SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA EARLY
FRIDAY...STALLING NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER BY LATE AFTERNOON. THIS
FRONTAL BOUNDARY...TOGETHER WITH AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM EARLY
MORNING THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST INTO IOWA...AND A WEAK UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE...WILL HELP FOCUS THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ONCE AGAIN BY
EARLY AFTERNOON...LASTING INTO THE EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS
COULD ALSO BECOME STRONG OR SEVERE. CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL
REMAIN POSSIBLE...ALTHOUGH ON AN ISOLATED BASIS...THROUGH MONDAY...
WITH GENERALLY DRY WEATHER FORECAST FROM TUESDAY ON OUT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY THROUGH TONIGHT DUE
TO ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL.

10

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

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.