Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS Hastings, NE

May 4, 2003Hamilton County, Merrick County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 2003, 1:42 AM CDT for Hamilton County, Merrick County, Nebraska. It was in force for 48 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
May 4, 2003, 1:42 AM CDT (06:42 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2003, 2:30 AM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS Hastings, NE
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Hamilton County, NE, Merrick County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 86 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:45 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
May 3, 10:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 6.7 hours before the alert went out and 148 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 2003-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 2003-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 44 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1759 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
44 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
179 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.

022 
WUUS53 KGID 040642
SVRGID
NEC081-121-040730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
141 AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 230 AM CDT

* AT 140 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES NORTHWEST OF CHAPMAN...OR ABOUT 13
  MILES NORTHEAST OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  CENTRAL CITY AT 150 AM CDT
  HORDVILLE AT 155 AM CDT

HAIL TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. 
PEOPLE IN HAMILTON AND CENTRAL MERRICK COUNTIES SHOULD SEEK SHELTER 
IN A STURDY STRUCTURE AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

LAT...LON 4124 9826 4074 9824 4076 9789 4127 9785
$$

16
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 May 3, 2:54 PM CDT, 10 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 3, 2:54 PM CDT, 10 hours 48 minutes before
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
254 PM CDT SAT MAY 3 2003

LATEST UAA INDICATING SITUATION IS SETTING UP FOR ROUND OF SEVERE
WEATHER OVER THE PLAINS LATER TONIGHT. 250MB SHOWING IMPRESSIVE
+140KT JET MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS HEADING FOR THE PLAINS.
AT 850MB...HEALTHY SOUTHERN MOISTURE IS ADVECTING UP THRU THE
WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. IN GENERAL...THIS MORNINGS PRECIP WATER PLOT
SHOWED AN AXIS OF MOISTURE EXTENDING FROM THE CENTRAL GULF COAST
INTO THE DAKOTAS. AT THE SFC...SOUTHERLY FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS WITH DEW POINTS NEAR 70 DEG FOUND IN
PARTS OF OKLA AND TX. CLOSER TO HOME...SHORT WAVE RIDGING OVER THE
PLAINS AND SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE ALLOWING TEMPS ACROSS THE CWA TO RISE
INTO THE LOWER 70S. GLANCE AT VIS SATL PIX SHOWING CU POPPING UP
ACROSS AREAS WITH LESS CLOUD COVER.

MAIN CONCERN IS FOR POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER TONIGHT ACROSS THE
AREA. MODELS AND REAL TIME OBSERVATIONS INDICATE NECESSARY
INGREDIENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR STRONG/SEVERE NOCTURNAL
CONVECTION. MOISTURE TRANSPORT VECTORS ARE ADVERTISING INCREASING
MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA...ACCOMPANIED BY STOUT MID LEVEL WAA AND
INCREASING DPVA. INCREASING DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE
OVER THE CWA AS AN AREA OF SFC LOW PRESSURE INTENSIFIES THIS EVENING
ALONG THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. EXPECT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO
DEVELOP FROM THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE THRU WESTERN KS EARLY THIS
EVENING...AND BECOMING MORE ORGANIZED AS THEY MOVE EAST. BRN
INDICES SUGGEST CELLS BECOMING MORE SUPER-CELLULAR IN NATURE AS THE
EVENING PROGRESSES. STEEP MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ON TOP OF A MOIST
BOUNDARY LAYER WOULD SUGGEST LARGE DAMAGING HAIL A DISTINCT
POSSIBILITY WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS. BY SUNDAY...THE THREAT FOR
SEVERE WEATHER GETS DISPLACES FARTHER EAST INTO THE MIDDLE
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE TROF MOVES EAST.

FOR OUR AREA...DRY WEATHER APPEARS LIKELY UNTIL LATE NEXT WEEK AS
THE GFS ADVERTISES ANOTHER ROBUST WEST COAST SYSTEM TO RIDE THROUGH
THE PLAINS.

.GID...NONE.

DEE
Hazardous weather outlook, May 3, 10:52 AM CDT, 14 hours 50 minutes before
KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-041200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1052 AM CDT SAT MAY 3 2003

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AN INTENSE UPPER LEVEL JET...ACCOMPANIED BY A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW
PRESSURE TROUGH...WILL MOVE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TODAY AND INTO
THE PLAINS TONIGHT. AT THE SURFACE...INTENSE CYCLOGENESIS WILL TAKE
PLACE LATE THIS AFTERNOON OVER NORTHEAST COLORADO...RESULTING
IN A RAPID INFLUX OF WARM...MOIST AIR INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BEGIN TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON OVER
THE HIGH PLAINS...WITH DEVELOPMENT FURTHER EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL
PLAINS BY EARLY EVENING.

AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS LIKELY WITH THIS SYSTEM
LATE TONIGHT...PARTICULARLY ACROSS SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA
AFTER 1000 PM. OTHER MORE SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP
AFTER 700 PM WEST OF AN OSBORNE KANSAS TO KEARNEY LINE.

THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS.
IN ADDITION...THERE REMAINS A DISCRETE SUPERCELL TORNADO RISK
PARTICULARLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDOR LATE TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

SUNDAY MORNING...THE SAME STORM SYSTEM WILL BE ON THE WAY OUT...TO
THE EAST AND INTO THE MISSOURI RIVER VALLEY. HOWEVER THE RISK FOR
SEVERE STORM DEVELOPMENT WILL LINGER INTO LATE SUNDAY MORNING...
MAINLY EAST OF A FULLERTON TO OSBORNE LINE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED BY MID EVENING.

T

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 1:16 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo, Hall44 min
May 4, 1:28 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDSherman62 min
May 4, 1:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDSherman30 min
May 4, 1:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHoward27 min
May 4, 1:49 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDValley56 min
May 4, 1:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDGreeley, Howard, Nance63 min
May 4, 2:03 AM CDTTornado WarningGIDHoward42 min
May 4, 2:24 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDMerrick51 min
May 4, 2:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPolk61 min
May 4, 5:51 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDSherman39 min
May 4, 11:18 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHall42 min
May 4, 11:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPhelps55 min
May 4, 11:38 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo52 min
May 4, 11:52 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHamilton53 min
May 4, 11:59 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHoward61 min
May 4, 12:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDMerrick59 min
May 4, 12:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDKearney62 min
May 4, 12:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo59 min
May 4, 12:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPhelps62 min
May 4, 1:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHall, Howard64 min
May 4, 1:04 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDMerrick26 min
May 4, 1:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDNance49 min
May 4, 1:27 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDAdams48 min
May 4, 1:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDKearney66 min
May 4, 1:46 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDClay59 min
May 4, 1:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHamilton63 min
May 4, 2:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDMerrick48 min
May 4, 2:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDYork62 min
May 4, 2:31 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPolk59 min

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.