Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 34, NWS Omaha, NE

May 4, 2003Colfax County, Platte County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 4, 2003, 2:26 PM CDT for Colfax County, Platte County, Nebraska. It was in force for 34 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, 2:26 PM CDT (19:26 UTC)
Expired: May 4, 2003, 3:00 PM CDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Omaha, NE
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Colfax County, NE, Platte County, NE

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 84 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:26 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 12:00Z, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 84 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: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 558 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 375 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 509 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

698 
WUUS53 KOAX 041926
SVROAX
NEC037-141-042000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
226 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  COLFAX COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA
  PLATTE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 300 PM CDT

* AT 221 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LEIGH...OR ABOUT 9 MILES
  NORTH OF COLUMBUS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  LEIGH AROUND 255 PM CDT

THIS STORM PRODUCED DIME SIZE HAIL 9 MILES NORTH OF COLUMBUS AT 225 
PM.

LARGE HAIL IS LIKELY WITH THIS STORM. GO TO A SAFE PLACE INSIDE YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND GLASS DOORS.

LAT...LON 4156 9753 4142 9735 4160 9697 4174 9721

$$

CHERMOK

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 4, 2:05 AM CDT, 12 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 4, 2:05 AM CDT, 12 hours 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
205 AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

DISCUSSION SHORT BECAUSE OF ONGOING STORMS THIS MORNING.  SITUATION
SETUP FOR A SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S. TODAY.
STORMS THIS MORNING MAINLY ELEVATED...BUT THE LARGE BOW ECHO THAT
FORMED EARLY THIS MORNING FARTHER TO THE WEST IS A HYBRID.  THIS WAS
ORIGINALLY SFC BASED....BUT HAS MODIFIED AS IT MOVED EWD.  HIGH
HELICITY...NEAR 400 M2/S2 THIS MORNING OVER SERN NE WITH 50-60 KT
LOW LEVEL JET.  UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK OF OVER 120 KTS WILL BE
TRANSLATING NEWD TODAY PUTTING SERN NE AND SWRN IA IN LEFT FRONT
QUADRANT...WITH STRONG UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE.  SFC LOW SHOULD TRACK
ENE FROM NWRN KS THIS MORNING AND ACROSS SERN NE THIS AFTN ACCORDING
TO 00Z MESOETA.  THIS SEEMS REASONABLE.  SO FAR SERN NE WILL GET
INTO THE WARM SECTOR...AND HIGHS MAY REACH 75-80.  FARTHER N...
EXPECT MAINLY 60S FOR NERN NE.  SO THERE WILL BE A RATHER SHARP
TEMPERATURE GRADIENT THRU CNTRL ZONES TODAY.

STORMS LIKELY TO REINTENSITY THIS AFTN AND MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE
WEATHER IN SPC DAY 1 OTLK LOOKS ON TARGET...AND WILL WORD THE HWO
ACCORDINGLY.  TORNADO THREAT SHOULD MAINLY BE CONFINED TO SERN NE
AND SWRN IA FROM 1 PM TO 6 PM...IN VICINITY OF SFC LOW.  DEWPOINTS
SHOULD REACH THE MID TO UPPER 60S FROM ERN KS AND MO NWD INTO SERN
PART OF FCST AREA...WITH AFTN CAPE VALUES 2500-4000 J/KG IN AREA
WITH HIGHEST SFC DEWPOINTS.

ACTION EXPECTED TO SHIFT OUT OF THE AREA EARLY IN THE EVENING...
BUT MAY HAVE SOME LINGERING NON SEVERE PCPN FOR A WHILE.  MAY HAVE
SOME INSTABILITY SHOWERS MON AFTN...THEN DRY WEATHER FOR TUE.  THE
00Z GFS BRINGS A DECENT SHORTWAVE TROF NEWD THRU THE CNTRL PLAINS
WED AND WED NGT...SOME INTRODUCED CHANCE OF TSTMS.  THEN WENT DRY
ON THU.  GFS TEMPS IN THE 4-7 DAY PERIOD GENLY ACCEPTED.

.OMA...NONE.

MILLER

Hazardous weather outlook, May 4, 12:30 PM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-042315-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1230 PM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA
AND SOUTHWEST IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A POTENT SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION IS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA
TODAY WITH THE LIKELIHOOD OF TORNADOES AND WIDESPREAD SEVERE
WEATHER ACTIVITY.
A TORNADO WATCH HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST
NEBRASKA.  AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER NORTH CENTRAL
KANSAS WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.	ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...STRONG
VERTICAL WIND SHEAR...AND INSTABILITY WILL ALLOW FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELL STORMS.

THE GREATEST THREAT FOR TORNADOES IS EXPECTED TO BE SOUTH OF A
COLUMBUS TO WAHOO TO BELLEVUE.	THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION
WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING TORNADOES IN THIS AREA.
NORTHWEST OF THIS LINE...SOME SEVER THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE POSSIBLE.

THE SEVERE WEATHER ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE AFTER 8 OR 9 PM
TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD MOVE BACK INTO WEDNESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY...AND THEN AGAIN SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY TODAY...SPOTTERS SHOULD BE
READY TO DEPLOY THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO THE POTENT NATURE OF THIS
SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION.

SMITH

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 4, 9:41 AM CDT, 4 hours 45 minutes before

IAZ055-056-069-079-080-090-091-041500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
941 AM CDT SUN MAY 4 2003

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #230 THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR...FREMONT...
PAGE...MONTGOMERY...MILLS...HARRISON...SHELBY AND POTTAWATTAMIE
COUNTIES...HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

SMITH

Local storm report, May 4, 10:48 AM CDT, 3 hours 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1048 AM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

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

1035 AM    PLATTE CENTER             NE   .88 INCH HAIL
05/04/03   PLATTE                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, May 4, 12:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1255 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

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

1225 PM    9 SE STANTON              NE   .88 INCH HAIL
05/04/03   STANTON                        REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, May 4, 1:50 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
150 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

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

0121 PM    PLATTE CENTER             NE   .75 INCH HAIL
05/04/03   PLATTE                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

Local storm report, May 4, 2:04 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
204 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

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

0200 PM    LEIGH                     NE   .75 INCH HAIL
05/04/03   COLFAX                         REPORTED BY STORM
                                          SPOTTER.

Local storm report, May 4, 2:16 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
216 PM CDT SUN MAY 04 2003

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

0205 PM    2 W DUNCAN                NE   .75 INCH HAIL
05/04/03   PLATTE                         REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 4, 2:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Johnson	26 min
May 4, 2:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Otoe	31 min
May 4, 2:43 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone, Platte	47 min
May 4, 2:46 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler, Seward	44 min
May 4, 3:04 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Nemaha	41 min
May 4, 3:21 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saunders	29 min
May 4, 4:32 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Washington	28 min
May 4, 4:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cuming, Thurston	40 min
May 4, 12:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax, Stanton	29 min
May 4, 1:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Platte	60 min
May 4, 1:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax, Stanton	45 min
May 4, 2:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Platte	30 min
May 4, 2:36 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler	54 min
May 4, 2:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saunders	47 min
May 4, 2:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, Stanton	46 min
May 4, 3:03 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Thurston	42 min
May 4, 3:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Platte	28 min
May 4, 3:18 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Platte	6 hr
May 4, 3:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy	54 min
May 4, 3:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Saunders	32 min
May 4, 3:35 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy	55 min
May 4, 3:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Burt, Cuming, Dodge, Washington	38 min
May 4, 4:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass	44 min
May 4, 4:19 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Washington	26 min
May 4, 4:21 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy	54 min
May 4, 4:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Cass	37 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2003 Every 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.