Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2004

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 50, NWS North Platte, NE

May 21, 2004Cherry County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 21, 2004, 6:26 PM MDT for Cherry County, Nebraska. It was in force for 64 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 21, 2004, 6:26 PM MDT (00:26 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2004, 7:30 PM MDT
In force: 64 min
Issued by: NWS North Platte, NE
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Cherry County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 79 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:26 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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 0.4 hours before the alert went out and 169 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: 2197 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -41 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1985 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 39 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 99 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 266 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 19.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

256 
WUUS53 KLBF 220026
SVRLBF
NEC031-220130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
726 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CHERRY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA

* UNTIL 830 PM CDT(730 PM MDT)

* AT 621 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 13 MILES WEST OF
  MERRITT RESERVOIR DAM...OR ABOUT 34 MILES SOUTHWEST OF VALENTINE...
  AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR...
  MERRITT RESERVOIR DAM AROUND 740 PM CDT

LAT...LON 4280 10129 4239 10129 4237 10022 4283 10023

$$

13

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 21, 1:32 PM MDT, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 1:32 PM MDT, 4 hours 54 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
232 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...FORECAST FOCUS ON CONVECTION IN NEAR TERM...

.DISCUSSION...
WITH H5 FLOW PATTERN MORE AMPLIFIED TO THE SOUTHWEST...SFC LOW
CENTER DEEPENING NEAR GLD KS AS FCST BY BOTH THE ETA AND GFS. WARM
FRONT HAS STALLED FROM NEAR GLD TO NORTH OF BBW AND OFK AND IS
EVIDENT BY SOME WEAK CLOUD CONVERGENCE. ALSO SOME TOWERING CU AND
ISOLATED STORMS IN THE WRN PNHDLE. IN AREA OF HIGHER DWPTS ADVECTED
NWWRD...CONSIDERABLE STRATOCU HAS FORMED. AS DEEPER MIXING OCCURS
THIS SHOULD BECOME MORE SCATTERED. WEAK H7 WAVE IN FLOW SHOULD BE
ENOUGH TO GENERATE ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION ACROSS
THE SWRN HALF OF FA. AREA OF SEVER CONCERN WITH BE FROM SERN CUSTER
COUNTY INTO CENTRAL CHERRY COUNTY...PARTICULARLY IN AN AXIS JUST
NORTH OF WARM FRONT FROM NEAR ARNOLD TO ONL WHERE DWPTS MAY POOL IN
THE LOWER/MID 60S. NOT ONLY WILL LG HAIL AND DMG WNDS BE A THREAT
BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. ENTIRE
AREA OF CONVECTION SHOULD EXIT SWRN HALF OF FA BY MIDNIGHT AND EXIT
ENTIRE FA LATE TONIGHT.

SATURDAY...SFC LOW/FRONT SETTLES FURTHER SOUTHEAST WITH FA IN MAINLY
NE WINDS. A STRONG MID LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FA WITH
INCREASING CHC OF CONVECTION. SEVERE WEATHER AGAIN A THREAT WITH
POTENTIAL FOR STRONGER UPDRAFTS AND BETTER COVERAGE OF CONVECTION BY
LATE AFTN EARLY EVENING. THIS WILL BE SUPPORTED BY COUPLED UPPER JET
STRUCTURE AND FOCUSED UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE
COOLER IN THE LOWER/MID 70S.

SATURDAY NIGHT...DEVELOPING CONVECTIONS SHOULD MOVE INTO THE
NORTHEAST FA BEFORE EXITING LATE. SUBSIDENCE WILL SET IN TO THE
WEST.

H5 FLOW BECOMES ZONAL SUNDAY WITH HEIGHT RISES. WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHC
ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL INVOF SURFACE LOW WITH COLD FRONT SWEEPING
THROUGH LATE.

COOLER AIR BEHIND A COLD FRONT MONDAY WITH A SLIGHT CH FOR SHOWER OR
TS IN THE AFTERNOON AND NIGHT.

.EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
CHC OF SHOWERS TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF H5 TROUGH. STORM TRACK
SHOULD REMAIN TO OUR NORTH WED/THU BEFORE NEXT CHC ARRIVES FRI/FRI
NIGHT. SEASONABLE TEMPS IN THE 70S.

&&

.LBF...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

ROBERG

Hazardous weather outlook, May 21, 2:33 PM MDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
333 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-221100-
ARTHUR-BLAINE-BOYD-BROWN-CHASE-CUSTER-DEUEL-EASTERN CHERRY-FRONTIER-
GARDEN-GARFIELD-GRANT-HAYES-HOLT-HOOKER-KEITH-KEYA PAHA-LINCOLN-
LOGAN-LOUP-MCPHERSON-PERKINS-ROCK-SHERIDAN-THOMAS-WESTERN CHERRY-
WHEELER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AINSWORTH...ARNOLD...ARTHUR...BASSETT...
BIG SPRINGS...BREWSTER...BROKEN BOW...BURWELL...CHAPPELL...CURTIS...
GORDON...GRANT...HAY SPRINGS...HAYES CENTER...IMPERIAL...MULLEN...
NORTH PLATTE...ONEILL...OGALLALA...OSHKOSH...RUSHVILLE...SPENCER...
SPRINGVIEW...STAPLETON...TAYLOR...THEDFORD...TRYON AND VALENTINE
333 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR THE EASTERN PANHANDLE INTO PORTIONS
OF WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS A MAJORITY OF
THE OUTLOOK AREA LATE THIS EVENING. THE AREA OF GREATEST RISK WILL BE
EAST OF LINE EXTENDING FROM OCONTO IN CUSTER COUNTY...TO THEDFORD IN
THOMAS COUNTY...TO CODY IN CHERRY COUNTY. A WARM FRONT EXTENDING
ACROSS SOUTHWEST INTO NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR
SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS GUSTS. THIS BOUNDARY WILL ALSO
CONTRIBUTE TO A FEW STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORNADOES...AS
NORTHEAST WINDS NORTH OF THE FRONT AND SOUTH WINDS...SOUTH OF
FRONT...CONVERGE OVER NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA.
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WEST
OF THE ABOVE LINE ALONG ANOTHER SURFACE BOUNDARY EXTENDING NORTH TO
SOUTH ACROSS THE WESTERN OUTLOOK AREA. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS
GUSTS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT SATURDAY
OVER ALL BUT THE EXTREME NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE
RISK AREA IS EXPECTED TO BE SOUTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ONEILL
THROUGH AINSWORTH TO VALENTINE.

OTHERWISE...THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EACH DAY THROUGH AT LEAST
TUESDAY AS THE FRONT OSCILLATES NORTH AND SOUTH ACROSS NEBRASKA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT ACROSS THE OUTLOOK
AREA...ESPECIALLY AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 83.

13

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 21, 4:57 PM MDT, 1 hour 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
557 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0510 PM     HAIL             1 SE LISCO              41.49N 102.61W
05/21/2004  0.88 INCH        GARDEN             NE   PUBLIC

&&

MB

Local storm report, May 21, 5:06 PM MDT, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
606 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0553 PM     HAIL             1 NE ELI                42.95N 101.43W
05/21/2004  0.75 INCH        CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

&&

MB

Local storm report, May 21, 5:07 PM MDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
607 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 PM     HAIL             10 SW CODY              42.83N 101.39W
05/21/2004  0.75 INCH        CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

&&

MB

Local storm report, May 21, 5:08 PM MDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
608 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0555 PM     HAIL             1 SE LISCO              41.49N 102.61W
05/21/2004  0.88 INCH        GARDEN             NE   PUBLIC

&&

MB

Local storm report, May 21, 5:34 PM MDT, 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
634 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0610 PM     HAIL             7 NNW OSHKOSH           41.50N 102.40W
05/21/2004  1.00 INCH        GARDEN             NE   PUBLIC

&&

DP

Special weather statement, May 21, 6:02 PM MDT, 24 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
702 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

NEZ004-220102-
SHERIDAN NE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GORDON...HAY SPRINGS AND RUSHVILLE
702 PM CDT FRI MAY 21 2004

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM MDT FOR
SHERIDAN COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELED...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE DURING THE EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS SHERIDAN COUNTY. AS OF 6 PM MDT...THE THREAT
FOR ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED.

IF SEVERE WEATHER WAS OBSERVED IN SHERIDAN COUNTY THIS
EVENING...PLEASE CONTACT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HAVE THEM PASS THE
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE.

BUTTLER

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 21, 7:19 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Brown	41 min
May 21, 7:27 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Brown	33 min
May 21, 7:57 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Loup, Rock	48 min
May 21, 8:44 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Garfield	46 min
May 21, 8:57 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Garden	48 min
May 21, 9:05 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Grant	40 min
May 21, 9:18 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Wheeler	42 min
May 21, 9:46 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Garden	44 min
May 21, 10:01 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Wheeler	29 min
May 21, 10:02 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Arthur	43 min
May 22, 12:20 AM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Hooker	55 min
May 22, 1:43 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Garden	62 min
May 22, 2:14 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Arthur, Grant	46 min
May 22, 2:42 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Hooker	63 min
May 22, 2:57 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Keith, Perkins	63 min
May 22, 2:58 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Hayes	62 min
May 22, 3:10 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Arthur, McPherson	65 min
May 22, 3:28 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln	62 min
May 22, 3:45 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	McPherson	45 min
May 22, 3:48 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Hooker, Thomas	42 min
May 22, 4:11 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Lincoln	64 min
May 22, 4:26 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Logan	49 min
May 22, 4:43 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Thomas	32 min
May 22, 4:51 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Blaine	39 min
May 22, 4:55 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Chase, Hayes	65 min
May 22, 4:59 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Custer	61 min
May 22, 5:16 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Logan	29 min
May 22, 5:18 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln	57 min
May 22, 5:24 PM MDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Custer	51 min
May 22, 5:30 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Blaine	30 min
May 22, 5:54 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Frontier	36 min
May 22, 5:56 PM MDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Loup	34 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2004 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2004

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.