Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2004
Tornado Warning 1, NWS Omaha, NE
NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Apr 18, 2004, 5:26 PM CDT for Pierce 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
- Apr 18, 2004, 5:26 PM CDT (22:26 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 18, 2004, 6:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Omaha, NE
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Pierce County, NE
The radar
The Omaha radar (KOAX), 153 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:25 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 tornado 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 2:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | 6 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 153 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 256 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -464 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 995 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 365 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 406 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
644 WFUS53 KOAX 182226 TOROAX NEC139-182300- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE 526 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A * TORNADO WARNING FOR... PIERCE COUNTY IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA * UNTIL 600 PM CDT * AT 521 PM CDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED A TORNADO 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FOSTER...OR ABOUT 21 MILES NORTHWEST OF NORFOLK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. * LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... FOSTER...OSMOND AND MCLEAN IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...GO TO A BASEMENT. IF A BASEMENT IS NOT AVAILABLE...TAKE COVER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. AVOID WINDOWS. LAT...LON 4226 9786 4213 9769 4237 9731 4253 9753 $$ FOBERT/KING
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this tornado 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 tornado warning went out at Apr 18, 2:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 2:20 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 220 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004 .DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES REVOLVE AROUND THE NEXT 12 HOURS WITH STRONG COLD FRONT IMPINGING ON THE FORECAST AREA. OTHER FORECAST CONCERNS REVOLVE AROUND NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION ON TUESDAY...AND THEN AGAIN LATER IN THE WEEK ON THURSDAY. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS AT 18Z PLACED THE COLD FRONT KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF OUR NORTHWESTERN CWA...EXTENDING INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. MEANWHILE...THE DRY LINE EXTENDED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. HAD UPGRADED A PORTION OF THE WIND ADVISORY EARLIER FOR THOSE AREAS THAT REMAINED CLEAR WITH MODELS ALL INDICATING DEEP LAYER MIXING TAKING HOLD THROUGH MAXIMUM DIURNAL HEATING...THUS RESULTING IN A MIXED LAYER ALMOST UP TO 600 MB. FSL 20KM RUC INDICATED THAT SUSTAINED WINDS IN THAT REGION...NORTHWEST OF A PLATTE TO WAYNE COUNTY LINE...WOULD LIKELY SEE SPEEDS INCREASE TO 35 KNOTS OR BETTER THROUGH AT LEAST 00Z...THUS STILL FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT HIGH WIND POTENTIAL THERE. THATS ALSO IN THE SAME CORRIDOR WHERE THE CAP HAS ESSENTIALLY WEAKENED ALLOWING CU TO POP RATHER QUICKLY. DEEP LAYERED SHEAR OF 50+ KNOTS REMAINS IN THAT REGION...AND THUS WOULD ANTICIPATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO MANIFEST THEMSELVES (MOST LIKELY AS SUPERCELLS) WITHIN THE HOUR OR TWO. CONFERENCE CALL WITH SPC JUST NOW DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL FOR A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...AND THE CONSENSUS WAS THAT ONE WOULD BE ISSUED SOON FOR A PORTION OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. FURTHER SOUTHEAST...HIGH CLOUDS HAVE REMAINED WHICH HAS ALLOWED A STRONG CAP TO STILL EXIST AS INDICATED BY AN 18Z OAX SOUNDING. THUS...WELL STILL HAVE TO OVERCOME THAT AS THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS EASTERN KANSAS BEGIN TO FILTER INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE DRY LINE. LATEST KOAX RADAR TRENDS INDICATE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS NOW BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA...SO WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THOSE CLOSELY FOR SEVERE DEVELOPMENT ALSO...BUT CAP STILL APPEARS TO BE HOLDING THE SEVERE POTENTIAL UNTIL JUST A BIT LATER. PRIMARY HAZARDS SEEM TO BE HIGH WINDS (STRONGER THAN THE GRADIENT WINDS ALREADY ARE) DUE TO DRY AIR ENTRAINING INTO THE DOWNDRAFTS AND LARGE HAIL DUE TO FAVORED WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS. AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE...THE HAZARD SHOULD SHIFT TO MORE OF A HAIL THREAT POST FRONT AS THE WIND POTENTIAL MAY BE COUNTERED BY INCREASING STABILITY AT THE SURFACE. OTHERWISE...HAVE NOT MADE MANY CHANGES IN THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST WITH ANOTHER SYSTEM DEVELOPING LATE MONDAY NIGHT...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN ON TUESDAY. LIKELY POPS STILL SEEM IN ORDER...AND SEE NO REASON TO ALTER AT THIS TIME. NEXT CHANCE FOR ORGANIZED PRECIPITATION SEEMS TO BE LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. AGAIN...DID NOT MAKE MANY CHANGES THROUGH THAT TIME AS WEVE FOCUSED MUCH OF OUR EFFORT ON THE NEAR TERM. && WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .NE...WIND ADVSRY UNTIL 8 PM CDT SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM PLATTE TO WAYNE COUNTIES. HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CDT NORTHEAST OF SAID LINE. .IA...WIND ADVSRY UNTIL 8 PM CDT. && DEWALD
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 18, 5:20 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 520 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-190500- ANTELOPE-BOONE-BURT-BUTLER-CASS-CEDAR-COLFAX-CUMING-DODGE-DOUGLAS- FREMONT IA-GAGE-HARRISON IA-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-KNOX-LANCASTER-MADISON- MILLS IA-MONONA IA-MONTGOMERY IA-NEMAHA-OTOE-PAGE IA-PAWNEE-PIERCE- PLATTE-POTTAWATTAMIE IA-RICHARDSON-SALINE-SARPY-SAUNDERS-SEWARD- SHELBY IA-STANTON-THURSTON-WASHINGTON-WAYNE- 520 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND MONDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...ALONG WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES...ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS ALL OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING. A COLD FRONT OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THIS EVENING...AND WILL INTERACT WITH VERY UNSTABLE AIR TO PRODUCE THE THUNDERSTORMS. STRONG SOUTH SURFACE WINDS COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL PRODUCE STRONG SHEAR WHICH IS CONDUCIVE FOR ISOLATED TORNADOES. AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST OF THE AREA...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. THERE WILL BE A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR MOSTLY DURING THE MORNING...AND INSTABILITY WILL PROBABLY NOT BE VERY STRONG. SEVERE STORMS ARE UNLIKELY. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. IT IS TOO SOON TO PREDICT THE EXTENT OR SEVERITY OF THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED ACROSS ALL OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING. DERGAN
In the hours before
Local storm report, Apr 18, 3:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
358 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 PM HAIL NORFOLK 42.03N 97.42W
04/18/2004 0.75 INCH MADISON NE LAW ENFORCEMENT
0358 PM HAIL NORFOLK 42.03N 97.42W
04/18/2004 2.00 INCH MADISON NE EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
DEWALDLocal storm report, Apr 18, 4:13 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
413 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0405 PM HAIL 10 NW STANTON 42.05N 97.36W
04/18/2004 2.75 INCH STANTON NE EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
DEWALDLocal storm report, Apr 18, 4:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
422 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0410 PM HAIL 10 NW STANTON 42.05N 97.36W
04/18/2004 2.75 INCH STANTON NE EMERGENCY MNGR
SIGNIFICANT HAIL DAMAGE IN THE WOODLAND PARK VICINITY.
NUMEROUS HOMES HAVE HOLES IN VINYL SIDING. SOME HOMES
HAVE HOLES IN THE ROOF.
&&
DEWALDLocal storm report, Apr 18, 4:27 PM CDT, 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
427 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM HAIL NORFOLK 42.03N 97.42W
04/18/2004 3.00 INCH MADISON NE EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
DEWALDLocal storm report, Apr 18, 4:36 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
436 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM HAIL HOSKINS 42.11N 97.30W
04/18/2004 1.75 INCH WAYNE NE PUBLIC
&&
DEWALDLocal storm report, Apr 18, 5:12 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA NE
512 PM CDT SUN APR 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0450 PM HAIL 7 SW MADISON 41.76N 97.55W
04/18/2004 0.75 INCH MADISON NE PUBLIC
&&
DEWALDThe office that day
Everything else NWS Omaha, NE issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 3:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Madison | 31 min |
| Apr 18, 4:00 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Stanton, Wayne | 30 min |
| Apr 18, 4:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Madison | 30 min |
| Apr 18, 5:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cedar | 31 min |
| Apr 18, 5:42 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Cedar | 33 min |
| Apr 18, 5:50 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Wayne | 30 min |
| Apr 18, 5:57 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Pierce | 33 min |
| Apr 18, 5:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Madison | 31 min |
| Apr 18, 6:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cedar | 29 min |
| Apr 18, 6:20 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Wayne | 25 min |
| Apr 18, 6:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Madison, Platte, Stanton | 46 min |
| Apr 18, 6:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Wayne | 44 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2004Every tornado warning in 2004Tornadoes 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.