Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Watches in 2004

Tornado Watch 251

May 22, 20045 counties in Iowa; Atchison County, Missouri; 50 counties in Nebraska

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 22, 2004, 3:45 PM CDT for 5 counties in Iowa; Atchison County, Missouri; 50 counties in Nebraska. It was in force for 7 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 22, 2004, 3:45 PM CDT (20:45 UTC)
Expired
May 22, 2004, 11:00 PM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
All 56 counties

Fremont County, IA, Harrison County, IA, Mills County, IA, Pottawattamie County, IA, Shelby County, IA, Atchison County, MO, Adams County, NE, Boone County, NE, Buffalo County, NE, Burt County, NE, Butler County, NE, Cass County, NE, Clay County, NE, Colfax County, NE, Cuming County, NE, Custer County, NE, Dawson County, NE, Dodge County, NE, Douglas County, NE, Fillmore County, NE, Franklin County, NE, Frontier County, NE, Furnas County, NE, Gage County, NE, Gosper County, NE, Greeley County, NE, Hall County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Harlan County, NE, Howard County, NE, Jefferson County, NE, Johnson County, NE, Kearney County, NE, Lancaster County, NE, Logan County, NE, Merrick County, NE, Nance County, NE, Nemaha County, NE, Nuckolls County, NE, Otoe County, NE, Pawnee County, NE, Phelps County, NE, Platte County, NE, Polk County, NE, Red Willow County, NE, Saline County, NE, Sarpy County, NE, Saunders County, NE, Seward County, NE, Sherman County, NE, Stanton County, NE, Thayer County, NE, Valley County, NE, Washington County, NE, Webster County, NE, York County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:46 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.

Warnings issued inside it

78 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 22, 4:26 PM CDTTornado WarningGLDRed Willow64 min
May 22, 4:39 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFurnas51 min
May 22, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDDawson63 min
May 22, 5:13 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDDawson62 min
May 22, 5:24 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFurnas, Harlan66 min
May 22, 5:26 PM CDTTornado WarningLBFLogan49 min
May 22, 5:37 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXButler, Colfax, Platte38 min
May 22, 5:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCuster61 min
May 22, 6:12 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFranklin63 min
May 22, 6:12 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXColfax, Dodge48 min
May 22, 6:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDKearney, Phelps59 min
May 22, 6:16 PM CDTTornado WarningLBFLogan29 min
May 22, 6:24 PM CDTTornado WarningLBFCuster51 min
May 22, 6:27 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDHarlan33 min
May 22, 6:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXSaunders27 min
May 22, 6:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDThayer56 min
May 22, 6:39 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDSherman66 min
May 22, 6:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDAdams59 min
May 22, 6:48 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFillmore, Thayer42 min
May 22, 6:51 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDAdams54 min
May 22, 6:54 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFFrontier36 min
May 22, 7:01 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXDodge, Washington59 min
May 22, 7:02 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDWebster43 min
May 22, 7:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDDawson, Gosper, York64 min
May 22, 7:13 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXDodge, Washington62 min
May 22, 7:15 PM CDTTornado WarningLBFCuster45 min
May 22, 7:19 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXJefferson, Saline56 min
May 22, 7:28 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFillmore17 min
May 22, 7:29 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDThayer16 min
May 22, 7:31 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDYork59 min
May 22, 7:32 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDClay, Nuckolls58 min
May 22, 7:33 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDDawson57 min
May 22, 7:35 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDValley55 min
May 22, 7:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXHarrison, Shelby59 min
May 22, 7:46 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDPolk44 min
May 22, 7:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo, Phelps58 min
May 22, 7:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHamilton42 min
May 22, 7:51 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXHarrison, Shelby54 min
May 22, 7:53 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDClay, Fillmore67 min
May 22, 7:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXAntelope, Boone, Madison64 min
May 22, 7:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCuster46 min
May 22, 8:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXPlatte23 min
May 22, 8:09 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXGage, Lancaster66 min
May 22, 8:20 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXSaline10 min
May 22, 8:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDSherman66 min
May 22, 8:26 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDPolk49 min
May 22, 8:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDThayer61 min
May 22, 8:32 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDYork58 min
May 22, 8:34 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDThayer56 min
May 22, 8:37 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHall, Howard53 min
May 22, 8:38 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXSaline67 min
May 22, 8:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXSeward49 min
May 22, 8:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo25 min
May 22, 8:51 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXShelby39 min
May 22, 8:54 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFillmore36 min
May 22, 9:01 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOAXHarrison, Pottawattamie6 hr
May 22, 9:05 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXOtoe55 min
May 22, 9:11 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningGIDFillmore6 hr
May 22, 9:17 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOAXShelby6 hr
May 22, 9:18 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXGage, Lancaster57 min
May 22, 9:22 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDThayer53 min
May 22, 9:24 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDFillmore66 min
May 22, 9:31 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXJefferson29 min
May 22, 9:33 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOAXLancaster, Saline6 hr
May 22, 9:35 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXCass40 min
May 22, 9:45 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXSaline45 min
May 22, 10:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDNuckolls30 min
May 22, 10:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXFremont, Page58 min
May 22, 10:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJefferson23 min
May 22, 10:11 PM CDTTornado WarningGIDThayer49 min
May 22, 10:12 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXMills48 min
May 22, 10:13 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOAXDodge6 hr
May 22, 10:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXGage, Lancaster43 min
May 22, 10:22 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningGIDThayer6 hr
May 22, 10:23 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOAXStanton6 hr
May 22, 10:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJefferson, Saline60 min
May 22, 10:31 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOAXOtoe6 hr
May 22, 10:54 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXGage, Jefferson66 min

Discussions around it

SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 174 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 12:00Z on 2004-05-22Temperature 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 12:00Z on 2004-05-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -293 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1886 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-293 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-132 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.

000 
WWUS20 KWNS 222042
SEL1  
SPC WW 222045
IAZ000-KSZ000-NEZ000-230400-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 251
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
345 PM CDT SAT MAY 22 2004

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 

       SOUTHWEST IOWA
       EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
       CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 345 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION...

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL TO 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER...
THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE
POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS ALONG AND 65 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND
SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BROKEN BOW NEBRASKA TO
35 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF OMAHA NEBRASKA.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 247...WW 248...WW 249...WW
250...

DISCUSSION...VERY POTENT SITUATION EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS PARTS
OF NEB/IA THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING AS LOW LEVEL WINDS STRENGTHEN. 
EXTREME INSTABILITY IS IN PLACE OVER WATCH AREA...AND SHOULD LEAD TO
EXPLOSIVE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. 
SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF VERY LARGE HAIL APPEAR LIKELY...WITH THE
POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT TORNADOES AS WELL.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 4 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26035.


...HART

414,1003 420,0951 400,0951 394,1003

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 21, 7:37 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAudubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone, Bremer, Buchanan and 48 more83 min
May 21, 9:55 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAudubon, Boone, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee and 14 more4 hr
May 22, 12:05 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCBenton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar and 26 more6 hr
May 22, 12:25 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAudubon, Boone, Buena Vista, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee and 14 more2 hr
May 22, 12:55 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPCAdair, Adams, Audubon, Boone, Carroll, Cass and 17 more5 hr
May 22, 2:41 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBenton, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Cedar, Clayton, Clinton and 24 more94 min
May 22, 3:44 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdair, Adams, Audubon, Boone, Cass, Dallas and 11 more61 min
May 22, 6:58 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAppanoose, Davis, Decatur, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson and 6 more62 min
May 22, 3:02 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Cass, Clarke and 29 more58 min
May 22, 5:52 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdair, Adams, Audubon, Benton, Black Hawk, Boone and 53 more113 min
May 22, 6:15 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAdair, Adams, Appanoose, Audubon, Benton, Boone and 47 more6 hr
May 21, 7:40 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAdams, Antelope, Boone, Boyd, Buffalo, Butler and 33 more5 hr
May 21, 10:01 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAdams, Antelope, Boone, Boyd, Buffalo, Butler and 33 more89 min
May 22, 1:13 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBanner, Chase, Cheyenne, Deuel, Dundy, Keith and 2 more2 hr
May 22, 2:00 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCArthur, Banner, Chase, Cheyenne, Deuel, Dundy and 12 more6 hr
May 22, 3:04 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBanner, Chase, Cheyenne, Deuel, Dundy, Keith and 2 more86 min

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Nebraska, 2004Tornado Watches in Iowa, 2004Tornado Watches in Missouri, 2004Every tornado watch 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.