Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Watches in 2007

Tornado Watch 231

May 5, 200716 counties in Kansas; 66 counties in Nebraska

The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 5, 2007, 1:30 AM CDT for 16 counties in Kansas; 66 counties in Nebraska. It was in force for 7 hr.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 5, 2007, 1:30 AM CDT (06:30 UTC)
Expired
May 5, 2007, 8:00 AM CDT
In force
7 hr
Issued by
the Storm Prediction Center
Largest hail expected
2.5 in
Strongest gust expected
70 kt
All 82 counties

Clay County, KS, Cloud County, KS, Dickinson County, KS, Ellsworth County, KS, Jewell County, KS, Lincoln County, KS, Mitchell County, KS, Osborne County, KS, Ottawa County, KS, Phillips County, KS, Republic County, KS, Rooks County, KS, Russell County, KS, Saline County, KS, Smith County, KS, Washington County, KS, Adams County, NE, Antelope County, NE, Arthur County, NE, Blaine County, NE, Boone County, NE, Boyd County, NE, Brown County, NE, Buffalo County, NE, Butler County, NE, Cedar County, NE, Chase County, NE, Clay County, NE, Colfax County, NE, Cuming County, NE, Custer County, NE, Dawson County, NE, Dodge County, NE, Fillmore County, NE, Franklin County, NE, Frontier County, NE, Furnas County, NE, Gage County, NE, Garfield County, NE, Gosper County, NE, Greeley County, NE, Hall County, NE, Hamilton County, NE, Harlan County, NE, Hayes County, NE, Holt County, NE, Hooker County, NE, Howard County, NE, Jefferson County, NE, Johnson County, NE, Kearney County, NE, Keith County, NE, Keya Paha County, NE, Knox County, NE, Lancaster County, NE, Lincoln County, NE, Logan County, NE, Loup County, NE, Madison County, NE, McPherson County, NE, Merrick County, NE, Nance County, NE, Nuckolls County, NE, Pawnee County, NE, Perkins County, NE, Phelps County, NE, Pierce County, NE, Platte County, NE, Polk County, NE, Rock County, NE, Saline County, NE, Saunders County, NE, Seward County, NE, Sherman County, NE, Stanton County, NE, Thayer County, NE, Thomas County, NE, Valley County, NE, Wayne County, NE, Webster County, NE, Wheeler County, NE, York County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 121 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:33 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.

What SPC expected

The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.

Two or more tornadoes
70%
One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
50%
Ten or more severe wind reports
30%
One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
30%
Ten or more severe hail reports
80%
One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
50%
Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
95%

Warnings issued inside it

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 1:32 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDPhillips36 min
May 5, 1:33 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFChase27 min
May 5, 1:36 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDClay, Hamilton, York54 min
May 5, 1:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDHarlan59 min
May 5, 1:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFWheeler28 min
May 5, 1:48 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDJewell, Smith57 min
May 5, 1:49 AM CDTTornado WarningICTBarton, Ellsworth, Rice56 min
May 5, 1:54 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXPawnee18 min
May 5, 1:55 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLBFLincoln95 min
May 5, 1:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBlaine, Custer63 min
May 5, 2:01 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFKeith, Lincoln, Perkins44 min
May 5, 2:03 AM CDTTornado WarningICTEllsworth, Rice42 min
May 5, 2:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDFranklin, Kearney30 min
May 5, 2:27 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTOPCloud63 min
May 5, 2:41 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTEllsworth, Lincoln, McPherson, Rice, Saline64 min
May 5, 2:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXButler, Platte44 min
May 5, 3:20 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningICTSaline55 min
May 5, 3:25 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLBFLincoln95 min
May 5, 3:26 AM CDTTornado WarningTOPRepublic, Washington49 min
May 5, 3:35 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCuster40 min
May 5, 4:22 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDJewell38 min
May 5, 4:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDSmith61 min
May 5, 4:33 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningGIDFranklin6 hr
May 5, 5:56 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXGage34 min
May 5, 6:02 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningLBFCuster3 hr
May 5, 7:30 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGIDBuffalo30 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

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 92 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 2007-05-05Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1008 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 00:00Z on 2007-05-05The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 110 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
1008 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
699 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
110 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
151 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
3.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000
WWUS20 KWNS 050632
SEL1  
SPC WW 050632
KSZ000-NEZ000-051300-

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 231
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
130 AM CDT SAT MAY 5 2007

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

       NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
       MUCH OF NEBRASKA

EFFECTIVE THIS SATURDAY MORNING FROM 130 AM UNTIL 800 AM CDT.

TORNADOES...HAIL TO 2.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 115 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF
AINSWORTH NEBRASKA TO 30 MILES EAST SOUTHEAST OF RUSSELL KANSAS. 
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

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 228...WW 230...

DISCUSSION...NUMEROUS STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE THIS
MORNING ACROSS PARTS OF NEB AND CENTRAL KS...INCLUDING A LONG-LIVED
TORNADIC SUPERCELL NEAR GBD.  THIS ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY PERSIST FOR
MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS IT TRACKS NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH A MOIST...
UNSTABLE...AND STRONGLY SHEARED ENVIRONMENT.  SUPERCELLS CAPABLE OF
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE.

AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 2.5 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 22030.


...HART

SPC that day

Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 7:26 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCDecatur, Gove, Graham, Jewell, Mitchell, Norton and 5 more7 hr
May 4, 8:06 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ford and 6 more84 min
May 4, 8:29 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCheyenne, Sherman91 min
May 4, 9:41 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCDecatur, Graham, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, Rooks and 2 more94 min
May 4, 10:34 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClay, Dickinson, Geary, Marion, Marshall, Morris and 2 more56 min
May 4, 11:10 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarber, Barton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellsworth and 12 more95 min
May 4, 11:28 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCCheyenne, Sherman, Wallace92 min
May 5, 1:23 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarton, Clay, Cloud, Decatur, Ellis, Ellsworth and 15 more67 min
May 5, 3:00 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarton, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Ellsworth, Jewell and 12 more90 min
May 5, 6:59 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCRepublic, Washington61 min
May 5, 8:52 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarber, Barton, Clark, Cloud, Comanche, Decatur and 40 more53 min
May 5, 9:51 AM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPCBarton, Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellis, Ellsworth, Gove and 21 more12 hr
May 5, 11:32 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCNorton, Phillips, Smith88 min
May 5, 11:57 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Harper, Kingman and 3 more93 min
May 5, 12:15 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPCBarber, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Finney, Ford and 16 more10 hr
May 5, 2:32 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCClay, Cloud, Dickinson, Geary, Marshall, Morris and 5 more28 min
May 5, 2:42 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPCBrown, Chase, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Geary and 15 more7 hr
May 5, 3:26 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarton, Clark, Comanche, Edwards, Ellis, Ford and 14 more94 min
May 5, 6:16 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBarber, Barton, Clark, Cloud, Comanche, Edwards and 14 more59 min
May 4, 8:49 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAntelope, Cedar, Dixon, Knox, Madison, Pierce and 1 more56 min
May 4, 9:22 PM CDTTornado WatchSPCAntelope, Boone, Cedar, Knox, Pierce11 hr
May 5, 10:35 AM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCAntelope, Boyd, Brown, Burt, Cedar, Cherry and 13 more85 min
May 5, 10:55 AM CDTTornado WatchSPCAntelope, Boyd, Brown, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon and 7 more6 hr
May 5, 1:01 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBoyd, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Holt, Knox and 2 more89 min
May 5, 1:45 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCArthur, Box Butte, Cherry, Dawes, Deuel, Garden and 8 more2 hr
May 5, 4:09 PM CDTMesoscale DiscussionSPCBoyd, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Holt, Keya Paha and 4 more96 min
May 5, 4:33 PM CDTTornado Watch PDSSPCAntelope, Boyd, Brown, Cedar, Cherry, Dakota and 8 more6 hr

Nearby

Tornado Watches in Nebraska, 2007Tornado Watches in Kansas, 2007Every tornado watch in 2007

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.