Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2009

Tornado Warning 61, NWS North Platte, NE

July 13, 2009Cherry County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this tornado warning at Jul 13, 2009, 7:24 PM MDT for Cherry County, Nebraska. It was in force for 51 min. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 13, 2009, 7:24 PM MDT (01:24 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 2009, 8:15 PM MDT
In force
51 min
Issued by
NWS North Platte, NE
Area
Storm-based polygon

County Cherry County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:24 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 was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 13, 7:39 PM MDTHAIL 18 Sw Valentine, NE
Jul 13, 7:47 PM MDTFUNNEL CLOUD16 S Crookston, NERANCH HAND SAW 2 BRIEF FUNNEL CLOUDS DIP DOWN WHERE SNAKE AND NIOBRARA RIVERS COME TOGETHER.
Jul 13, 7:50 PM MDTTSTM WND DMG10 S Valentine, NE2 TO 3 FOOT DIAMETER TREE BRANCHES DOWN OVER ROADS FROM THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. NICKEL SIZE HAIL ALSO OCCURRED SPORADICALLY.
Jul 13, 8:20 PM MDTTSTM WND DMG20 Ssw Valentine, NETREE BLOWN OVER AND NUMEROUS LARGE TREE LIMBS BROKEN BY THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS.
Jul 13, 8:20 PM MDTTORNADO9 S Crookston, NETORNADO 9 MILES SOUTH OF CROOKSTON DAMAGED A QUONSET HUT WITH HALF OF IT IN A TREE. AN OLD TRAILER HOME WAS MOVED AND IN PIECES AFTER TORNADO. BIG TREE BRANCHES AND TREE DAMAGE NOTED. OLD BAILER MOVED AT LEAST 200 YARDS.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Jul 13, 4:52 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 172 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 2009-07-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2857 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2009-07-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 37 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
2857 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1339 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
207 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.2
Supercell composite
13.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WFUS53 KLBF 140124
TORLBF
NEC031-140215-
/O.NEW.KLBF.TO.W.0061.090714T0124Z-090714T0215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
824 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL CHERRY COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

* UNTIL 915 PM CDT

* AT 822 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD
  NEAR HIGHWAY 97 CROSSING THE NIOBRARA RIVER...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST
  OF VALENTINE...MOVING SOUTH AT 10 MPH.

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  SCHLAGEL CREEK STATE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA BY 845 PM CDT...
  BIG ALKALI LAKE STATE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA AND 8 MILES NORTH OF
  VALENTINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BY 915 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS EXCEEDING 100 
MPH.

WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A TORNADO MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE GROUND...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY. IF YOU
ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO THE
LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF DRIVING...DO
NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.

DO NOT USE YOUR CAR TO TRY TO OUTRUN A TORNADO. CARS ARE EASILY
TOSSED AROUND BY TORNADO WINDS. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF A
TORNADO...LEAVE THE CAR AND GO TO A STRONG BUILDING. IF NO SAFE
STRUCTURE IS NEARBY...SEEK SHELTER IN A DITCH OR LOW SPOT AND COVER
YOUR HEAD.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
TUESDAY MORNING FOR WESTERN NEBRASKA.

&&

LAT...LON 4260 10030 4248 10066 4283 10081 4288 10057
TIME...MOT...LOC 0124Z 343DEG 10KT 4277 10065

$$

SPRINGER
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWUS53 KLBF 140148
SVSLBF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
848 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2009

NEC031-140215-
/O.CON.KLBF.TO.W.0061.000000T0000Z-090714T0215Z/
CHERRY NE-
848 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2009

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 915 PM CDT FOR EAST
CENTRAL CHERRY COUNTY...

AT 848 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH STRONG ROTATION.  THIS TORNADO WAS LOCATED
NEAR SCHLAGEL CREEK STATE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA...OR 12 MILES
SOUTH OF VALENTINE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  BIG ALKALI LAKE STATE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA BY 905 PM CDT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IN ADDITION TO THE TORNADO...THIS STORM IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING 
BASEBALL SIZE HAIL AND DESTRUCTIVE STRAIGHT LINE WINDS EXCEEDING 100 
MPH.

HEAVY RAINFALL MAY OBSCURE THIS TORNADO. TAKE COVER NOW IF YOU WAIT
TO SEE OR HEAR IT COMING...IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE.

THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.

IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT
TUESDAY MORNING FOR WESTERN NEBRASKA.

&&

LAT...LON 4260 10030 4248 10066 4283 10081 4288 10057
TIME...MOT...LOC 0148Z 321DEG 9KT 4270 10058

$$

SPRINGER

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 13, 6:30 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFCherry60 min
Jul 13, 6:34 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFGarden41 min
Jul 13, 6:39 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBrown, Cherry, Keya Paha66 min
Jul 13, 7:07 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFDeuel, Keith38 min
Jul 13, 7:13 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFChase, Perkins47 min
Jul 13, 7:15 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFArthur, Garden, Grant, Keith45 min
Jul 13, 8:01 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFArthur, Keith, Lincoln, McPherson44 min
Jul 13, 8:02 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry26 min
Jul 13, 8:14 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFCherry46 min
Jul 13, 8:44 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBrown, Cherry29 min
Jul 13, 8:54 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFCherry51 min
Jul 13, 9:43 PM MDTTornado WarningLBFCherry32 min
Jul 13, 10:35 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBrown, Keya Paha, Rock55 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2009Every tornado warning in 2009Tornadoes in 2009

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.