Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2012

Tornado Warning 19, NWS North Platte, NE

May 4, 2012Garfield County, Wheeler County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this tornado warning at May 4, 2012, 6:32 PM CDT for Garfield County, Wheeler County, Nebraska. It was in force for 28 min. 1 report 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
May 4, 2012, 6:32 PM CDT (23:32 UTC)
Expired
May 4, 2012, 7:00 PM CDT
In force
28 min
Issued by
NWS North Platte, NE
Area
Storm-based polygon

Counties Garfield County, NE, Wheeler County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 159 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:33 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 was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 4, 6:38 PM CDTFUNNEL CLOUD6 Wnw Ericson, NE1 MILE NORTH OF HWY 70 AND HWY 91 INTERCHANGE.

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
May 4, 2:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 182 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 12:00Z on 2012-05-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1902 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 12:00Z on 2012-05-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 88 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1902 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-97 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
750 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
198 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
6.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

724 
WFUS53 KLBF 042332
TORLBF
NEC071-183-050000-
/O.NEW.KLBF.TO.W.0019.120504T2332Z-120505T0000Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
632 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  EAST CENTRAL GARFIELD COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...
  SOUTHWESTERN WHEELER COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

* UNTIL 700 PM CDT

* AT 629 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO. THIS DANGEROUS
  STORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF ERICSON...OR 19 MILES EAST
  OF BURWELL...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ERICSON...BARTLETT AND PIBEL LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

THIS TORNADO WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING THAT
WAS IN EFFECT FOR THE SAME AREA.

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

&&

LAT...LON 4196 9851 4175 9852 4181 9886 4189 9886
TIME...MOT...LOC 2332Z 271DEG 11KT 4185 9878

$$

JACOBS
2 follow-up statements
237 
WWUS53 KLBF 042347
SVSLBF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
647 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

NEC071-183-050000-
/O.CON.KLBF.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-120505T0000Z/
GARFIELD NE-WHEELER NE-
647 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHWESTERN WHEELER AND
EAST CENTRAL GARFIELD COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM CDT...

AT 638 PM CDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD 6 
MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF ERICSON.  A TORNADO MAY DEVELOP AT ANY TIME. 
THIS DANGEROUS STORM WAS LOCATED 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF ERICSON...OR 
22 MILES EAST OF BURWELL...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ERICSON...BARTLETT AND PIBEL LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW. MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
STURDY BUILDING. AVOID WINDOWS. IF IN A MOBILE HOME...A VEHICLE OR
OUTDOORS...MOVE TO THE CLOSEST SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER AND PROTECT
YOURSELF FROM FLYING DEBRIS.

MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT TAKE SHELTER UNDER HIGHWAY OVERPASSES. AS A LAST
RESORT... EITHER PARK YOUR VEHICLE AND STAY PUT...OR ABANDON YOUR
VEHICLE AND LIE DOWN IN A LOW LYING AREA.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN NORTH PLATTE.

&&

LAT...LON 4181 9881 4190 9882 4196 9851 4175 9852
TIME...MOT...LOC 2347Z 271DEG 11KT 4185 9872

$$

JACOBS
272 
WWUS53 KLBF 050001
SVSLBF

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
701 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

NEC071-183-050011-
/O.EXP.KLBF.TO.W.0019.000000T0000Z-120505T0000Z/
GARFIELD NE-WHEELER NE-
701 PM CDT FRI MAY 4 2012

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN WHEELER AND EAST CENTRAL
GARFIELD COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSES AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
IN NORTH PLATTE.

LAT...LON 4181 9881 4190 9882 4196 9851 4175 9852
TIME...MOT...LOC 2347Z 271DEG 11KT 4185 9872

$$

JACOBS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 4, 3:14 AM CDTDense Fog AdvisoryLBFArthur, Chase, Custer, Deuel, Frontier, Hayes and 5 more3 hr
May 4, 3:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBoyd, Holt41 min
May 4, 3:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry, Hooker40 min
May 4, 4:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBoyd, Holt16 min
May 4, 4:35 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFBlaine, Loup40 min
May 4, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCherry, Hooker, Thomas27 min
May 4, 5:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFLoup50 min
May 4, 5:24 PM CDTTornado WarningLBFLoup36 min
May 4, 5:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFGarfield, Loup49 min
May 4, 5:50 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFCuster, Garfield, Loup29 min
May 4, 6:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningLBFGarfield, Wheeler50 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2012Every tornado warning in 2012Tornadoes in 2012

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.