Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 59, NWS Omaha, NE

May 2, 2012Platte County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 2, 2012, 9:11 PM CDT for Platte 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: May 2, 2012, 9:11 PM CDT (02:11 UTC)
Expired: May 2, 2012, 9:45 PM CDT
In force: 34 min
Issued by: NWS Omaha, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 50.0 mph

County Platte County, NE

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:10 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 severe thunderstorm 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
May 2, 7:32 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 2.2 hours before the alert went out and 102 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 2533 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1223 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 102 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

538 
WUUS53 KOAX 030211
SVROAX

NEC141-030245-
/O.NEW.KOAX.SV.W.0059.120503T0211Z-120503T0245Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
911 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  SOUTH CENTRAL PLATTE COUNTY IN  NEBRASKA...

* UNTIL 945 PM CDT

* AT 906 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS 
  INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE 
  HAIL. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR GENOA...OR 18 MILES WEST OF 
  COLUMBUS...AND MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. 

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  DUNCAN AND MONROE. 

THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 81 NEAR MILE MARKER 118.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR 
PROTECTION...MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR 
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DO NOT DRIVE 
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4151 9771 4154 9755 4152 9743 4142 9742
      4135 9753 4133 9758 4133 9759 4139 9760
      4140 9771
TIME...MOT...LOC 0206Z 260DEG 19KT 4141 9772 
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

BOUSTEAD

2 follow-up statements

803 
WWUS53 KOAX 030226
SVSOAX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
926 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

NEC141-030245-
/O.CON.KOAX.SV.W.0059.000000T0000Z-120503T0245Z/
PLATTE NE-
926 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM 
CDT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PLATTE COUNTY...

AT 925 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEROLOGISTS INDICATED A 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL. THIS 
STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MONROE...OR 13 MILES WEST OF COLUMBUS...
MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. 

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MONROE.

THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 81 NEAR MILE MARKER 118.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MILES 
PER HOUR...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY 
RAIN. FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST 
FLOOR OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO 
DO NOT DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

&&

LAT...LON 4154 9755 4152 9743 4144 9742 4144 9743
      4140 9759 4140 9766 4151 9769
TIME...MOT...LOC 0225Z 256DEG 19KT 4145 9761 
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

BOUSTEAD

028 
WWUS53 KOAX 030238
SVSOAX

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENTNATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY 
NEBRASKA938 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

NEC141-030255-
/O.EXP.KOAX.SV.W.0059.000000T0000Z-120503T0245Z/
PLATTE NE-
938 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL PLATTE COUNTY 
WILL EXPIRE AT 945 PM CDT...

THE STORM WHICH PROMPTED THE WARNING HAS WEAKENED BELOW SEVERE 
LIMITS...AND NO LONGER POSE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO LIFE OR 
PROPERTY. THEREFORE THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. 

ADDITIONAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT REMAINS POSSIBLE...AND 
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM. 

LAT...LON 4154 9755 4152 9743 4144 9742 4144 9743
      4140 9759 4140 9766 4151 9769
TIME...MOT...LOC 0238Z 260DEG 19KT 4145 9761 

$$

BOUSTEAD

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 2, 6:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 2, 6:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
638 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS FOR KOMA...KLNK...KOFK.

CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL AND TIMING REMAIN MAIN CONCERN DURING
THIS PERIOD. COUPLE OF BOUNDARIES IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA
THIS EVENING TO ACT AS POSSIBLE FOCUS WITH KOFK APPEARING
TO BE CLOSEST TO INITIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH BOUNDARY FROM
JUST WEST OF KOLU TO WEST OF KSUX.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 419 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012/

DISCUSSION...

MAIN FORECAST PROBLEMS TONIGHT ARE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL AND
SEVERITY. THERE ARE 3 MAIN AREAS FOR CONCERN TONIGHT. THE FIRST
WOULD BE ALONG AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHT'S CONVECTION...IN
AN AREA FROM NEAR HEBRON TO SOUTH OF LINCOLN TO WESTERN IOWA.
HOWEVER...AN 18Z SOUNDING REVEALED A CAP THAT HAS TO BE OVERCOME...
AND OVERALL SATELLITE IMAGERY AND VISUAL OBSERVATIONS SUGGESTS
THAT VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THIS CUMULUS FIELD IS
LIMITED...BUT IS AN AREA THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. THE
SECOND AREA WOULD BE ALONG THE SURFACE TROUGH THAT EXTENDS FROM
NEAR HASTINGS INTO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. THE DEWPOINT GRADIENT ALONG
THIS FEATURE...COMBINED WITH NEARLY FULL SUNSHINE TODAY HAS
ALLOWED A LINE OF TOWERING CUMULUS CLOUDS TO DEVELOP...AND IT'S
WITHIN THIS AREA THAT SPC IS MONITORING WITH A RECENT MCD THAT
WAS ISSUED. INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR WOULD BE SUFFICIENT IN
THIS AREA FOR SEVERE STORMS AND WOULD BE WITHIN THE MODERATE RISK
ENVELOPE GIVEN EFFECTIVE SHEAR AROUND 45 TO 55 KNOTS. ONE CELL
APPEARS TO BE POPPING NEAR CENTRAL CITY...SO WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH
TO SEE IF THIS CAN CONTINUE TO VERTICALLY DEVELOP. AND
FINALLY...THE LAST CONCERN WOULD BE A CONVECTIVE MCS THAT DEVELOPS
ACROSS THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THIS EVENING IN RESPONSE TO THE
ADVANCING WAVE FROM THE WEST...THAT WOULD RACE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT
WITH A SUBSTANTIAL WIND THREAT...ALONG WITH HEAVY
RAINFALL...WITHIN AN AXIS ORIENTED NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THIS
WOULD MOVE INTO AN AREA THAT RECEIVED THE HEAVY RAINFALL LAST
NIGHT...BUT BECAUSE OF THE FORWARD MOVING PROPAGATION AND NO
TRAINING...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WOULD PROBABLY NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS.

BEYOND TONIGHT...IF AN MCS DEVELOPS AND ROLLS EASTWARD OVERNIGHT...
THERE COULD BE LINGERING CONVECTION EARLY IN THE MORNING THURSDAY.
THEN THERE SHOULD BE A SEVERAL HOUR PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER...BUT
STORMS COULD REFIRE THURSDAY AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND
SOUTH OF I80. THE DETAILS BECOME SLIGHTLY DEPENDENT ON HOW FAR
SOUTH THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION CAN PUSH THE BOUNDARY...BUT
CONVECTION WOULD TEND TO PUSH SOUTH INTO KS/MO BY DAY BREAK FRIDAY.

FRIDAY ACTUALLY MAY BE DRY...WITH AN MCS TO OUR NORTH. HOWEVER
ANOTHER DEVELOPING SURFACE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE
AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...THUS HAVE ADDED POPS FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF
THE FORECAST AREA. THIS BOUNDARY THEN APPEARS TO STALL IN SIMILAR
FASHION FROM CENTRAL NEBRASKA THROUGH THE MID MISSOURI VALLEY
REGION. ANOTHER IMPULSE MOVING IN SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD BRING
ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION THAT THEN MOVES
THROUGH THE AREA THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT...AND COULD LINGER INTO
SUNDAY.

FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK...OVERALL FORECAST
CONFIDENCE IS SOMEWHAT LOW. MODEL DISCREPANCIES BEGIN TO MAGNIFY
AND DETAILS BECOME UNCLEAR. OVERALL...PREFER A DRIER SOLUTION...
ALTHOUGH THE FORECAST MODEL BLENDS INDICATED 20 TO 30 PERCENT
CHANCE THROUGH THE PERIOD.

DEWALD

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
IA...NONE.
&&

FOBERT

Hazardous weather outlook, May 2, 4:29 PM CDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
429 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-031130-
MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-
PAGE-KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON-
STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER-
SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE-
JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON-
429 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING...
PRIMARILY IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...WITH ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE
STORMS POSSIBLE BY LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.

STORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THROUGH EARLY EVENING
AND COULD QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE GIVEN INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR
IN THE ATMOSPHERE. SUPERCELL STORMS WOULD BE POSSIBLE...WITH LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED ISOLATED TORNADO.

STORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA...
THEN SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGH THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS
INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA. THE MAIN THREAT AREA FOR
SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. LARGE
HAIL AND ESPECIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH
THESE STORMS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO IS POSSIBLE. THE
HEAVY RAIN THREAT WOULD BE IN THE SAME AREA THAT RECEIVED HEAVY
RAINFALL LAST NIGHT.

ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE
80 THURSDAY AFTERNOON WHICH ALSO HAVE A SLIGHT RISK OF BECOMING
SEVERE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY

STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE THURSDAY EVENING ALONG
AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE
PRIMARY HAZARDS. MORE THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN
AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AS ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGH SETTLES
INTO THE REGION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH THE EVENING IN NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA.

DEWALD

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 2, 7:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
758 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

NEZ030-030130-
BOONE NE-
758 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN BOONE COUNTY
UNTIL 830 PM CDT...

AT 754 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BELGRADE...OR 38 MILES NORTH
OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CEDAR RAPIDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4163 9824 4164 9803 4150 9807 4148 9810
      4148 9824
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 206DEG 25KT 4146 9817

BOUSTEAD

Local storm report, May 2, 8:21 PM CDT, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
821 PM CDT WED MAY 02 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0817 PM     HAIL             2 SE CEDAR RAPIDS       41.54N 98.12W
05/02/2012  E1.25 INCH       BOONE              NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JBRAND

Local storm report, May 2, 8:24 PM CDT, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
824 PM CDT WED MAY 02 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0818 PM     HAIL             2 SE CEDAR RAPIDS       41.54N 98.12W
05/02/2012  M1.50 INCH       BOONE              NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

JBRAND

Local storm report, May 2, 8:51 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
851 PM CDT WED MAY 02 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0843 PM     HAIL             1 W ALBION              41.69N 98.02W
05/02/2012  E1.00 INCH       BOONE              NE   PUBLIC

&&

JBRAND

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 2, 7:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OAX	Boone	32 min
May 2, 8:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone	25 min
May 2, 8:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone	32 min
May 2, 9:34 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OAX	Pierce	26 min
May 2, 10:08 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OAX	Boone	37 min
May 2, 10:17 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone, Platte	28 min
May 2, 10:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone, Platte	34 min
May 2, 10:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Platte	45 min
May 2, 11:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saline, Seward	40 min
May 2, 11:16 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OAX	Wayne	44 min
May 2, 11:26 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Madison, Platte, Stanton	49 min
May 2, 11:30 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cedar, Wayne	45 min
May 2, 11:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saline, Seward	44 min
May 2, 11:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saline	39 min
May 2, 11:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax, Platte, Stanton	48 min
May 3, 12:22 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Gage, Lancaster, Saline, Seward	23 min
May 3, 12:36 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax, Dodge	39 min
May 3, 12:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass, Gage, Lancaster, Otoe, Sarpy, Saunders	28 min
May 3, 1:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Dodge, Saunders, Washington	33 min
May 3, 1:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass, Douglas, Sarpy	30 min
May 3, 1:46 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy	29 min
May 3, 2:08 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Saline, Seward	6 hr

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2012 Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.