Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2013

Tornado Warning 3, NWS Cheyenne, WY

May 17, 2013Dawes County, Nebraska

NWS Cheyenne, WY issued this tornado warning at May 17, 2013, 3:49 PM MDT for Dawes County, Nebraska. It was in force for 26 min. 2 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
May 17, 2013, 3:49 PM MDT (21:49 UTC)
Expired
May 17, 2013, 4:15 PM MDT
In force
26 min
Issued by
NWS Cheyenne, WY
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.25 in

County Dawes County, NE

The radar

The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 145 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:52 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 17, 3:51 PM MDTFUNNEL CLOUD7 N Crawford, NECHADRON WARNING POINT HAS AT LEAST 15 REPORTS OF FUNNEL CLOUDS WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NORTH OF CRAWFORD.
May 17, 3:54 PM MDTTORNADO9 N Crawford, NECHADRON WARNING POINT RECEIVED 3 SEPARATE REPORTS OF A TORNADO ON THE GROUND 7N OF CRAWFORD. TORNADO HAS SINCE LIFTED BACK INTO THE STORM.

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 17, 3:03 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WatchSPC9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Rapid City, SD (KUNR), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 138 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 2013-05-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 9 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, Rapid City, SD at 12:00Z on 2013-05-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 81 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
9 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-260 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1283 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
81 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
114 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.

722 
WFUS55 KCYS 172149
TORCYS
NEC045-172215-
/O.NEW.KCYS.TO.W.0003.130517T2149Z-130517T2215Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
349 PM MDT FRI MAY 17 2013

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHEYENNE HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  NORTHWESTERN DAWES COUNTY IN THE PANHANDLE OF NEBRASKA...

* UNTIL 415 PM MDT

* AT 347 PM MDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A
  TORNADO WAS LOCATED 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF WHITNEY LAKE...AND MOVING
  NORTH AT 15 MPH.

  HAZARD...DEVELOPING TORNADO AND HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL.

  SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD.

  IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
           SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL
           OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.
           EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHWESTERN DAWES COUNTY.

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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THEY WILL SEND YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
CHEYENNE.

&&

LAT...LON 4300 10350 4300 10321 4282 10324 4274 10338
      4275 10348
TIME...MOT...LOC 2148Z 190DEG 12KT 4284 10339

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.25IN

$$

HAMMER/LIEBL
2 follow-up statements
116 
WWUS55 KCYS 172159
SVSCYS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
359 PM MDT FRI MAY 17 2013

NEC045-172215-
/O.CON.KCYS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-130517T2215Z/
DAWES NE-
359 PM MDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN DAWES COUNTY
UNTIL 415 PM MDT...

AT 356 PM MDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED NEAR WHITNEY LAKE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

HAZARD...DEVELOPING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD.

IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
         SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL
         OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.
         EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHWESTERN DAWES COUNTY.

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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THEY WILL SEND YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
CHEYENNE.

&&

LAT...LON 4300 10350 4300 10321 4282 10324 4277 10334
      4281 10343
TIME...MOT...LOC 2159Z 209DEG 11KT 4284 10337

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

HAMMER/LIEBL
144 
WWUS55 KCYS 172207
SVSCYS

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
407 PM MDT FRI MAY 17 2013

NEC045-172215-
/O.CON.KCYS.TO.W.0003.000000T0000Z-130517T2215Z/
DAWES NE-
407 PM MDT FRI MAY 17 2013

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWESTERN DAWES COUNTY
UNTIL 415 PM MDT...

AT 401 PM MDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED 7 MILES NORTH OF
WHITNEY LAKE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL.

SOURCE...PUBLIC CONFIRMED TORNADO. AT 354 PM MDT...A BRIEF TORNADO  
WAS REPORTED 10 MILES NORTH OF CRAWFORD. THE TORNADO HAS 
DISSIPATED...BUT MAY REDEVELOP AT ANY TIME! 

IMPACT...MOBILE HOMES WILL BE HEAVILY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.
         SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL
         OCCUR. FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DEADLY TO PEOPLE AND ANIMALS.
         EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE IS LIKELY.

LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHERN DAWES COUNTY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPEAT...A TORNADO IS ON THE GROUND. 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.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THEY WILL SEND YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
CHEYENNE.

&&

LAT...LON 4300 10344 4300 10321 4286 10323 4278 10331
      4281 10341
TIME...MOT...LOC 2205Z 212DEG 28KT 4291 10331

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

HAMMER/LIEBL

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cheyenne, WY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 17, 2:08 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSBox Butte, Morrill, Scotts Bluff, Sioux67 min
May 17, 2:42 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementCYSDawes48 min
May 17, 2:43 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementCYSBox Butte17 min
May 17, 3:05 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSBox Butte55 min
May 17, 3:06 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementCYSSioux39 min
May 17, 3:28 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSDawes62 min
May 17, 4:05 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementCYSBox Butte25 min
May 17, 4:20 PM MDTTornado WarningCYSDawes25 min
May 17, 4:54 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementCYSSioux51 min
May 17, 5:51 PM MDTSpecial Weather StatementCYSCheyenne24 min
May 17, 5:59 PM MDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCYSCheyenne46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2013Every tornado warning in 2013Tornadoes in 2013

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.