Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2015

Tornado Warning 22, NWS Hastings, NE

May 6, 2015Thayer County, Nebraska

NWS Hastings, NE issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2015, 5:55 PM CDT for Thayer County, Nebraska. It was in force for 35 min. 3 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 6, 2015, 5:55 PM CDT (22:55 UTC)
Expired: May 6, 2015, 6:30 PM CDT
In force: 35 min
Issued by: NWS Hastings, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 0.75 in

County Thayer County, NE

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 77 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:58 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 6, 6:09 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 W Chester, NE	TORNADO REMAINS ON THE GROUND.
May 6, 6:22 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 Ssw Hebron, NE	TORNADO WAS STILL ON THE GROUND. POWER FLASHES REPORTED. TORNADO CROSSED HIGHWAY 81.
May 6, 6:25 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Se Hebron, NE	HOME DAMAGED. POWER LINES AND TREES DOWNED IN THE AREA. TIME APPROXIMATED FROM RADAR.

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

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched 3 storm reports to this tornado warning; the first came 14 minutes after it went out.

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 6, 1:41 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.9 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-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: 21 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -53 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 677 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 191 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 205 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.

300 
WFUS53 KGID 062255
TORGID
NEC169-062330-
/O.NEW.KGID.TO.W.0022.150506T2255Z-150506T2330Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
555 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN THAYER COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...

* UNTIL 630 PM CDT

* AT 555 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR BYRON...OR 9
  MILES NORTHWEST OF BELLEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH.

  HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO. 

  SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

  IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
           SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. 
           DAMAGE TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE 
           DAMAGE IS LIKELY. 

* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  CHESTER AROUND 610 PM CDT.
  HEBRON AROUND 630 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4000 9755 4001 9777 4021 9767 4021 9742
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 205DEG 28KT 3994 9772 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...<.75IN

$$

GUERRERO

2 follow-up statements

241 
WWUS53 KGID 062307
SVSGID

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
607 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

NEC169-062330-
/O.CON.KGID.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-150506T2330Z/
THAYER NE-
607 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
THAYER COUNTY...
    
AT 607 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED OVER CHESTER...OR 13
MILES NORTH OF BELLEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO. 

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

THIS TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  HEBRON AROUND 630 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4000 9755 4001 9777 4021 9767 4021 9742
TIME...MOT...LOC 2307Z 205DEG 28KT 4002 9767 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

GUERRERO

524 
WWUS53 KGID 062310
SVSGID

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
610 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

NEC169-062330-
/O.CON.KGID.TO.W.0022.000000T0000Z-150506T2330Z/
THAYER NE-
610 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 630 PM CDT FOR SOUTHERN
THAYER COUNTY...
    
AT 609 PM CDT...A CONFIRMED TORNADO WAS LOCATED NEAR CHESTER...OR 14
MILES NORTH OF BELLEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.

HAZARD...DAMAGING TORNADO AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL. 

SOURCE...WEATHER SPOTTERS CONFIRMED TORNADO. TORNADO WAS LOCATED 
         2 WEST OF CHESTER.

IMPACT...FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT 
         SHELTER. MOBILE HOMES WILL BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. DAMAGE 
         TO ROOFS...WINDOWS AND VEHICLES WILL OCCUR.  TREE DAMAGE IS 
         LIKELY. 

THIS TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
  HEBRON AROUND 630 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4000 9755 4001 9777 4021 9767 4021 9742
TIME...MOT...LOC 2309Z 205DEG 28KT 4004 9766 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
HAIL...1.00IN

$$

GUERRERO

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at May 6, 2:39 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 6, 2:39 PM CDT, 3 hours 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
239 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

PLENTY OF INSTABILITY AND SHEAR TO WORK WITH THIS AFTERNOON...SO
RAPID THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND SEVERE WEATHER IS
EXPECTED...WITH ROUGHLY THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA
NOW IN A TORNADO WATCH THROUGH 9 PM. LARGE HAIL...WINDS GUSTS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MPH...AND TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE.

EXPECT CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS AND SEVERE WEATHER TO DIMINISH
DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AS THE RESPONSIBLE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
TRACKS NORTHEASTWARD. COULD SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT TOMORROW
AFTERNOON...BUT FOCUS OF THE STRONGER ACTIVITY TOMORROW SHOULD BE
MORE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND NOT ENCOMPASS AS MUCH OF THE
LOCAL AREA AS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENINGS ACTIVITY.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

WILL BE BRIEF DUE TO ONGOING CONVECTION...BUT PRIMARY FORECAST
CONCERN WILL CONTINUE TO REVOLVE AROUND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THIS
WEEKEND.

MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AT THE START OF THE PERIOD SHOWING SWRLY
FLOW IN PLACE IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
HAS SHIFTED SOUTH ALONG THE WEST COAST INTO SRN CALIFORNIA.

THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT ARE DRIVEN
PRIMARILY BY SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCES EJECTED OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN
UPPER LOW...WHICH BY SUNRISE SATURDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE OVER THE
FOUR CORNERS REGION.

MAIN CONCERN INTO THIS WEEKEND WILL BE AS THAT LOW CONTINUES TO PUSH
EAST...EVENTUALLY ONTO THE PLAINS...WITH THE 12Z GFS/ECMWF TAKING
THE LOW ON A N/NE PATH THROUGH WRN NEBRASKA ON SUNDAY. INCREASED
LARGER SCALE LIFT...SFC BOUNDARIES AND OTHER PARAMETERS CONTINUE TO
SUGGEST THAT SATURDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT WILL BRING ANOTHER SHOT AT
SEVERE WEATHER. SUNDAY...THE MAIN INSTABILITY AXIS/SFC FRONT LOOKS
TO PUSH E/SE...BUT THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL BE IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY TO THE CWA. LOT OF DETAILS YET TO WORK OUT.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY
AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

MVFR OR LOWER CIGS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. SOME OF
THESE STORMS COULD HAVE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 35KTS...ESPECIALLY
NEAR KGRI WHERE THE SEVERE PROBABILITIES ARE HIGHER. EXPECT
THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL TO DIMINISH DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
THURSDAY...WITH VFR CONDITIONS RETURNING TO BOTH TERMINALS BY
DAYBREAK.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...ROSSI
LONG TERM...ADP
AVIATION...ROSSI

Hazardous weather outlook, May 6, 2:25 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
225 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
071930-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-
SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-
GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-
WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
225 PM CDT WED MAY 6 2015

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT...SOME
OF WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE. HAIL TO THE SIZE OF
GOLFBALLS...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH OR GREATER AS WELL AS
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE ALL POSSIBLE THROUGH 9 PM CDT.

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

THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THERE WILL BE THE CHANCE FOR
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS MUCH OF THE LOCAL
AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

ROSSI

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 6, 5:16 PM CDT, 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
516 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0512 PM     TORNADO          2 SE RUSKIN             40.12N 97.84W
05/06/2015                   NUCKOLLS           NE   STORM CHASER

            LARGE TORNADO ON GROUND...POWER FLASHES

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 5:32 PM CDT, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
532 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0530 PM     TORNADO          4 E DAVENPORT           40.31N 97.73W
05/06/2015                   THAYER             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TORNADO ON THE GROUND.

&&

ADP

Local storm report, May 6, 5:43 PM CDT, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
543 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0525 PM     HAIL             OSBORNE                 39.44N 98.70W
05/06/2015  E1.00 INCH       OSBORNE            KS   PUBLIC

&&

ADP

Local storm report, May 6, 5:44 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
544 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0528 PM     TORNADO          2 W BYRON               40.01N 97.81W
05/06/2015                   THAYER             NE   PUBLIC

            RELAYED BY EMERGENCY MGR. TIME EST FM RADAR.

&&

HALBLAUB

Local storm report, May 6, 5:53 PM CDT, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
553 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0545 PM     TORNADO          3 WNW GRAND ISLAND      40.94N 98.42W
05/06/2015                   HALL               NE   EMERGENCY MNGR

            BRIEF TORNADO...HAS SINCE DISSIPATED.

&&

PFANNKUCH

Local storm report, May 6, 5:55 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
555 PM CDT WED MAY 06 2015

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

0544 PM     HAIL             5 NNE TIPTON            39.41N 98.44W
05/06/2015  E1.75 INCH       MITCHELL           KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

PFANNKUCH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 6, 2:19 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Webster	26 min
May 6, 2:41 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GID	Adams, Franklin, Kearney, Webster	29 min
May 6, 4:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Adams	27 min
May 6, 4:19 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Nuckolls, Webster	26 min
May 6, 4:42 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Nuckolls	33 min
May 6, 4:58 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Nuckolls, Thayer	32 min
May 6, 5:18 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Fillmore, Thayer	27 min
May 6, 5:22 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Clay	15 min
May 6, 5:28 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Thayer	32 min
May 6, 5:39 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Fillmore	9 min
May 6, 5:58 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	GID	Hall	32 min
May 6, 6:23 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	GID	Thayer	37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2015 Every tornado warning in 2015 Tornadoes in 2015

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.