Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2024

Tornado Warning 53, NWS Omaha, NE

April 30, 2024Richardson County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at Apr 30, 2024, 5:26 PM CDT for Richardson County, Nebraska. It was in force for 16 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 30, 2024, 5:26 PM CDT (22:26 UTC)
Expired
Apr 30, 2024, 5:42 PM CDT
In force
16 min
Issued by
NWS Omaha, NE
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
2.0 in

County Richardson County, NE

The radar

The Topeka radar (KTWX), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:31 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.

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
Apr 30, 1:33 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Topeka, KS (KTOP), launched 12:00Z, 10.4 hours before the alert went out and 125 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, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2024-04-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 5 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Topeka, KS at 12:00Z on 2024-04-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 40 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
5 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-192 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1578 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Apr 30, 2:32 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Severe storms this afternoon into evening. A Tornado Watch is in effect.
  • Storms redevelop Wednesday and linger into Thursday, with potential for a few severe storms and flash flooding.
  • An active weather pattern will continue into the weekend, though severe weather chances appear low at this time.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 2:32 PM CDT, 2 hours 54 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
232 PM CDT Tue Apr 30 2024

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Severe storms this afternoon into evening. A Tornado Watch is
  in effect.

- Storms redevelop Wednesday and linger into Thursday,
  with potential for a few severe storms and flash flooding.

- An active weather pattern will continue into the weekend,
  though severe weather chances appear low at this time.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 232 PM CDT Tue Apr 30 2024

.This afternoon and evening:

Storms are rapidly developing this afternoon over parts of
eastern NE amidst an environment favorable for supercell storm
modes capable of very large hail and tornadoes. A residual
outflow boundary extending from near Atlantic, IA west-northwest
to near Fremont may end up focusing the greatest tornado threat.
Additional thunderstorms are expected to develop along a cold
front sweeping through the area later this afternoon into
evening, upon which damaging wind potential would increase,
especially if storms can evolve into linear structures.

The storms are expected move out of the area by 8 PM with gusty
northwest winds diminishing.

.Wednesday and Wednesday night:

The 12z models continue to suggest that the above-mentioned
front will stall across KS and then begin to lift north toward
the NE border Wednesday evening. Elevated showers and
thunderstorms are expected to spread north across the area
Wednesday, to the north of the warm front over KS. Isolated
occurrences of large hail appear possible with the strongest
storms, especially south of I-80 in Nebraska during the
afternoon and evening hours. Any surface-based, severe weather
risk (e.g., tornadoes and/or damaging winds) will be contingent
on whether the warm front can make it into our area.

Thunderstorms are forecast to become more widespread Wednesday
night into Thursday morning, along and ahead of a surface low,
which will develop into eastern NE. In addition to a risk for
isolated severe weather, flash flooding is expected to become a
greater concern.

.Thursday:

Some flooding/severe threat could develop Thursday along a cold
front moving through the area, as highlighted by SPC/WPC
outlooks.

Beyond Thursday:

The previous AFD remains valid.

Beyond Thursday, the pattern remains fairly active with
guidance in pretty good agreement of another shortwave trough
moving through sometime Friday night into Saturday and bringing
more rain chances. It's still early, but the severe weather
threat looks low with this one, with a general lack of
instability and moisture. There are signs of an additional
system sometime Sunday/Monday, but confidence is quite low with
a lot of spread in various ensembles. Otherwise, expect most
days over the next week to see high temperatures in the mid 60s
and/or mid 70s, outside of today, which will be a bit warmer
(mid 70s to mid 80s).

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 1208 PM CDT Tue Apr 30 2024

Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop across
portions of eastern NE by 19 to 20z with KOFK and KOMA the most
likely terminal locations to be affected by the storms. Ceilings
are likely to remain at or above FL040; however, visibilities
could be briefly reduced to 3-5sm with any thunderstorm
occurrence at the terminal. The storms are expected to shift
east of the terminal locations by 22-23z with gusty southeast to
south winds switching to northwest with gusts up to 25 to 30 kt
with the passage of a cold front through the area. The winds
are forecast to diminish later this evening.

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...None.
IA...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Mead
AVIATION...Mead
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 2:57 PM CDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
257 PM CDT Tue Apr 30 2024

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-011000-
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-
257 PM CDT Tue Apr 30 2024

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest
Iowa...west central Iowa...east central Nebraska...northeast
Nebraska and southeast Nebraska.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

More strong to severe storms are occurring this afternoon and
evening across portions of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.
Large hail up to 3 inches in diameter and damaging winds up to 75
miles per hour are the primary threats. A few tornadoes will also
be possible. The greatest severe weather threat will be through 8
pm.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

More storms are expected beginning Wednesday afternoon and
continuing through Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The
greatest severe weather threat will exist near the Kansas border,
while the potential for flash flooding will encompass a larger
part of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters will likely be needed through this evening and will
possibly be needed again on Wednesday afternoon through Wednesday
evening.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 30, 4:39 PM CDT, 47 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 30, 4:55 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 30, 5:04 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 30, 5:09 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 30, 5:11 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Apr 30, 5:22 PM CDT, 4 minutes before
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The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 30, 6:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXColfax, Cuming, Platte, Stanton44 min
Apr 30, 7:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXCass, Otoe16 min
Apr 30, 7:19 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXCuming, Stanton, Wayne16 min
Apr 30, 7:57 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXBurt, Cuming, Dodge, Thurston13 min
Apr 30, 2:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXCass, Otoe39 min
Apr 30, 2:21 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXButler, Dodge, Saunders39 min
Apr 30, 2:46 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXBurt, Dodge, Washington44 min
Apr 30, 2:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXCedar41 min
Apr 30, 2:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXCass49 min
Apr 30, 3:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXWashington42 min
Apr 30, 3:25 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatOAXBurt, Washington50 min
Apr 30, 4:08 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJohnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson52 min
Apr 30, 4:33 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXJohnson, Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson57 min
Apr 30, 5:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatOAXNemaha, Richardson28 min
Apr 30, 5:22 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOAXAntelope23 min
Apr 30, 5:42 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOAXKnox18 min
Apr 30, 5:56 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOAXPierce19 min
Apr 30, 3:36 PM CDTTornado WarningOAXMills, Montgomery, Pottawattamie39 min
Apr 30, 3:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXHarrison, Monona30 min
Apr 30, 3:49 PM CDTAreal Flood AdvisoryOAXHarrison3 hr
Apr 30, 3:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXHarrison, Shelby49 min
Apr 30, 4:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threatOAXMontgomery, Pottawattamie34 min
Apr 30, 4:13 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXHarrison, Monona13 min
Apr 30, 4:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXShelby21 min
Apr 30, 4:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXMontgomery, Pottawattamie26 min
Apr 30, 4:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXShelby36 min
Apr 30, 4:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOAXFremont, Page46 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2024Every tornado warning in 2024Tornadoes in 2024

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.