Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2024
Tornado Warning 55, NWS Omaha, NE
NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at May 6, 2024, 8:22 PM CDT for Nemaha County, Otoe County, Nebraska. It was in force for 23 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
- May 6, 2024, 8:22 PM CDT (01:22 UTC)
- Expired
- May 6, 2024, 8:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 23 min
- Issued by
- NWS Omaha, NE
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Tornado
- Radar indicated
- Hail
- 1.0 in
Counties Nemaha County, NE, Otoe County, NE
The radar
The Omaha radar (KOAX), 95 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:21 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 3:49 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | 8 hr |
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 1.4 hours before the alert went out and 95 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 302 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -55 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 715 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 53 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 201 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 216 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 2.7
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 May 6, 6:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Wind Advisory issued for northeast Nebraska for 10 AM through 7 PM Monday, for gusty winds of 40 to 50 mph.
- Severe storms are expected this evening, primarily from 4 to 10 PM as a line of storms moves thought the area. Damaging wind, hail, and embedded tornadoes are possible.
- Light showers and a few rumbles of thunder linger through the end of the work week, with drier conditions and highs in the 70s returning for the weekend.
Area forecast discussion, May 6, 6:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
619 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Wind Advisory issued for northeast Nebraska for 10 AM through
7 PM Monday, for gusty winds of 40 to 50 mph.
- Severe storms are expected this evening, primarily from 4 to
10 PM as a line of storms moves thought the area. Damaging
wind, hail, and embedded tornadoes are possible.
- Light showers and a few rumbles of thunder linger through the
end of the work week, with drier conditions and highs in the
70s returning for the weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 225 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024
Widespread cloud cover is draped across the CWA this afternoon
as anticipated. There is clearing across most of western Iowa
leading to the development of CAPE of 100+ J/kg there. Pre-
frontal clearing in north-central Kansas is pushing northeast.
There are already some weak radar returns across the Saunders
County area as of 1:30 PM.
Surface analysis reveals a messy setup with a cold front, warm
front, dry line all draped across parts of central Nebraska. The
surface low has pushed over the Black Hills and will threaten
the May low pressure record of Rapid City. Strong moisture
advection has dewpoints near 60 for the entire CWA. Pressure
falls are most pronounced near the warm front and in western
Iowa. Weak convergence along the cold front has already helped
initiate severe convection in north-central Kansas.
Higher up, the low is nearly stacked over the sfc low and the
deep negatively- tilted trof continues to drive north, taking
the surface low with it. This system will continue to influence
Nebraska and Iowa weather through the week as it continues to
spin across the High Plains through the work week.
For tonight's severe weather, all threats are on the table with
tornadoes, damaging wind, large hail, and flash flooding all
within the realm of reasonable possibility.
CAPE values should peak above 1500 J/kg this afternoon with
effective bulk shear at 30-40 kts. CAMs keep developing supercells
in the warm sector and they will have thermodynamics and
kinematics in their corner. Forecast hodographs certainly
suggest powerful mesocyclones capable of large hail and
tornadoes with any warm sector storms.
The safest bet for strong convection will be the storms that
develop along the merging cold front / dry line. With low-level
shear vectors basically parallel to the boundary, these storms
should quickly merge into a QLCS. With the strong vertical
shear (25 knots), QLCS tornado formation could be maximized. In
other words, all storm modes today will be dangerous.
If anything, today's timing seems to have slowed by about an
hour compared to 24 hours prior. Expect the line of storms to
push into the westernmost counties of the CWA by about 4pm
passing the OFK area by 6pm, past LNK by 730pm and OMA by 9pm.
Warm sector storms will mostly be a threat from 4pm to whenever
the line passes any given location.
For flash flooding concerns, QPF values are maximized along and
east of the Missouri River where rainfall rates have the
greatest chance 60-80% of pushing higher than 1" per hour. PWAT
values of 1-2" are forecast which are in the 95th percentile for
early May (NAEFS). The progressive nature of the storm system
should preclude a long period of heavy rain, but one hour FFG
is low enough (1.5 inches) that localized flooding is possible,
especially urban areas in the CWA's eastern half or anyone
unlucky enough to see a supercell drop 0.7" ahead of the strong
line succeeding it.
As skies clear overnight, temps will slip to 50 degrees or a
notch cooler before sun propels us back into the 70s by Tuesday
afternoon. The upper low meanders southeast toward Pierre, SD
transitioning our zonal flow to a more southwesterly track
keeping any little shortwave capable of producing showers /
thunder. Chance PoPs litter days 3 through 5 and temps slip a
bit and fall shy of seasonal norms as a result.
The weekend looks dry and warm in the system's wake as west
coast ridging noses closer to the southern Missouri River
Valley.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 614 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024
A line of strong to severe storms is moving across eastern
Nebraska this evening with MVFR to IFR conditions out ahead of
the line. Expect VFR conditions after the line moves through
with cigs lifting to around FL100 then clearing out for a
period with winds becoming due southerly and dropping to around
6 to 8 kt. We'll see winds turn southwesterly to westerly by
Tuesday morning with winds increasing during the morning hours.
We could see winds gusting to 30 kt by the afternoon. Expect VFR
conditions to hold through the day on Tuesday.
&&
.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...Wind Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for NEZ011-012-
015>018-031>034.
IA...None.
&&
DISCUSSION...Nicolaisen
AVIATION...McCoyHazardous weather outlook, May 6, 3:08 PM CDT, 5 hours 14 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 308 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-071015- 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- 308 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024 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 Tuesday Severe thunderstorm chances continue through this evening as a line of storms moves eastward across the area. The timeline for severe weather Monday is 4-10 PM. All hazards are possible including large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Localized flooding is also possible for areas where storms develop ahead of the line. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday night through Monday The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed this evening.
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 6, 7:36 PM CDT, 46 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 6, 8:12 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
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</html>Local storm report, May 6, 8:15 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
815 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0813 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 S South Bend 40.96N 96.24W
05/06/2024 E60 MPH Cass NE Emergency Mngr
At 334 and Church Road.
&&Local storm report, May 6, 8:16 PM CDT, 6 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
816 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0813 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Steinauer 40.21N 96.23W
05/06/2024 E60 MPH Pawnee NE Fire Dept/Rescue
Relayed by Emergency Management.
&&The office that day
Everything else NWS Omaha, NE issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 7:11 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Butler, Dodge, Saunders | 34 min |
| May 6, 7:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Gage, Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee | 51 min |
| May 6, 7:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cass, Douglas, Johnson, Lancaster, Otoe, Sarpy and 1 more | 43 min |
| May 6, 8:02 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Cass, Sarpy | 11 min |
| May 6, 8:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Johnson, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson | 44 min |
| May 6, 8:18 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Washington | 42 min |
| May 6, 8:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Cass, Otoe, Sarpy | 63 min |
| May 6, 8:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Nemaha, Otoe | 43 min |
| May 6, 8:42 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Nemaha, Richardson | 48 min |
| May 6, 9:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Nemaha, Richardson | 51 min |
| May 6, 10:03 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Nemaha, Richardson | 6 hr |
| May 6, 10:57 PM CDT | Special Weather Statement | OAX | Richardson | 33 min |
| May 6, 8:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Harrison, Pottawattamie | 50 min |
| May 6, 8:51 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Mills, Pottawattamie | 24 min |
| May 6, 9:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Shelby | 50 min |
| May 6, 9:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Pottawattamie, Shelby | 18 min |
| May 6, 9:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OAX | Fremont, Montgomery, Page | 44 min |
| May 6, 9:25 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | OAX | Shelby | 35 min |
| May 6, 11:27 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | OAX | Fremont, Page | 4 hr |
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.