Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2024

Tornado Warning 65, NWS Omaha, NE

May 21, 2024Butler County, Saunders County, Nebraska

NWS Omaha, NE issued this tornado warning at May 21, 2024, 5:29 AM CDT for Butler County, Saunders County, Nebraska. It was in force for 31 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 21, 2024, 5:29 AM CDT (10:29 UTC)
Expired: May 21, 2024, 6:00 AM CDT
In force: 31 min
Issued by: NWS Omaha, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.75 in

Counties Butler County, NE, Saunders County, NE

The radar

The Omaha radar (KOAX), 45 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:33 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 20, 11:33 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 10.5 hours before the alert went out and 44 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: 1458 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1666 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 18 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 55 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.1
Supercell composite: 2.3

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 May 21, 2:12 AM CDT, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Continuing overnight convection will bring potential for severe weather this morning, primarily damaging winds and flash flooding.
Additional strong to severe thunderstorms with all hazards possible will move through the area in the 10 AM to 2 PM timeframe today.
There will be additional rain chances beginning Thursday night and lasting through this upcoming weekend.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 2:12 AM CDT, 3 hours 17 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
212 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Continuing overnight convection will bring potential for
  severe weather this morning, primarily damaging winds and
  flash flooding.

- Additional strong to severe thunderstorms with all hazards
  possible will move through the area in the 10 AM to 2 PM
  timeframe today.

- There will be additional rain chances beginning Thursday night
  and lasting through this upcoming weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 205 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

Short Range (Today)

A deep upper level trough moving into the central Plains has spun up
a surface low currently sitting in western Kansas. Overnight
convection in the area forced by a leading shortwave continues to
weaken through the overnight hours. This has brought a shift from a
severe weather threat to a hydrologic threat with storm training
along a frontal boundary draped across east central Nebraska
bringing flash flooding potential to the area. Nearly 2 inches of
rainfall has been reported for the Omaha area overnight.

An MCS has developed over southwest Nebraska/northeast CO and will
quickly accelerate eastward overnight. The features is expected to
push through the area in the 5:30 to 7:30 am period. CAM guidance is
suggesting a strong segment of bowing winds pushing through the area
in this timeframe. The strongest winds will likely be north of
Interstate 80 with the HRRR suggesting gusts of 60-70 mph in
portions of northeast Nebraska.

A lull in convection is expected in the 8 am to 11 am timeframe with
a few lingering showers possible. By the mid-morning, the
aforementioned surface low is expected to deepen and track
northeast into eastern Nebraska. Guidance has continued to slow
the progression of this low with consensus gained on the feature
reaching northeast NE by noon. This has prompted to SPC to
expand the moderate risk (level 4 out of 5) for severe weather
westward to include our southwestern Iowa counties. An
associated cold front will drape south of the low with
placement over eastern Nebraska by late morning. The airmass
ahead of the cold front is expected to quickly recover from the
overnight convection. By late morning, MLCAPE values of
2500-2800 J/kg are expected in southeast NE and southwest IA.
Bulk shear values are expected to exceed 70 kts in this area as
a 500-mb jet streak pushes into the region. Hodographs remain
long with increasingly impressive low level features as your
progress eastward into Iowa.

Convection initiation is expected along the front in eastern
Nebraska during the 10 AM to noon timeframe. An initial
supercellular storm mode is expected before storms move northeast
and take on upscale growth. All hazards will be possible including
large hail, strong winds and tornadoes. Flash flood potential is
possible through much of Tuesday, especially for areas that received
increased rainfall overnight. Storms will be quick to exit the area
this afternoon with much of the threat shifting east by 3 to 4 PM.
Additional lingering rain showers may continue into the
early evening.

Long Range (Wednesday through Monday)

By Wednesday, the aforementioned low pressure system is expected to
depart towards the Great Lakes region. Dry conditions are expected
with sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s. A shortwave trough
ejecting through the northern Plains will bring a chance for
rainfall Thursday night into Friday morning (PoPs 50-70%). Severe
weather potential is low with this event. An additional shortwave
feature moving across the Plains this weekend will bring additional
rainfall potential Saturday night through Sunday. PoPs remain low at
this time (20-40%). In this extended time frame, severe weather
potential looks to remain south of the area with this event.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 1211 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

Scattered showers and storms are present across the area and
will persist through the overnight hours. MVFR ceilings and
visibilities (with a possibility of IFR) will be possible in
areas with heavy showers. MVFR ceilings will be present at all
terminals through the overnight period. A secondary line of
showers and thunderstorms (with potential for a strong segment
of bowing winds) will go through the terminals in the 10-14Z
timeframe. Winds will remain northeasterly in northeast NE and
southeasterly in southeast NE tonight before shifting clockwise
to northwesterly through the day. Winds over 12 kts will be
possible in areas with strong thunderstorm outflow.

A lull in convection is expected in the 15-17Z timeframe before
another line of showers and thunderstorms moves through the
area. Confidence is low in these storms initiating far enough
west to reach the terminals, it will be monitored for future TAF
issuances. Any potentials storms will be in the 18-21Z
timeframe. VFR conditions will return in the afternoon with
strong northwesterly winds through the remainder of the forecast
period.

&&

.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...Flood Watch through this evening for NEZ015-033-034-042>045-
     050>053-065>068-078.
IA...Flood Watch through this evening for IAZ043-055-056-069-079-
     080-090-091.

&&

DISCUSSION...Wood
AVIATION...Wood

Hazardous weather outlook, May 21, 4:19 AM CDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
419 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034-
042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-212330-
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-
419 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Severe storms are possible this morning into the early afternoon.
Large hail, damaging wind gusts and flash flooding are the main
hazards. Tornadoes are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation might be required on Tuesday afternoon.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 21, 12:57 AM CDT, 4 hours 32 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
1257 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

1240 AM     Rain             2 SSW Boys Town         41.23N 96.15W
05/21/2024  M2.43 Inch       Douglas            NE   Mesonet

            Mesonet station AT409 Omaha.

1239 AM     Rain             1 WNW Omaha             41.27N 96.03W
05/21/2024  M1.86 Inch       Douglas            NE   Mesonet

            Mesonet station GW1175 Omaha.

1239 AM     Rain             4 SE Bennington         41.32N 96.11W
05/21/2024  M2.58 Inch       Douglas            NE   Mesonet

            Mesonet station CW8198 Bennington.

1236 AM     Rain             2 WSW Boys Town         41.25N 96.17W
05/21/2024  M2.40 Inch       Douglas            NE   Mesonet

            Mesonet station EWDN1 2.1 W Boys Town.

&&

Local storm report, May 21, 1:11 AM CDT, 4 hours 18 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
111 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

1250 AM     Hail             2 N Minden              41.50N 95.54W
05/21/2024  M1.00 Inch       Pottawattamie      IA   Trained Spotter

&&

KG

Local storm report, May 21, 1:17 AM CDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
117 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

0116 AM     Flash Flood      5 NE Omaha              41.32N 95.94W
05/21/2024                   Douglas            NE   Public

            2 cars stuck in the water.

&&

KG

Local storm report, May 21, 3:47 AM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
347 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

0347 AM     Flash Flood      Fremont                 41.45N 96.50W
05/21/2024                   Dodge              NE   Public

&&

Local storm report, May 21, 4:22 AM CDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
422 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

0421 AM     Rain             Fremont                 41.45N 96.49W
05/21/2024  M4.69 Inch       Dodge              NE   Public

            Several reports for heavy rainfall. Amounts
            vary from 3.03 inches to 4.69 inches.

&&

Pearson

Local storm report, May 21, 4:55 AM CDT, 34 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE
455 AM CDT Tue May 21 2024

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

0454 AM     Flash Flood      Fremont                 41.44N 96.49W
05/21/2024                   Dodge              NE   Public

            Fast flowing water over East 11st Street.

&&

MW

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 20, 7:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler, Lancaster, Saunders, Seward	40 min
May 20, 7:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Lancaster, Saunders	45 min
May 20, 8:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Knox	46 min
May 20, 8:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cedar, Knox	39 min
May 20, 8:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler, Saunders	63 min
May 20, 9:08 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Burt, Washington	52 min
May 20, 9:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cedar	51 min
May 20, 9:53 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler, Saunders, Seward	67 min
May 20, 10:06 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Burt, Cuming, Thurston	39 min
May 20, 10:17 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OAX	Butler, Saunders	9 hr
May 20, 10:28 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OAX	Butler, Lancaster, Saunders, Seward	2 hr
May 20, 10:54 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders	66 min
May 20, 11:09 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cedar	36 min
May 20, 11:12 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy	3 hr
May 20, 11:14 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Washington	28 min
May 20, 11:23 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy, Washington	67 min
May 20, 11:49 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OAX	Washington	93 min
May 21, 12:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Saunders	22 min
May 21, 1:35 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Burt, Dodge, Washington	24 min
May 21, 2:38 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Burt, Washington	5 hr
May 21, 2:54 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Dodge	4 hr
May 21, 4:19 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OAX	Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Saunders	3 hr
May 21, 4:31 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Boone, Butler, Madison, Platte, Stanton	44 min
May 21, 4:39 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Saunders	40 hr
May 21, 4:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Saunders	48 min
May 21, 4:43 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Butler, Saunders	5 hr
May 21, 4:47 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Antelope, Boone, Madison, Pierce, Platte	28 min
May 21, 5:00 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Butler, Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, Platte, Saunders	45 min
May 21, 5:02 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Saunders	37 hr
May 21, 5:03 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Butler, Lancaster, Saline, Saunders, Seward	42 min
May 21, 5:10 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Colfax, Cuming, Madison, Platte, Stanton, Wayne	50 min
May 21, 5:12 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	48 min
May 21, 5:12 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Colfax, Dodge, Platte	33 min
May 21, 5:21 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Washington	4 hr
May 21, 5:27 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Saunders	33 min
May 21, 5:29 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OAX	Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	2 hr
May 21, 5:39 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Burt, Cuming, Dodge, Washington	36 min
May 21, 5:41 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Destructive damage threat	OAX	Burt, Cuming, Dodge, Thurston, Washington	49 min
May 21, 5:44 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Saunders	7 min
May 21, 5:45 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Washington	45 min
May 21, 5:46 AM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	OAX	Burt, Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	113 min
May 21, 5:49 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Cuming, Thurston, Wayne	41 min
May 21, 5:53 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Douglas, Washington	52 min
May 21, 5:53 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	37 min
May 21, 6:15 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, Washington	45 min
May 21, 6:50 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Nemaha, Otoe	14 min
May 21, 6:56 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	OAX	Dodge	5 hr
May 21, 7:11 AM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Washington	4 hr
May 21, 7:33 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	OAX	Burt, Butler, Colfax, Dodge, Douglas, Saunders and 1 more	10 hr
May 21, 8:29 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Dodge	6 hr
May 21, 9:20 AM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	OAX	Douglas, Sarpy, Washington	8 hr
May 21, 10:03 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Cass	55 hr
May 21, 10:03 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Otoe	57 hr
May 21, 10:03 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Nemaha	4 days
May 21, 10:03 AM CDT	River Flood Warning	OAX	Seward	33 hr
May 21, 11:20 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Butler, Lancaster, Seward	40 min
May 21, 11:48 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Butler, Lancaster, Saunders, Seward	42 min
May 21, 12:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Burt, Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	44 min
May 21, 12:38 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	52 min
May 21, 12:44 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Douglas, Saunders	31 min
May 21, 12:45 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Gage, Johnson, Otoe	45 min
May 21, 12:50 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Dodge, Washington	19 min
May 21, 12:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Burt, Washington	61 min
May 21, 1:01 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass, Douglas, Sarpy	59 min
May 21, 1:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Cass, Otoe	45 min
May 21, 1:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Douglas, Washington	59 min
May 21, 1:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Cass, Douglas, Sarpy	26 min
May 21, 1:43 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Cass, Otoe	47 min
May 21, 5:37 PM CDT	Areal Flood Warning	OAX	Butler, Dodge, Douglas, Saunders, Washington	15 hr
May 20, 8:37 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Shelby	68 min
May 20, 9:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Shelby	48 min
May 20, 9:51 PM CDT	Flash Flood Warning	OAX	Shelby	5 hr
May 20, 11:35 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Harrison, Pottawattamie, Shelby	40 min
May 21, 12:02 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Harrison, Pottawattamie	43 min
May 21, 12:14 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Harrison, Pottawattamie, Shelby	46 min
May 21, 12:42 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Pottawattamie, Shelby	63 min
May 21, 12:53 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Shelby	39 min
May 21, 1:10 AM CDT	Tornado Warning	OAX	Shelby	25 min
May 21, 1:44 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	OAX	Pottawattamie, Shelby	61 min
May 21, 6:11 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	OAX	Harrison, Monona, Shelby	49 min

Nearby

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