Alert archive / Nebraska / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 18, NWS North Platte, NE

June 16, 2025Lincoln County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this tornado warning at Jun 16, 2025, 7:08 PM CDT for Lincoln County, Nebraska. It was in force for 52 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: Jun 16, 2025, 7:08 PM CDT (00:08 UTC)
Expired: Jun 16, 2025, 8:00 PM CDT
In force: 52 min
Issued by: NWS North Platte, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Observed
Hail: 1.5 in

County Lincoln County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 127 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:10 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
Jun 16, 7:20 PM CDT	TORNADO	3 E Dickens, NE	Tornado developed and tracked approximately 3 miles to the south where it dissipated almost 45 minutes later. Damage was reported to power lines, shelter belts and an overturned pivot was reported.
Jun 16, 7:25 PM CDT	HAIL 2.5	5 E Dickens, NE

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 one storm report to this tornado warning; the first came 12 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
Jun 16, 5:11 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	9 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Dodge City, (KDDC), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 352 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: 3202 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1565 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 175 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.0
Supercell composite: 14.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

291 
WFUS53 KLBF 170008
TORLBF
NEC111-170100-
/O.NEW.KLBF.TO.W.0018.250617T0008Z-250617T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service North Platte NE
708 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

The National Weather Service in North Platte has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  South central Lincoln County in southwestern Nebraska...

* Until 800 PM CDT.

* At 708 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located near Dickens, or 21
  miles south of North Platte, and is nearly stationary.

  HAZARD...Damaging tornado and ping pong ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Public 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 tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
  south central Lincoln County, including the following locations...
  Somerset.

This includes Highway 83 between mile markers 54 and 68.
 
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.

Motorists should not take shelter under highway overpasses. If you
cannot safely drive away from the tornado, as a last resort, either
park your vehicle and stay put, or abandon your vehicle and lie down
in a low lying area and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4092 10100 4093 10075 4072 10065 4071 10101
TIME...MOT...LOC 0008Z 352DEG 4KT 4084 10087 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.50 IN

$$

3 follow-up statements

031 
WWUS53 KLBF 170018
SVSLBF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
718 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

NEC111-170100-
/O.CON.KLBF.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-250617T0100Z/
Lincoln NE-
718 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...

At 717 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located 4 miles east of 
Dickens, or 21 miles south of North Platte, and is nearly stationary.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and ping pong ball 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.

Locations impacted include...
Wellfleet, Dickens, and Somerset.

This includes Highway 83 between mile markers 54 and 68.
 
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 4092 10100 4093 10075 4072 10065 4071 10101
TIME...MOT...LOC 0017Z 352DEG 4KT 4083 10087 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.50 IN

$$

BUTTLER

788 
WWUS53 KLBF 170030
SVSLBF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
730 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

NEC111-170100-
/O.CON.KLBF.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-250617T0100Z/
Lincoln NE-
730 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...

At 729 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located 3 miles east of 
Dickens, or 22 miles south of North Platte, and is nearly stationary.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and tennis ball 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.

Locations impacted include...
Wellfleet, Dickens, and Somerset.

This includes Highway 83 between mile markers 54 and 68.
 
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 4092 10100 4093 10075 4072 10065 4071 10101
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 061DEG 4KT 4083 10092 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...2.50 IN

$$

309 
WWUS53 KLBF 170038
SVSLBF

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
738 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

NEC111-170100-
/O.CON.KLBF.TO.W.0018.000000T0000Z-250617T0100Z/
Lincoln NE-
738 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CDT FOR SOUTH
CENTRAL LINCOLN COUNTY...

At 737 PM CDT, a confirmed tornado was located 4 miles east-
southeast Dickens, or 21 miles north of Hayes Center, moving south 
at 5 mph.

HAZARD...Damaging tornado and golf ball 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.

Locations impacted include...
Wellfleet, Dickens, and Somerset.

This includes Highway 83 between mile markers 54 and 68.
 
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 4092 10100 4093 10075 4072 10065 4071 10101
TIME...MOT...LOC 0037Z 008DEG 5KT 4080 10091 

TORNADO...OBSERVED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.75 IN

$$

BUTTLER

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before this tornado warning went out at Jun 16, 6:32 PM CDT, 36 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Severe potential and locally heavy rainfall today and Tuesday is the main concern in the near term.
Heat becomes a concern by the of the week, especially Friday through Sunday when highs in the 90s to lower 100s are expected.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 6:32 PM CDT, 36 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service North Platte NE
632 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Severe potential and locally heavy rainfall today and Tuesday
  is the main concern in the near term.

- Heat becomes a concern by the of the week, especially Friday
  through Sunday when highs in the 90s to lower 100s are
  expected.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Issued at 223 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

Scattered supercell thunderstorm development is expected late this
afternoon along/near stalled front located across central into
southwest Nebraska. Strong to extreme surface based CAPE has
developed near this boundary due to the combination of steepening
mid-level lapse rates and moisture/dew points pooling near the
boundary. CAPE values are exceeding 4000 J/KG in this moist/warm
environment. Deep layer shear is more than adequate to sustain
updraft organization once any capping can be overcome. As surface
low pressure continues to deepen across northeast Colorado late this
afternoon into the evening, low-level flow should remain backed to
the southeast. This could locally enhance the tornado threat with
any storm near or on the boundary. In addition, the large CAPE, steep
mid-level lapse rates, and overall deep shear will be supportive of
large to very large hail.

Other thunderstorms will organize across the Panhandle within
favorable upslope environment late this afternoon. These will
quickly organize and surge eastward along and just north of the
above mentioned stalled boundary. Very strong winds may accompany
this line (with gusts of 75 mph possible). Will have to watch for
any interaction with the cells that develop ahead of this line near
the boundary late this afternoon/early this evening.

Also of concern will be the potential for heavy rainfall tonight. This
would most likely occur with any slow moving supercell development
along the boundary late this afternoon and early evening.

More rainfall and storms are possible Tuesday as another shortwave
crosses the area. The severe weather threat is more uncertain
compared to today. Abundant cloud cover with the stationary front
located to our south in Kansas may keep the better focus for severe
to the south. However, if enough recovery occurs could then another
round of stronger storms moving southeastward across the area off
the high plains will be possible.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
Issued at 223 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

Heights will rise as ridging aloft builds across the western CONUS
Wednesday through the week. This upper level ridging will translate
eastward across the region Thursday through Sunday. This will likely
bring an end to the severe weather/convection threat but increase
the heat threat. Temperatures and heat indicies reach near advisory
levels (>100 degrees) Friday and Saturday across portions of the
area. The ridge appears to begin to break down the first of next
week. Overall looks to be a brief period of hot weather...as
temperatures should cool some next week with the break down in the
ridge.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 635 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

Widespread thunderstorm development is expected this evening,
and these storms will persist into tonight. Inside
thunderstorms, brief MVFR visibilities and gusty, erratic winds
are expected. Outside of thunderstorms, VFR conditions are
expected to prevail into tonight.

By early tomorrow morning, stratus development is expected in
the wake of thunderstorms, with MVFR CIGs overspreading western
and southwest Nebraska. This will persist into early tomorrow
afternoon.

Winds remain east-northeast outside of thunderstorms through
tomorrow evening, at around 10 to 15kts.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

SHORT TERM...Taylor
LONG TERM...Taylor
AVIATION...Brown

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 16, 3:36 PM CDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service North Platte NE
336 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-172045-
Sheridan-Eastern Cherry-Keya Paha-Boyd-Brown-Rock-Holt-Garden-Grant-
Hooker-Thomas-Blaine-Loup-Garfield-Wheeler-Arthur-McPherson-Logan-
Custer-Deuel-Keith-Perkins-Lincoln-Chase-Hayes-Frontier-
Western Cherry-
336 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025 /236 PM MDT Mon Jun 16 2025/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north
central Nebraska.

.DAY ONE...Late this afteroon and tonight.

Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are likely to develop along
a stalled frontal boundary late this afternoon into the evening.
The main concerns will be very large hail up to tennis ball size,
damaging wind gusts, and a tornado or two. Locally heavy rain will
be possible but widespread flooding is not expected. The area for
development appears to favor portions of the southern Sandhills,
central and into southwest Nebraska.

Additional thunderstorms are expected to roll in across the
Panhandle into western and southwest Nebraska this evening. Strong,
damaging winds to 75 mph and large hail will be the main threat with
these storms.

The combination of afternoon high temperatures in the low to middle
90s and muggy conditions will push heat index values into the upper
90s for southwest through central Nebraska.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Scattered to widespread thunderstorms are likely to move in from the
west as early as late afternoon Tuesday but more likely during the
evening hours. Storms may become strong to severe with damaging
winds and heavy rain the main concerns but isolated large hail
possible as well. The heavy rain potential will likely continue
through much of the evening into early Wednesday morning. A few
locations could see rainfall amounts approaching 2" by Wednesday
morning.

Temperatures climb by late week as afternoon highs reach the upper
90s to lower 100s for both Friday and Saturday. Combined with the
humidity, heat indices are forecast to reach the triple digits for
portions of the southwest through central Nebraska.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed.

Taylor

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 16, 5:36 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
536 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

NEZ010-162315-
Holt NE-
536 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN HOLT AND
NORTHEASTERN WHEELER COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM CDT...

At 536 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Ewing, or 14 miles west of Neligh, moving east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Ewing and Knievels Corner.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for
north central Nebraska.

&&

LAT...LON 4209 9854 4230 9855 4232 9830 4208 9830
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 273DEG 25KT 4220 9830

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

Special weather statement, Jun 16, 6:46 PM CDT, 22 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
646 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

NEZ010-029-170030-
Wheeler NE-Holt NE-
646 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN HOLT AND
NORTHEASTERN WHEELER COUNTIES THROUGH 730 PM CDT...

At 646 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10
miles southwest of Clearwater, or 15 miles west of Neligh, moving
southeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
         possible.

Locations impacted include...
Knievels Corner, Cumminsville, and Four Corners.

This includes Highway 281 between mile markers 149 and 150.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until midnight CDT for
north central Nebraska.

&&

LAT...LON 4200 9858 4225 9840 4220 9830 4204 9829
      4187 9830
TIME...MOT...LOC 2346Z 299DEG 27KT 4206 9832

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jun 16, 7:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Custer, Lincoln	62 min
Jun 16, 7:57 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	LBF	Hayes, Lincoln	48 min
Jun 16, 8:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Custer	41 min
Jun 16, 8:27 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Hayes	48 min
Jun 16, 8:45 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Custer	45 min
Jun 16, 9:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Custer	46 min
Jun 16, 9:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	LBF	Hayes	23 min
Jun 16, 9:21 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln	39 min
Jun 16, 9:39 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln	51 min
Jun 16, 9:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	LBF	Chase, Hayes	18 min
Jun 16, 9:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln, Logan, McPherson	39 min
Jun 16, 10:04 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	LBF	Lincoln	41 min
Jun 16, 10:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Frontier, Hayes, Lincoln	48 min
Jun 16, 10:16 PM CDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LBF	Lincoln	3 hr
Jun 16, 10:29 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Frontier, Hayes, Lincoln	31 min
Jun 16, 11:08 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Logan	52 min
Jun 16, 11:32 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	McPherson	58 min
Jun 17, 12:19 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Garfield, Loup	56 min
Jun 17, 1:24 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Lincoln	66 min
Jun 17, 1:33 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln, Perkins	42 min
Jun 17, 2:52 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Garden, Grant	38 min
Jun 17, 3:23 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Garden	52 min
Jun 17, 12:57 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Wheeler	48 min
Jun 17, 2:44 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Rock	61 min
Jun 17, 3:22 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Garfield	53 min
Jun 17, 4:32 PM CDT	River Flood Advisory	LBF	Lincoln	3 days
Jun 17, 4:59 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	McPherson	61 min
Jun 17, 5:10 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Perkins	38 min
Jun 17, 5:43 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	McPherson	47 min
Jun 17, 5:54 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Cherry	51 min
Jun 17, 6:00 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	McPherson	60 min
Jun 17, 6:37 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Hayes	38 min
Jun 17, 6:53 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Cherry	52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Nebraska, 2025 Every tornado warning in 2025 Tornadoes in 2025

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.