Alert archive / Nebraska / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 18, NWS North Platte, NE

May 16, 2026Lincoln County, Nebraska

NWS North Platte, NE issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 2026, 8:20 PM CDT for Lincoln County, Nebraska. It was in force for 40 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 16, 2026, 8:20 PM CDT (01:20 UTC)
Expired: May 16, 2026, 9:00 PM CDT
In force: 40 min
Issued by: NWS North Platte, NE
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Lincoln County, NE

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 102 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 16, 4:05 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 00:00Z, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 367 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: 2743 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1278 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 253 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.5
Supercell composite: 12.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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 severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 16, 6:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 16, 6:22 PM CDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, May 16, 3:49 PM CDT, 4 hours 31 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service North Platte NE
349 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-172100-
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-
349 PM CDT Sat May 16 2026 /249 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026/

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

.DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight.

Scattered thunderstorms are likely to impact much of western
Nebraska late this afternoon and evening with a threat for severe
hazards. Very large hail, damaging wind gusts, and a tornado or two
are the main concerns. Storms are predicted to move into the western
Sandhills and southwest Nebraska initially, then into the southern
Sandhills and central Nebraska.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday.

Additional scattered severe thunderstorms appears likely Sunday
afternoon and evening, favoring central Nebraska. Potential hazards
include damaging wind gusts, large hail, and perhaps a tornado or
two.

Scattered thunderstorms will again be possible Monday afternoon and
evening for central Nebraska. A strong storm or two cannot be ruled
out with hail and damaging wind gusts the main concern.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will likely be needed.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 16, 5:22 PM CDT, 2 hours 58 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
422 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

NEZ058-069-162245-
Chase NE-Perkins NE-
422 PM MDT Sat May 16 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHERN PERKINS AND
NORTHWESTERN CHASE COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM MDT...

At 422 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Pleasant Valley, or 10 miles east of Holyoke, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 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...
Lamar and Crete.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM MDT for
southwestern Nebraska.

&&

LAT...LON 4046 10205 4057 10206 4068 10205 4071 10185
      4044 10183
TIME...MOT...LOC 2222Z 267DEG 12KT 4057 10210

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Local storm report, May 16, 5:23 PM CDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 16, 6:52 PM CDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 16, 7:35 PM CDT, 45 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 16, 7:37 PM CDT, 43 minutes before

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Special weather statement, May 16, 8:01 PM CDT, 19 minutes before

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The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 16, 7:35 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Hayes	40 min
May 16, 7:37 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Chase	23 min
May 16, 8:01 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Frontier	29 min
May 16, 8:35 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Gosper	25 min
May 17, 1:58 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Lincoln	47 min
May 17, 2:16 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Lincoln	44 min
May 17, 2:52 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Logan	38 min
May 17, 3:18 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Logan	42 min
May 17, 3:29 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Lincoln	46 min
May 17, 3:37 AM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Keith, Lincoln	23 min
May 17, 11:37 AM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Cherry	23 min
May 17, 12:30 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Keya Paha	45 min
May 17, 12:46 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Brown, Keya Paha	29 min
May 17, 1:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Boyd, Keya Paha	46 min
May 17, 1:20 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Boyd, Brown, Holt, Keya Paha, Rock	40 min
May 17, 1:50 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LBF	Boyd, Holt	40 min
May 17, 2:25 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning Considerable damage threat	LBF	Boyd, Holt	37 min
May 17, 6:10 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	Hooker	50 min
May 17, 6:12 PM CDT	Special Weather Statement	LBF	McPherson	48 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Nebraska, 2026 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026

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.