High Wind in Nebraska, April 18, 2004

Name: High Wind in Nebraska, April 18, 2004
Start: 2004-04-18T09:00
End: 2004-04-18T19:00
Location: Nebraska

April 18, 2004 · NWS GID · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $250,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 24

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.

A rapidly deepening low pressure resulted in widespread winds of 40 to 60 mph across all of south central Nebraska. Wind gusts of 60 mph were reported at Kearney and Lexington, 58 mph at Holdrege, 56 mph at Grand Island and 55 mph at Hastings. Damage was sporadic over the region. A sign was ripped from a furniture store in Holdrege. In Grand Island, a light pole broke at an auto dealership and damaged four vehicles as it fell to the ground. Damage to the vehicles along was estimated at $14,000. There were numerous reports of tree damage and wind power line damage elsewhere in the area. The wind also kicked up dirt from freshly plowed fields. As a result, visibilities were down to 2 to 3 miles at times.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 18, 2:45 AM CST, 6 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 18, 2:45 AM CST, 6 hours 15 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
345 AM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

.DISCUSSION...VERY INTERESTING WEATHER PATTERN SETTING UP FOR THE
CENTRAL PLAINS TODAY AS A STRONG UPPER WAVE CURRENTLY OVER THE
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST REGION SLIDES THROUGH THE AREA.  ASSOCIATED
SURFACE LOW IS TRACKING ALONG THE NEBRASKA...SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER
WITH BIG PRESSURE FALLS ALREADY PRODUCING WINDS NEAR ADVISORY
LEVEL.  REGIONAL PROFILERS REVEAL WINDS OF 50+ KTS JUST ABOVE THE
GROUND AND MODELS ARE UNDERESTIMATING THESE WINDS SLIGHTLY. THIS
BRINGS ABOUT FIRST PROBLEM FOR THE DAY...THE STRENGTH OF WINDS.
WITH A DEEP MIXED LAYER OF 40-50 KTS WINDS IN THE LOWER 5K OF THE
ATMOSPHERE AND LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES STEEPENING QUICKLY THIS
MORNING...EXPECT WINDS TO RISE INTO THE WARNING CATEGORY ACROSS
AREA.  BASED OFF THIS WILL CONTINUE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ENTIRE FA.
SECOND PROBLEM FOR THE DAY INVOLVES THE PROGRESSION A DRYLINE
THROUGH AREA TODAY. ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN FAIRLY CAPPED ACROSS AREA
BUT ISOLATED CONVECTION LOOKS POSSIBLE EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 BY LATE
AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING.  WITH STRONG DEEP AND LOW LEVEL
SHEAR PROFILES AND DECENT INSTABILITY...ANYTHING THAT DOES GO UP
WILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF PRODUCING SOME SEVERE WEATHER.

UPPER WAVE THEN PUSHES EAST OF AREA TONIGHT WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT
SLIDING THROUGH AREA. EXPECT WINDS TO EASE BELOW WARNING CRITERIA BY
DARK.  SHOULD REMAIN QUIET INTO MONDAY AS MOISTURE REMAINS TRAPPED
SOUTH OF THE FRONT.  HOWEVER...AS NEXT WAVE MOVES INTO AREA MONDAY
NIGHT THE FRONT WILL BEGIN TO PULL BACK NORTH INTO FORECAST AREA.
WITH NOSE OF LLJ ACROSS AREA AND GOOD MOISTURE ADVECTION INTO THIS
AREA...NOCTURNAL CONVECTION LOOKS POSSIBLE.  ANTICIPATE THIS
CONVECTION WILL LINGER INTO TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE ANOTHER COLD
FRONT SWEEPS THE THREAT OF PRECIP EAST OF AREA.

FOR WEDNESDAY AND BEYOND MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE
AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN.  ONGOING FORECAST CATCHES THIS WELL AND
WILL MAKE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO FORECAST.
&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
.NE...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TODAY.
.KS...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS TODAY.
&&

AWJ

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 18, 4:37 AM CST, 4 hours 23 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
537 AM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-191200-
ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLAY-DAWSON-FILLMORE-FRANKLIN-FURNAS-GOSPER-GREELEY-
HALL-HAMILTON-HARLAN-HOWARD-JEWELL-KEARNEY-MERRICK-MITCHELL-NANCE-
NUCKOLLS-OSBORNE-PHELPS-PHILLIPS-POLK-ROOKS-SHERMAN-SMITH-THAYER-
VALLEY-WEBSTER-YORK-
537 AM CDT SUN APR 18 2004

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS TODAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST TODAY ALONG AND EAST
OF HIGHWAY 281 DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS.
LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE
WITH THESE STORMS.

A STRONG UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST REGION
SATURDAY NIGHT...WILL PUSH THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS TODAY. THIS
WILL ALLOW A DRYLINE TO SURGE THROUGH THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.  ALTHOUGH THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN CAPPED THROUGH MOST
OF THE DAY...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ALONG AND EAST OF
HIGHWAY 281 DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. ABUNDANT
MOISTURE AND HEATING WILL ALLOW THE ATMOSPHERE TO BECOME HIGHLY
UNSTABLE. THIS ALONG WITH STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL ALLOW ANY STORMS
THAT DO FORM TO QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE.

OTHERWISE EXPECT VERY STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS TO DEVELOP BY
MID TO LATE MORNING AS A DEEP AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKS ALONG THE
NEBRASKA...SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH
GUSTS NEAR 60 MPH WILL BE COMMON ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA ESPECIALLY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO EASE BELOW
WARNING CRITERIA BY EVENING. BLOWING DUST ESPECIALLY NEAR NEWLY
PLOWED FIELDS WILL LEAD TO AREAS OF POOR VISIBILITIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

QUIET CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA FOR THE FIRST
HALF OF MONDAY...HOWEVER A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTHWARD INTO THE
REGION MONDAY NIGHT.  THIS FRONT IN COMBINATION WITH A DISTURBANCE
MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS
TO THE OUTLOOK AREA MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT.  A FEW OF THESE STORMS
MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL POSING THE BIGGEST THREAT.

AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL CONTINUE WEDNESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY AS A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY AND WILL BE FURTHER MONITORED
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY ALONG AND EAST OF
THE HIGHWAY 281 CORRIDOR.

&&

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT THE FOLLOWING URL:

HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GID (ALL LOWER CASE)

AWJ

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

24 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Adams

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.525, -98.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Buffalo

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Buffalo forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.855, -99.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clay

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.524, -98.051 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Dawson

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.870, -99.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Fillmore

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Fillmore forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.525, -97.596 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Franklin

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.953 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Furnas

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Furnas forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.177, -99.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Gosper

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Gosper forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.515, -99.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Greeley

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Greeley forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hall

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.873, -98.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hamilton

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.874, -98.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Harlan

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Harlan forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.177, -99.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Howard

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Howard forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.220, -98.517 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Kearney

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Kearney forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.507, -98.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Merrick

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Merrick forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.170, -98.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Nance

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Nance forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.397, -97.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Nuckolls

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Nuckolls forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Phelps

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.511, -99.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Polk

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.187, -97.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sherman

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.221, -98.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Thayer

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Thayer forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -97.595 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Valley

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Valley forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Webster

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, York

When: April 18, 9:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: York forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.873, -97.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, April 2004

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5394884, 5394885, 5394886, 5394887, 5394888, 5394889, 5394890, 5394891, 5394892, 5394893, 5394894, 5394895, 5394896, 5394897, 5394898, 5394899, 5394900, 5394901, 5394987, 5394988, 5394989, 5394990, 5394991, 5394992.