Hail in Kansas, June 15, 2008

Name: Hail in Kansas, June 15, 2008
Start: 2008-06-15T13:04
End: 2008-06-15T14:25
Location: Kansas

June 15, 2008 · NWS GID · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

A surface cold front crossing through the Central Plains provided a focus for severe thunderstorm development during the early afternoon hours across north central Kansas. Hail from the size of pennies to golfballs was reported with these storms, which moved south of the area by late afternoon as the front progressed south.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $15,000
Crop damage: $300,000
Events: 5

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.

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 Jun 15, 11:22 AM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 15, 11:22 AM CST, 1 hour 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1222 PM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

.AVIATION...18Z TAF. VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL AT KGRI THROUGH THE
FORECAST PERIOD. SURFACE BOUNDARY REMAINS WELL SOUTH OF KGRI AND
ANY CONVECTION ACROSS THE REGION WILL REMAIN NEAR THIS BOUNDARY...
THUS KEEPING KGRI CLEAR OF ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. FEW CLOUDS
NEAR 8000 FT AGL ARE EXPECTED TODAY WITH AFTERNOON HEATING.
CONVECTION ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS LATER THIS AFTERNOON WILL LIKELY
PUSH HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS NEAR 15000 FT AGL OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AND
INTO MONDAY MORNING. SURFACE WINDS WILL REMAIN OUT OF THE
NORTHEAST THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...GUSTING AS HIGH AS 25 KTS
BEFORE DIMINISHING EARLY THIS EVENING.

&&

PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 316 AM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008/

DISCUSSION...MAIN CONCERN FOR THIS FORECAST WILL BE THE CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY.  EARLY MORNING RADAR MOSAIC SHOWS A FEW LIGHT
RETURNS ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA...BUT MUCH OF THOSE RETURNS ARE MID
LEVEL CLOUDS WITH LITTLE PRECIPITATION ACTUALLY REACHING THE GROUND.
EARLY MORNING SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACED A FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM
NORTHWEST IOWA INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA.  THIS FEATURE WILL BE THE
PRIMARY FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AS IT SHIFTS SOUTH THROUGH THE
DAY.  THE 00Z NAM/WRF AND GFS ARE RELATIVELY SIMILAR IN THAT THEY
FOCUS THE BEST THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ACROSS THE EAST AND SOUTH
PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA.  IT APPEARS THAT THE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL FIRE RELATIVELY EARLY TODAY AS A SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY OVER THE
HIGH PLAINS SHIFTS EAST ALONG WITH THE LEFT FRONT QUADRANT OF THE
UPPER JET.  INSTABILITY INCREASES RAPIDLY THIS MORNING WITH SBCAPES
OF 2000-3000 J/KG BY MID MORNING.  DEEP LAYER SHEAR (0-6KM) IS
EXPECTED TO BE 30-35 KTS WHICH SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE STORMS
TO ORGANIZE AND BECOME LARGE HAIL PRODUCERS.  0-1KM HELICITY REMAINS
LOW WHICH SHOULD MINIMIZE THE TORNADO THREAT...THOUGH ANY TIME
STORMS DEVELOP NEAR/ALONG A BOUNDARY THEY CAN SOMETIMES FIND
SUFFICIENT LOCALIZED LOW LEVEL SHEAR.

AS THE CONVECTION CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...IT
APPEARS IT WILL ORGANIZE INTO A SEVERE MCS WITH THE THE THREAT OF
DAMAGING WINDS INCREASING.  THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA MAY NOT
BE COMPLETELY CLEARED OF CONVECTION AS THIS HAPPENS...BUT GENERALLY
EXPECT THE MORE WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WIND THREAT WILL EXIST SOUTHEAST
OF THE FORECAST AREA AS THE MCS TRAVELS SOUTH THIS EVENING.

THE BOUNDARY SHIFTS SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA BY THIS EVENING...AND
OUTSIDE OF A SLIGHT CHANCE POP IN THE FAR SOUTH...WILL GO DRY. STILL
HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS DURING THE
NIGHT...BUT IT APPEARS TO REMAIN WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT.
THE MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS SHIFTS EAST ON MONDAY...BUT LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE IS LIMITED SO HAVE LEFT IT DRY. IF ANYTHING DOES DEVELOP
IT SHOULD BE FAIRLY ISOLATED...AND THINK IT WILL PROBABLY BE
PRIMARILY A VIRGA EVENT. LATER MONDAY NIGHT CONVECTION OVER THE
HIGH PLAINS SHOULD EVENTUALLY SHIFT EAST INTO THE LOW LEVEL JET
AXIS. THIS ACTIVITY MAY GRADUALLY SHIFT INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF
THE FORECAST AREA TOWARDS TUESDAY MORNING...THOUGH CONFIDENCE IN
HOW FAR EAST IT WILL GET IS NOT VERY HIGH.

AVIATION...06Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. MODELS ARE
INDICATING ISOLATED -TSRA IN THE AREA TOWARD DAWN AS A COLD FRONT
MOVES INTO THE AREA...BUT CHANCES SEEM QUITE LOW AND HAVE NOT
INCLUDED IN THE FORECAST. CEILING COULD DROP POSSIBLY DOWN TO
MVFR...KEPT CEILINGS ABOVE THIS AS MOISTURE IS A BIT LIMITED. ALSO
COULD BE SOME TSRA DEVELOPMENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING...BUT
THIS APPEARS TO BE WELL SOUTHEAST OF KGRI AND HAVE KEPT THIS OUT
OF THE FORECAST AS WELL.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
KS...NONE.

&&

AVIATION...BRYANT

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 15, 11:47 AM CST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1247 PM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-161200-
VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-
HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-
FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
1247 PM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM COULD GRAZE THE KANSAS BORDER AREA
FROM RED CLOUD TO FAIRBURY THIS AFTERNOON. NO THUNDERSTORMS
ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REST OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THERE ARE INTERMITTENT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

KSZ005>007-017>019-161200-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-
1247 PM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON COULD BE
SEVERE AT TIMES THROUGH ABOUT 5 PM. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL...AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD EXIT
NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS EARLY THIS EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

THERE ARE INTERMITTENT CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:10 AM CST, 5 hours 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
810 AM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

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

0646 AM     HAIL             1 S SILVER CREEK        41.32N 97.67W
06/15/2008  E1.00 INCH       MERRICK            NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0659 AM     HAIL             STROMSBURG              41.12N 97.59W
06/15/2008  E0.88 INCH       POLK               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0700 AM     HAIL             STROMSBURG              41.12N 97.59W
06/15/2008  E1.50 INCH       POLK               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0702 AM     HAIL             3 NE BENEDICT           41.04N 97.57W
06/15/2008  E0.75 INCH       YORK               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

0715 AM     HAIL             GRESHAM                 41.03N 97.40W
06/15/2008  E1.00 INCH       YORK               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

KB

Local storm report, Jun 15, 7:35 AM CST, 5 hours 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
835 AM CDT SUN JUN 15 2008

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

0658 AM     HAIL             STROMSBURG              41.12N 97.59W
06/15/2008  E1.25 INCH       POLK               NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

NWS

The radar

The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:05 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Smith

When: June 15, 1:04 PM CST to 1:06 PM CST
Where: Smith County, Smith Center
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $50,000
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 39.780, -98.780

Nickel to quarter size hail was reported.

Hail, Smith

When: June 15, 1:14 PM CST
Where: Smith County, 1.27 mi WSW of Smith Center
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 39.770, -98.800

Hail, Smith

When: June 15, 1:59 PM CST
Where: Smith County, 3 mi WSW of Dispatch
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $5,000
Crop damage: $250,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 39.580, -98.550

Hail, Mitchell

When: June 15, 2:06 PM CST
Where: Mitchell County, 0.69 mi S of Cawker City
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 39.510, -98.430

Hail, Mitchell

When: June 15, 2:25 PM CST
Where: Mitchell County, 2.11 mi NW of Glen Elder
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 39.520, -98.330

Nickel size hail was reported at the intersection of Highways 24 and 128 near Waconda Lake.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, June 2008

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: 116162, 116165, 116166, 116167, 116168.