An upper level disturbance moving east interacted with a surface trough, leading to the development of evening thunderstorms across the High Plains. Some of these thunderstorms drifted east into south central Nebraska bringing gusty winds.
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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.
The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.
An upper level disturbance moving east interacted with a surface trough, leading to the development of evening thunderstorms across the High Plains. Some of these thunderstorms drifted east into south central Nebraska bringing gusty winds. Winds near 40 to 50 mph were reported in Hall and Adams Counties, with winds near 60 mph reported in Sherman and York Counties.
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 Jul 1, 5:38 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 638 PM CDT TUE JUL 1 2008 .AVIATION...FOR THE 00Z KGRI TAF. VFR TO MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING TO OVERNIGHT HOURS FOR THE GRAND ISLAND TERMINAL. THE ONLY ISSUE THAT MAY PUSH CONDITIONS BRIEFLY INTO AN IFR RANGE INVOLVES THE THREAT OF A FEW THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS EVENING TO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AT THIS POINT THE COVERAGE OF ANY STORMS LOOKS TO BE LOW ENOUGH TO KEEP OUT OF THE FORECAST BUT A FEW STORMS MAY SNEAK INTO THE VICINITY OF THE TERMINAL AREA AND HAVE ADJUSTED THE FORECAST TO INCLUDE THIS POTENTIAL. THE PATTERN THEN TURNS A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS A WEAK COOL FRONT SLIDES ACROSS THE AREA. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE TERMINAL AREA WITH IFR TO MVFR VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE WITHIN THE STRONGER STORMS ALONG WITH SOME SMALL HAIL. OTHERWISE...CLOUD CEILINGS WITH THESE STORMS SHOULD STAY ABOVE 1 KFT. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 405 PM CDT TUE JUL 1 2008/ SHORT TERM...THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY. MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH THE PERIOD...AND SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AFTERNOON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS UPPER RIDGING STILL OVER THE ROCKIES...ALTHOUGH THE RIDGE HAS BEEN KNOCKED DOWN SOMEWHAT BY SHORTWAVES RIDING ATOP IT. THE CENTRAL PLAINS REMAIN UNDER A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT DOWNSTREAM OF THE RIDGE...WITH ONE SHORTWAVE OF INTEREST CURRENTLY OVER THE NE PANHANDLE INTO SOUTHWEST SD. SURFACE TROUGH STRETCHES FROM CENTRAL SD SOUTHWEST THROUGH WESTERN NE ALONG THE CO/KS BORDER TO A SURFACE LOW OVER SOUTHEAST CO...WITH ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGH/WARM FRONT ARCING FROM NORTHWEST THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL KS. CU IS INCREASING ACROSS THE NE PANHANDLE...BUT THUS FAR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS BEEN CONFINED TO AREAS OF ENHANCED OROGRAPHIC LIFT NEAR THE BLACK HILLS AND ACROSS THE CO ROCKIES. GENERAL THINKING FOR THIS EVENING IS THAT STORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN NE WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE DROPPING THROUGH AND SURFACE TROUGH IN THIS VICINITY. LATEST LAPS DATA STILL SHOWS STRONG CAPPING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NE...BUT A WEAKENING CAP ACROSS WESTERN NE. THE QUESTION IS THEN HOW MUCH OF THIS CONVECTION WILL SURVIVE EASTWARD INTO THE CWA. THE FAR NORTHWEST CWA WILL STAND THE BEST CHANCES OF SEEING STORMS MAKE IT IN THIS EVENING...BUT EVEN THERE COVERAGE LOOKS FAIRLY LOW BY THE TIME STORMS MAKE IT THIS FAR EAST. NOT ANTICIPATING SEVERE WEATHER...BUT WITH LAPS DATA SHOWING MLCAPES AROUND 2000 J/KG...COULD SEE A FEW ISOLATED PULSE STRONG STORMS ALTHOUGH DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS QUITE MARGINAL AT 20 TO 30 KTS BEST. FREEZING LEVELS ALSO FAIRLY HIGH AROUND 13 FT WHICH WILL HELP MITIGATE THE HAIL THREAT. COVERAGE OF ANY LINGERING STORMS AFTER MIDNIGHT LOOKS LIMITED...HOWEVER WILL CARRY A SLIGHT CHANCE POP AS CANNOT TOTALLY RULE OUT SOME LINGERING STORMS. MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND ATTENDANT SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUE TO PUSH ACROSS...WITH SOME LLJ SUPPORT AS WELL. THE LLJ VEERS OVERNIGHT SO SUPPORT NOT GREAT...BUT ENOUGH THETA-E ADVECTION AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT TO WARRANT A SMALL POP. BETTER THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARRIVE ON WEDNESDAY AS SHORTWAVE DIVING THROUGH THE UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES SENDS A COLD FRONT SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA. CURRENTLY THINKING THE MORNING HOURS LOOK PRETTY QUIET AS ANY POTENTIAL LINGERING CONVECTION OVERNIGHT SHOULD SHIFT EAST BY THIS TIME...WITH SUBSIDENCE BEHIND EXITING SHORTWAVE PROVIDING A LULL. HOWEVER...CONVECTION THEN LOOKS TO INITIATE BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON PER INCREASING SURFACE CONVERGENCE ALONG THE FRONT...ERODING CIN...AND SOME SHORTWAVE ENERGY RIPPLING THROUGH THE CONTINUED NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS THE MAIN THREATS. BEST DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND INSTABILITY ARE OFFSET FROM ONE ANOTHER...WITH BETTER SHEAR POST-FRONTAL AND OF COURSE BETTER INSTABILITY PRE-FRONTAL. STILL...THE COMBINATION OF THE TWO SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SEVERE STORMS. ALSO MAY SEE SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH PWS IN THE 1 TO 2 INCH RANGE...AND STEERING FLOW ONLY AVERAGING AROUND 15 KTS. SHOULD LOSE THE SEVERE THREAT AFTER MIDNIGHT...WITH HIGHEST THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHERN CWA PER BETTER LOW-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE. WITH THE FRONT PASSING THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY...HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 80S NORTH TO MID 90S SOUTH. LONG TERM...12Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. FORECAST CONCERN LIES WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES EARLY THEN AGAIN LATE IN THE PERIOD...AND WITH END OF THE WORK WEEK TEMPERATURES. LONG TERM PERIOD STARTS OFF WITH PRECIPITATION CHANCES LINGERING ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA. SURFACE COLD FRONT WHICH PASSES THROUGH ON WEDNESDAY LOSES ITS PUSH FROM THE MID/UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND BASICALLY STALLS OUT OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. KEPT IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH THE ENTIRE DAY ON THURSDAY AND GRADUALLY TAPER OFF THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT MEANDERS A BIT AROUND THE AREA...BUT KEPT BETTER CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA AS THAT IS WHERE THE FRONT LOOKS TO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT. DON/T HAVE REAL HIGH POPS IN...THOUGH THERE IS GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT WITH THE PLACEMENT OF THE FRONT...THERE REMAIN SLIGHT DIFFERENCES WITH TIMING/LOCATION OF ANOTHER WEAK DISTURBANCE IN THE MAIN MID/UPPER LEVEL FLOW AND ASSOCIATED PRECIP. FORECAST IS A BLEND...AS THE NAM HAS PRECIP PUSHED TO THE SOUTH BY THURS EVENING...THE GFS/ECMWF BOTH KEEP PRECIP FURTHER NORTH AND LINGER IT LONGER INTO THE EVENING...SREF/GEM ARE IN BETWEEN WITH VERY LIGHT PRECIP HANGING ON. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES GO FOR THURSDAY...TRENDED HIGHS DOWN A BIT. FEEL THAT WITH PLENTY OF CLOUD COVER...PRECIP IN THE AREA...EAST/NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FRONT...THAT HIGHS WILL STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE MID 70S. REMOVED MENTION OF PRECIP ACROSS THE CWA FOR FRIDAY...AS THE FRONT LOOKS TO GET ENOUGH OF A MID/UPPER LEVEL PUSH FROM ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TO MOVE IT TO THE SOUTH. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTH BEHIND THE COLD FRONT SETTLES IN ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES REGION DURING THE DAY...WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW RETURNING ACROSS THE CWA DURING THE AFTERNOON. ALOFT...THE RIDGE ACROSS THE WEST COAST/ROCKIES BUILDS A BIT FURTHER NORTH. WARMER AIR WILL START TO WORK ITS WAY BACK IN TO THE WEST...BUT HIGHS HERE ON FRIDAY EXPECTED TO STAY IN THE LOWER/MID 80S. DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON INTO THE WEEKEND...ALONG WITH A BRIEF WARMING TREND. UPPER LEVEL PATTERN CHANGES ONLY A BIT...AS ENERGY FROM A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM/TROUGH OFF THE WEST COAST WORKS ITS WAY EAST...AND BREAKS DOWN THE RIDGE. AS IT DOES...THE RIDGE AXIS OVER THE ROCKIES ALSO GETS SHIFTED FURTHER EAST IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE CWA. AT THE SURFACE...GOOD SOUTHERLY FLOW CONTINUES AS LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS...WITH A TROUGH DRAPED DOWN THROUGH THE HIGH PLAINS. WHAT THIS MEANS IS WARMER AIR AND MORE MOISTURE WORKING THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE REGION...WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES BY SUNDAY REACHING INTO THE LOWER/MID 90S. LOOKING TO SUNDAY NIGHT AND THE FIRST PART OF THE WORK WEEK...CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURN ONCE AGAIN. MODELS DIFFER A BIT IN REGARD TO THE OVERALL PATTERN ALOFT...WITH THE ECMWF KEEPING ZONAL FLOW...AND THE GFS SHOWING A REAMPLIFICATION OF THE RIDGE OVER THE WEST. HOWEVER...BOTH DO SHOW ANOTHER PIECE OF ENERGY CROSSING THE PLAINS...ALSO PUSHING THROUGH A SURFACE COLD FRONT. THIS WILL PROVIDE THE MAIN FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...WITH BEST CHANCES COMING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND ENDING MONDAY NIGHT. FRONT IS SOUTH OF THE AREA BY TUESDAY...LEAVING THINGS DRY. THIS FRONT IS NOT A STRONG ONE BRINGING SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER AIR...BUT DOES KEEP HIGHS IN THE LOWER 90S. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 329 PM CDT TUE JUL 1 2008 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 021200- PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE- SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK- GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN- WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 329 PM CDT TUE JUL 1 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO POSSIBLY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING ALONG AND NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM FULLERTON TO GRAND ISLAND TO PHILLIPSBURG KANSAS. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...HOWEVER A FEW STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS TO AROUND 45 MPH. A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXPAND EASTWARD ACROSS THE REST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA AFTER MIDNIGHT...BUT NO SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A BETTER CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST ON WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT SLIDES SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA. SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WHICH COULD LEAD TO SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS. THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. .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)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 1034 PM CDT TUE JUL 1 2008 NEZ046-061-020400- BUFFALO-SHERMAN- 1034 PM CDT TUE JUL 1 2008 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR... SHERMAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA NORTHERN BUFFALO COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AT 1029 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM WESTERVILLE TO MASON CITY TO 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF SUMNER...AND MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... LITCHFIELD BY 1045 PM CDT LOUP CITY BY 1050 PM CDT PLEASANTON BY 1055 PM CDT POOLE BY 1100 PM CDT PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS AROUND 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. AWJ
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:02 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Damage reported to a silo structure in town. Severe tree limbs at least 2 inches in diameter blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2008
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: 121638, 121637.