A surface cold front crossing the Central Plains provided a focus for evening thunderstorm development across south central Nebraska. Conditions ahead of the front were favorable for severe thunderstorms, with penny to half dollar size hail reported, along with heavy rain and flash flooding.
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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.
A surface cold front crossing the Central Plains provided a focus for evening thunderstorm development across south central Nebraska. Conditions ahead of the front were favorable for severe thunderstorms, with penny to half dollar size hail reported, along with heavy rain and flash flooding. Storms ended across the area during the late evening hours as the cold front shifted further east.
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 11, 2:43 PM CST, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 343 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008 .SHORT TERM...PAST MORNING UPPER AIR DATA ALONG WITH LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A STRONG UPPER WAVE PUSHING SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES. ROUNDING THE BASE OF THIS TROUGH IS A 120 KT UPPER JET STREAK WITH THE NOSE OF THE JET ALREADY EXITING INTO WESTERN NEBRASKA. SURFACE OBS ALONG WITH RADAR AND SATELLITE IMAGERY REVEALS THE COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM JUST EAST OF YORK TO HEBRON TO JUST EAST OF BELOIT AND STILL SLIDING SLOWLY EAST AT THIS TIME. BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY MUCH DRIER AIR IS IN PLACE WITH DEWPOINTS DROPPING INTO THE 50S. HOWEVER...AHEAD OF THIS FRONT DEEP BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S. DESPITE REMAINING CAPPED AHEAD OF THE FRONT...THIS ENVIRONMENT IS PRODUCING HIGH TO EXTREME ML CAPES OF 2000 TO 4000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON WITH ONLY WEAK INHIBITION SHOWN THROUGH MID EVENING BY THE MODELS. WHEN CONVECTION DOES FIRE...THE STORMS SHOULD RAPIDLY BECOME SEVERE AS EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR OF 35 TO 50 KNOTS WILL ALLOW FOR SUPERCELL DEVELOPMENT. THE MAIN QUESTION IS HOW MUCH IF ANY CONVECTION WILL IMPACT THE HASTINGS FORECAST AREA SINCE THE FRONT HAS ALREADY CLEARED ALL BUT FAR EASTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA. WILL OPT TO LEAVE HIGHER PRECIP CHANCES NEAR THE BOUNDARY OVER FILLMORE...THAYER...NUCKOLLS...JEWELL...MITCHELL AND OSBORNE COUNTIES...BUT HAVE CUT OR COMPLETELY REMOVED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE CWA THROUGH MID EVENING. THE BETTER TORNADO ENVIRONMENT FOR ANY SUPERCELLS LOOKS TO REMAIN EAST AND SOUTH OF THE CWA BUT WILL KEEP A MENTION OF BRIEF ISOLATED TORNADOES ALONG WITH HAIL AND WINDS IN THE HWO. IN ADDITION...THE AREAS WITH HIGHER CHANCES COULD ALSO SEE A FLOODING THREAT AS PW VALUES AROUND 150 PERCENT OF NORMAL ALONG WITH A STORM MOTION NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE BOUNDARY AND DIFFLUENT 850-300MB THICKNESS SUPPORTING SOME BACKBUILDING OF CONVECTION...ALL POINTS TOWARD A FLASH FLOOD THREAT. NONETHELESS...WILL TRIM THE FLOOD WATCH DOWN TO A HANDFUL OF COUNTIES BASED ON CONVECTION BEING FURTHER EAST/SOUTH. ALTHOUGH THE MODELS DEVELOP A 50 KT LLJ BY MID TO LATE EVENING...APPEARS THE NOSE OF THE JET WILL REMAIN FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO KEEP MOST...IF ANY...ELEVATED CONVECTION FROM FORMING WELL NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY INTO THE FORECAST AREA. GIVEN THIS SETUP WILL RAMP PRECIP CHANCES DOWN DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT ARE THEN SHAPING UP TO BE RELATIVELY QUIET ACROSS THE CWA AS THE FRONT IS SHOWN TO PUSH SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION. THIS WILL KEEP THE FORECAST AREA UNDER A COOLER AND MORE STABLE AIRMASS WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO CLIMB INTO THE MID 70S TO LOWER 80S FOR HIGHS. .LONG TERM...12Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS LIE WITH TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD...AND PRECIPITATION CHANCES STARTING LATE THIS WEEKEND. END OF THE WORK WEEK EXPECTED TO STAY DRY AND PLEASANT...WITH MAIN SURFACE BOUNDARY TO THE SOUTH OF THE CWA. ALOFT...LARGE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM REMAINS CENTERED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA...WITH THE TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS. WITH THE COLD FRONT HAVING MOVED THROUGH THE AREA...EXPECTING HIGH TEMPERATURES TO REACH INTO THE UPPER 70S NORTH TO LOWER 80S SOUTH. INTO THE WEEKEND...DRY CONDITIONS LOOK TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF. MAIN UPPER LEVEL LOW CONTINUES TO SHIFT TO THE NORTHEAST INTO THE HUDSON BAY AREA...WITH THE TROUGH MOVING INTO THE MIDWEST REGION. THIS WILL ALLOW THE FLATTENED RIDGE WHICH HAS BEEN SITTING OVER THE SOUTHERN CONUS TO SHIFT BACK TO THE WEST AND BUILD A BIT OVER THE ROCKIES...BRINING SLIGHT NORTHWESTERLY FLOW TO THE REGION. EXPECTING A WARM UP FROM FRIDAY...WITH HIGHS ON SATURDAY IN THE MID 80S NORTH TO LOWER 90S SOUTH. INTO SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...LOBE OF ENERGY ROTATING AROUND THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL LOW IN CANADA LOOKS TO MOVE SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND GREAT LAKES REGION. AS IT DOES...THIS WILL PUSH ANOTHER SURFACE COLD FRONT THROUGH THE CWA. SLIGHT DIFFERENCES EXIST BETWEEN MODELS WITH DETAILS...BUT FRONT LOOKS TO PASS THROUGH DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS AND SIT NEAR THE SOUTHERN CWA BY 00Z MONDAY. KEPT PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN WITH BEST CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTH...BUT WITH THIS BEING MORE OF A QUICK MOVING NORTHWESTERLY FLOW UPPER SYSTEM...KEPT AT SLIGHT CHANCE. PRECIPITATION MAY BE ONGOING AT 12Z MONDAY ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH...BUT NOT EXPECTING IT TO LAST VERY LONG...WITH THE REST OF THE DAY DRY. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CONTINUES ACROSS THE WESTERN CONUS...LEAVING THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE CWA. AT THE SURFACE...COLD FRONT IS WELL TO THE SOUTH...WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. THIS WILL BRING HIGHS FOR MONDAY DOWN A BIT...BACK INTO THE MID/UPPER 70S NORTH WITH LOWER 80S SOUTH. KEPT FORECAST DRY FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY...WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN AND THE SURFACE HIGH SHIFTING TO THE EAST DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW ON TUESDAY WILL HELP BRING HIGHS BACK UP A TOUCH INTO THE LOWER TO MID 80S. TUESDAY NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY...MODELS HAVE HINTED AT PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING OVER THE HIGH PLAINS AND INTO OUR CWA...WITH SLIGHT UPSLOPE SURFACE FLOW AND A MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH PASSING OVER. CONFIDENCE NOT HIGH WITH THIS PRECIP...LEFT KEPT POPS LOW. && .AVIATION...FOR THE 18Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THE GRAND ISLAND TERMINAL THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A COLD FRONT HAS ALREADY PUSHED SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA THIS PAST MORNING AND MAIN QUESTION IS IF ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ABLE TO DEVELOP FAR ENOUGH BEHIND THE FRONT TO IMPACT THE TERMINAL THIS EVENING. WITH MUCH DRIER AIR SLIDING INTO THE AREA BEHIND THIS FRONT...CHANCES ARE LOOKING SLIGHT AT BEST FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO BE AROUND THE TERMINAL THIS EVENING. BASED ON THIS SETUP...WILL KEEP A VICINITY THUNDERSTORM MENTION IN THE FORECAST...BUT HAVE REMOVED PREVAILING THUNDERSTORM GROUP FROM THE FORECAST. OTHERWISE...THE VISIBILITY SHOULD REMAIN UNLIMITED THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR NEZ077-086-087. KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR KSZ007-018-019. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 405 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008 KSZ006-007-017>019-NEZ064-076-077-085>087-121200- SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-YORK-CLAY-FILLMORE-WEBSTER- NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 405 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS EAST OF A GENEVA NEBRASKA TO RED CLOUD NEBRASKA TO PLAINVILLE KANSAS LINE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A SLIGHT THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE HIGHEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL EXIST THIS EVENING EAST OF A GENEVA NEBRASKA TO SUPERIOR NEBRASKA TO OSBORNE KANSAS LINE. ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW THESE STORMS TO QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF GOLFBALLS POSSIBLE ALONG WITH DAMAGING WINDS UP TO 70 MPH. IN ADDITION...CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR ONE OR TWO ISOLATED BRIEF WEAK TORNADOES DURING THE THE EARLY EVENING FOR AREAS EAST OF HEBRON TO BELOIT LINE. HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO PRODUCE SOME AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING DURING THE EVENING TO EARLY OVERNIGHT HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. AN INTERMITTENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE OUTLOOK AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...ESPECIALLY EAST OF A GENEVA NEBRASKA TO SUPERIOR NEBRASKA TO OSBORNE KANSAS LINE. EMERGENCY MANAGERS...LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS NOW FOR QUICK DEPLOYMENT. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE) KSZ005-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>063-072>075-082>084-121200- PHILLIPS-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON- BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-FURNAS-HARLAN- FRANKLIN- 405 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WEST OF A GENEVA NEBRASKA TO RED CLOUD NEBRASKA TO PLAINVILLE KANSAS LINE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING FOR AREAS EAST OF A FULLERTON NEBRASKA TO GRAND ISLAND NEBRASKA TO PHILLIPSBURG KANSAS LINE. WIDESPREAD SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED WEST OF A GENEVA NEBRASKA TO RED CLOUD NEBRASKA TO PLAINVILLE KANSAS LINE BUT A FEW STRONG STORMS PRODUCING PENNEY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL MAY BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. AN INTERMITTENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE OUTLOOK AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND LAST INTO TUESDAY 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)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
632 PM CDT WED JUN 11 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0626 PM HAIL 6 S ASHERVILLE 39.32N 97.98W
06/11/2008 E1.00 INCH MITCHELL KS LAW ENFORCEMENT
WIND TO 40-50 MPH
&&
BALLARDThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 85 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:49 UTC.
14 hail, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Accompanied by winds estimated at 60 mph.
Highway 53 near Alexandria was under water due to heavy rain and runoff.
Dime to quarter size hail was reported.
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, June 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: 117545, 117548, 117549, 117550, 117551, 117552, 117553, 118442, 117554, 117555, 117556, 117557, 117558, 117559, 117560.