A surface boundary draped across the region provided a focus for thunderstorm development as an upper level disturbance crossed the Central Plains. These thunderstorms developed during the late afternoong and early evening hours, and conditions were favorable for thunderstorms to become severe.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 boundary draped across the region provided a focus for thunderstorm development as an upper level disturbance crossed the Central Plains. These thunderstorms developed during the late afternoong and early evening hours, and conditions were favorable for thunderstorms to become severe. Hail up to the size of quarters was reported across portions of south central Nebraska, along with wind gusts estimated up to 80 mph. A low level jet nosing into the area helped to sustain convection through midnight, after which thunderstorms moved south out of the area.
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 26, 5:27 AM CST, 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 627 AM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 .AVIATION...12Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR THIS FORECAST. WIND SHOULD START MIXING AND GUSTING SOME FROM THE SOUTH BY THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS THEN MOVE INTO THE AREA AT THE END OF THE PERIOD...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 357 AM CDT THU JUN 26 2008/ DISCUSSION...NO BIG CHANGES IN THE OVERALL PATTERN TONIGHT...WITH UA OBS AND SATELLITE CONTINUING TO SHOW NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH TROUGHING OVER THE GREAT LAKES/MIDWEST AND A RIDGE OVER THE ROCKIES. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR MANY DAYS...EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES IN THE MAIN FLOW ALONG WITH THE SOUTHERLY LOW LEVEL JET HELPING TO SPARK OFF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. MAIN ACTION HAS STAYED TO THE WEST/NORTH OF THE CWA...BUT A FEW OF THESE SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A THE SURFACE BOUNDARY AND THE 25-30KT LLJ ACROSS SW NE MAY DRIFT INTO PORTIONS OF THE CWA EARLY THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES HAVE REMAINED MILD OVERNIGHT...ANYWHERE FROM THE MID 60S TO MID 70S. ENERGY FROM ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CROSSING OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL BRING INCREASED CHANCES FOR PRECIP TO THE CWA TODAY. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE REMAINS OVER WESTERN KS/EASTERN CO...WITH A WARM FRONT SHIFTING NORTH DURING THE DAY. EXPECTING INCREASED SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS THE CWA...MAKING FOR ANOTHER WARM AND MUGGY DAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON AGAIN EXPECTED TO REACH INTO THE 90S...WITH NEAR 100 ACROSS THE SOUTH. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF GOOD INSTABILITY ACROSS THE AREA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH WITH 2-4000 J/KG OF CAPE POSSIBLE. SHEAR AGAIN NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE...BUT INCREASES A BIT IN TIME AND MORE TOWARDS THE NORTH IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO THE SURFACE BOUNDARY. DID NOT MAKE MAJOR CHANGES TO INHERITED POPS...AS HOW TODAY IS GOING TO PLAY OUT IS NOT EXACTLY CLEAR CUT...AS MODELS HAVE STRUGGLED OVER THE PAST FEW NIGHTS WITH CONVECTION. THERE CONTINUE TO BE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODELS WITH THE AREA OF BEST FORCING AND ASSOCIATED PRECIP TODAY/TONIGHT...THE GFS KEEPS THE BULK OF THE ACTION WELL TO OUR NORTH. FORECAST TRENDED MORE TOWARDS THE NAM...WHICH SHOWS PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING NEAR THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON...AND CONTINUING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AS LLJ NOSES INTO THE AREA. THIS LEAVES THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA WITH THE BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION. THE FORCING AND INSTABILITY IS AVAILABLE...AND THOUGH SHEAR ISN/T GREAT...THE ENTIRE CWA STILL AT RISK FOR SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH DEVELOP TO BECOME STRONG/SEVERE. KEPT PRECIPITATION CHANCES GOING INTO FRIDAY...AS THIS COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE CWA AND THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH AXIS CROSSES OVER THE PLAINS DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS...SHIFTING HIGHER CHANCES TO THE SOUTHEAST. AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE FRONT AGAIN SEE THE POSSIBILITY FOR STRONG/SEVERE WEATHER INTO THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS...WITH MODELS AGAIN SHOWING INSTABILITY REACHING OVER 2000 J/KG. WITH THE SURFACE FRONT PASSING THROUGH DURING THE DAY...THIS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN A BIT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF THE CWA WHERE HIGHS ARE EXPECTED IN THE LOWER/MID 80S. HIGHS ACROSS THE SOUTH AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT REACH INTO THE LOWER 90S. PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT SOUTH WITH THE SURFACE FRONT...AND HAVE DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA AFTER MIDNIGHT. A VERY NICE WEEKEND ON TAP FOR THE CWA...WITH DRY CONDITIONS. FRIDAYS SURFACE COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE TO THE SOUTH ON SATURDAY AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM PUSHES SOUTH OUT OF CENTRAL CANADA. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS SYSTEM AND TROUGH DIGGING SOUTH INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND MIDWEST REGION...ALLOWING THE THE RIDGE ACROSS THE ROCKIES TO BUILD FURTHER NORTH. THIS LEADS TO A HIGHLY AMPLIFIED PATTERN ACROSS THE CONUS...AND SHARP AND DRY NORTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE ENTIRE WEEKEND. AS THE SURFACE COLD FRONT CONTINUES MOVING SOUTH...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS/ROCKIES...AND SETTLES OVER THE REGION. EXPECTING HIGHS IN THE LOWER/MID 80S. NO CHANGES MADE TO MONDAY AND BEYOND. DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO LINGER ON INTO THE FIRST OF NEXT WEEK...AS THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN REMAINS WELL AMPLIFIED OVER THE CONUS. NEXT CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION ARRIVES ON TUESDAY AND INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH THE ARRIVAL OF A MID/UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH PASSING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES GO...NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES EXPECTED...WITH HIGHS REACHING INTO THE UPPER 80S/LOWER 90S. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 529 AM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 271200- 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- 529 AM CDT THU JUN 26 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE HIGHEST THREAT WILL EXIST AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON...AND THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS AND DAMAGING WINDS TO 60 MPH. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN MAY ALSO PRODUCE SOME AREAS OF FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EXIST ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FULLERTON TO BEAVER CITY NEBRASKA ON FRIDAY. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS FROM THESE STORMS IS WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO THE OUTLOOK AREA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AFTER 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE)
The North Platte radar (KLNX), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:36 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds from a heat burst estimated at 70 mph. Reported damage included fences blown over, 2 to 6 inch diameter tree branches down, 10 inch diameter tree fell on a car, broken windows, irrigation pipe and roof damage, and ball field dugouts blown down.
Measured by a Nebraska Department of Roads sensor at the Interstate 80 interchange.
Shingles were reported blown off roofs in northern portions of Grand Island.
Measured by a Nebraska Department of Roads sensor at the junction of Highways 14 and 74.
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: 120601, 117614, 117615, 117616, 117617, 117618, 117619, 117620, 117621, 117622, 117623, 117624, 117625, 117626, 117627.