Hail in Nebraska, June 4, 2008

Name: Hail in Nebraska, June 4, 2008
Start: 2008-06-04T18:00
End: 2008-06-04T20:27
Location: Nebraska

June 4, 2008 · NWS GLD · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

A series of severe thunderstorms developed in a SW-NE line and moved northeast, producing repeated heavy rain and hail episodes from northern Yuma County Colorado eastward across Dundy and Hitchcock counties in Nebraska. Several flash flood reports, and dozens of large hail reports were received.

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: $4,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 GLD 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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 4, 1:00 PM MST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 4, 1:00 PM MST, 5 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
200 PM MDT WED JUN 4 2008

.DISCUSSION...FORECAST CONCERNS ARE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND
AREAL COVERAGE ALONG WITH TEMPERATURES THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY MOVING INTO CENTRAL NEVADA WILL MOVE
INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION BY 12Z THURSDAY THEN LIFT NORTHEAST
INTO THE TRI-STATE AREA BY 00Z FRIDAY LIFTING NORTHEAST INTO
MINNESOTA BY 00Z SATURDAY. FROM 00Z SATURDAY THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY
ANOTHER UPPER LOW WILL SPIN OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AREA WITH
SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS OUR AREA.

DEEPEST MOISTURE AND BETTER JET DYNAMICS WILL CONTINUE TO FAVOR
THE NORTHWEST/WEST AND NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA FOR
PRECIPITATION WITH MUCH LESSER AMOUNTS ACROSS THE FAR
EAST/SOUTHEAST. THIS IS GENERALLY HOW THE POP/WX/QPF ORIENTATION
IS AT PRESENT TIME AND ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE.
PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL END BY OR SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT
THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW AND TROUGH LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA.

TEMPERATURES THURSDAY WILL BE DIFFICULT GIVEN DIFFERENCES IN THE
SPEED OF THE FRONT...GENERALLY COOLEST IN THE WEST AND WARMEST IN
THE EAST. TEMPERATURES REBOUND INTO THE 80S ON THURSDAY WITH
PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AS SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE LOW IS PREVALENT. FOR
SATURDAY ITS NOT LOOKING AS HOT AS PREVIOUSLY EXPECTED WITH LOW
TO MID 80S ACROSS THE NORTH AND LOW/MID 90S ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH.

IN THE EXTENDED PERIODS (SUNDAY-WEDNESDAY)...LOTS OF DISCREPANCY
IN THE HANDLING OF BOTH UPPER AND LOW LEVEL WEATHER FEATURES.
THERE ARE VERY LARGE DISCREPANCIES IN 850 TEMPERATURES BY SOME 30
DEGREES BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF. GIVEN SUCH A LARGE DEGREE OF
DISCREPANCY AND CURRENT MODERATE RISK/TORNADO WATCH OVER THE AREA
HAVE USED HPC GUIDANCE FOR EXTENDED GRIDS.

DDT

&&

.AVIATION...
CONVECTIVE CHANCES ARE THE MAIN FORECAST PROBLEMS FOR
THE 18Z KMCK/KGLD TAFS. WILL DELAY THE ONSET OF CONVECTION AT
KMCK TIL 02Z WITH A SLIGHTLY EARLIER START TIME AT KGLD. COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TAF SITES DURING THE NIGHT. SOME
MODELS ARE BRINGING LIFR CONDITIONS AFTER THE FRONT PASSES...BUT
WILL NOT BRING THE CEILINGS THAT LOW.

MENTZER

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR
DECATUR...NORTON...SHERIDAN...GRAHAM AND GOVE COUNTIES OF KANSAS
AS WELL AS HITCHCOCK AND RED WILLOW COUNTIES OF NEBRASKA THROUGH
12Z THURSDAY.

UPPER FLOW AND MOISTURE AND LIFT WILL FAVOR QPF AMOUNTS GENERALLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS GENERALLY
ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 36 NEAR THE KS/NE BORDER. NOT REAL
CONFIDENT ABOUT GOVE COUNTY KANSAS BUT GIVEN RATHER LOW FFG IT HAS
BEEN ADDED TO THE WATCH.

&&

.GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KS...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY
     MORNING FOR KSZ003-004-015-016-029.

NE...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 5 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY
     MORNING FOR NEZ080-081.

CO...NONE.
&&

WFO GOODLAND

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 4, 9:01 AM MST, 8 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
1001 AM MDT WED JUN 4 2008

COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-051515-
YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON-
SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA-
DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW-
1001 AM MDT WED JUN 4 2008 /1101 AM CDT WED JUN 4 2008/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SEVERE WEATHER...INCLUDING THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES...WILL
OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOW PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN
OVER SOUTHEAST COLORADO THIS AFTERNOON...AND A WARM FRONT WILL
EXTEND FROM SOUTHEAST COLORADO TO CENTRAL NEBRASKA BY THIS
EVENING. THE AIR MASS OVER THE TRI-STATE AREA WILL BE MOIST AND
UNSTABLE.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY OVER EASTERN
COLORADO. THE STORMS WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ALL OF THE STORMS HAVE
THE POTENTIAL FOR PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...BUT THE
GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70.
THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE FOR TORNADOES...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT
AREA NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM TRENTON NEBRASKA TO HOXIE KANSAS.

HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA ON
THURSDAY. ALTHOUGH INSTABILITY WILL BE LIMITED...A FEW STORMS MAY
BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED.

MENTZER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 4, 5:16 PM MST, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
616 PM MDT WED JUN 04 2008

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

0614 PM     TSTM WND GST     6 N WRAY                40.17N 102.23W
06/04/2008  E60 MPH          YUMA               CO   PUBLIC

&&

BLM

Local storm report, Jun 4, 5:18 PM MST, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
618 PM MDT WED JUN 04 2008

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

0612 PM     HAIL             14 N WRAY               40.28N 102.23W
06/04/2008  E1.75 INCH       YUMA               CO   PUBLIC

&&

BLM

Local storm report, Jun 4, 5:38 PM MST, 22 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
638 PM MDT WED JUN 04 2008

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

0634 PM     HAIL             1 NE ALVIN              40.32N 102.06W
06/04/2008  E0.75 INCH       YUMA               CO   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

BLM

Local storm report, Jun 4, 5:41 PM MST, 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
641 PM MDT WED JUN 04 2008

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

0530 PM     HAIL             YUMA                    40.12N 102.72W
06/04/2008  U0.25 INCH       YUMA               CO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            HAIL COVERED THE GROUND UP TO A DEPTH OF ONE FOOT

&&

BLM

Local storm report, Jun 4, 5:47 PM MST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
647 PM MDT WED JUN 04 2008

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

0530 PM     FLASH FLOOD      YUMA                    40.12N 102.72W
06/04/2008                   YUMA               CO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS ONE BASEMENT FLOODED WITH 2
            INCHES OF WATER...STREET FLODDING...FIELD FLOODING...AND
            SEVERE CROP DAMAGE. ALL RETAINING PONDS IN THE CITY OF
            YUMA ARE FILLED TO CAPACITY

&&

BLM

Local storm report, Jun 4, 5:57 PM MST, 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
657 PM MDT WED JUN 04 2008

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

0651 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 N LAIRD               40.14N 102.10W
06/04/2008  E60 MPH          YUMA               CO   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

BLM

The radar

The Goodland radar (KGLD), 108 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Dundy

When: June 4, 6:00 PM MST
Where: Dundy County, 19 mi N of Benkelman
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.325, -101.530

Storm spotter reported hail covered the ground.

Hail, Dundy

When: June 4, 6:26 PM MST
Where: Dundy County, 16 mi N of Benkelman
Measured: 2.5 in hail
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 40.282, -101.530

An HP supercell produced a 1 mile wide swath of large hail. Hail broke windshield and caused damage to hood and roof of vehicle.

Hail, Dundy

When: June 4, 6:40 PM MST to 6:44 PM MST
Where: Dundy County, 6 mi NNW of Parks
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 40.130, -101.763

Hail lasted four minutes.

Hail, Hitchcock

When: June 4, 8:03 PM CST to 8:27 PM CST
Where: Hitchcock County, 8 mi NNW of Stratton
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 40.257, -101.288

Hail was mostly one inch in diameter with a few golf ball sized stones. Hail lasted for almost 25 minutes.

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 Nebraska in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, 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: 104681, 104683, 104684, 104688.