A few severe thunderstorms moved across portions of Kimball and Morrill counties and produced a brief tornado as well as some large hail.
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 CYS wrote it up.
A few severe thunderstorms moved across portions of Kimball and Morrill counties and produced a brief tornado as well as some large hail.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 23, 1:36 PM MST, 3 hours 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
236 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
.SHORT TERM...UPPER JET WILL BE OVER THE NEB PANHANDLE THIS
EVENING. UPPER LOW WILL RETROGRADE OFF THE NORTHERN CA COAST
TONIGHT. MOIST SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL CONTINUE AT THE SURFACE WITH
SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL RESULT IN LOW AND MID LEVEL WIND
SHEAR...BOTH DIRECTIONAL AND SPEED. A STRONG PIECE OF ENERGY WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY EAST OF
THE LARAMIE RANGE. MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS COMBINED WITH THE
DYNAMICS WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
MUCH OF THE CWA THROUGH THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND A FEW
TORNADOES WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THE STORMS. SW FLOW WILL
CONT ALOFT SAT BUT SHEAR PROFILES WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS SURFACE
WINDS SHIFT TO THE SW. AIRMASS WILL BE MORE STABLE SAT AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...THEREFORE EXPECT ONLY GENERAL TYPE THUNDERSTORMS.
STRONG WINDS IN NEB PANHANDLE SHOULD DECREASE BY 9 PM THIS EVENING
AS GRADIENT BEGINS TO RELAX.
.LONG TERM...SUNDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAY 30TH.
SUNDAY...RELATIVELY QUIESCENT DAY AS LOW AMPLITUDE SHORTWAVE RIDGING
PREVAILS ACROSS EASTERN WYOMING. LOW/MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL BE RELATIVELY DRY DUE TO WEST FLOW THUS ONLY 10-25 PERCENT OF
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE EXPECTED...WITH NO
SEVERE STORMS ANTICIPATED DUE TO LIMITED SHEAR AND BUOYANCY.
MEMORIAL DAY...COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD SUNDAY
NIGHT WITH MOIST UPSLOPE LOW LEVEL DAY TWO FLOW OCCURRING IN THE POST
COLD FRONTAL AIRMASS. LOW/MID LEVEL INSTABILITY AXIS WILL DEVELOP
ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND WESTERN NEBRASKA IN LOW AND MID LEVEL
THETA-E RIDGE AXISES. WITH DECENT SHEAR AND BUOYANCY...MECHANICAL
LIFT FROM LOW LEVEL UPSLOPE AND SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING ACROSS AT
PEAK HEATING...EXPECT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS...MOST NUMEROUS ACROSS FAR SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. HAVE ADDED MENTION OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS FAR SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA IN INSTABILITY AXIS.
TUESDAY...SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ONCE AGAIN...
MOST NUMEROUS EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE IN UPSLOPE FLOW REGIME.
EXPECT MORE LIMITED THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE DUE TO RISING HEIGHTS
ALOFT AND DECREASE ON LOW/MID LEVEL MOISTURE. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
LOOK LESS LIKELY.
WEDNESDAY...EVEN DRIER AS HEIGHTS ALOFT RISE WITH SHORTWAVE RIDGING
DEVELOPING ACROSS EASTERN WYOMING AND NEBRASKA. ONLY ISOLATED
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ON TAP WITH LESS LOW/MID LEVEL
MOISTURE.
THURSDAY...DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT PREVAILS. WITH WARM MID LEVEL
TEMPERATURES ACTING AS A CAPPING INVERSION ALONG WITH RELATIVELY DRY
LOW LEVELS...ONLY ISOLATED LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS
ON TAP.
FRIDAY...GFS HINTS AT MORE UNSETTLED PATTERN WITH TROUGHING ALOFT
ACROSS MONTANA AND WYOMING. FOR NOW...WILL STICK WITH STATUS QUO AND
KEEP MINIMAL AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST. RUBIN
&&
.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...WHILE AREAS OF MVFR AND IFR WILL OCCUR THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE DUE TO
THUNDERSTORMS AND LOW CLOUDS. GUSTY SURFACE WINDS WILL OCCUR IN
THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE THROUGH MID EVENING WITH SOUTHEAST WINDS OF
25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH.
&&
.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 6 PM FRIDAY FOR WYZ061-WYZ063.
NE...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM FRIDAY FOR NEZ001-NEZ002-NEZ003-NEZ019-
NEZ020-NEZ021-NEZ054-NEZ055.
&&
SHORT TERM/AVIATION...KMD
LONG TERM....RUBINHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 1020 AM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008 NEZ001>003-019>021-054-055-WYZ059>070-241145- SIOUX-DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL- CHEYENNE-CONVERSE-NIOBRARA-SOUTHWEST CARBON-NORTH CARBON- SNOWY RANGE-NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-LARAMIE VALLEY-LARAMIE RANGE- PLATTE-GOSHEN-CHEYENNE FOOTHILLS-PINE BLUFFS- 1020 AM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE OVER THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE...WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE IN WYOMING. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...WITH A TORNADO POSSIBLE IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF PLATTE COUNTY WYOMING THROUGH FRIDAY AS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AND EXISTING HIGH WATER LEVELS WILL PRODUCE CONTINUED FLOODING OVER PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY. ANOTHER FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE LITTLE SNAKE RIVER IN FAR SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY THROUGH 300 PM MDT TODAY. THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF CARBON COUNTY THROUGH FRIDAY. THERE IS A CONCERN THAT ADDITIONAL SHOWERS DURING THAT TIME COULD CAUSE SOME RIVERS AND STREAMS ALREADY SWOLLEN WITH SNOW MELT RUNOFF TO FLOOD. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY AS DISTURBANCES MOVE THROUGH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO THE WEST ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST WYOMING. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
420 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM TORNADO 12 NNW CHEYENNE 41.31N 104.88W
05/23/2008 LARAMIE WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
TORNADO WEST OF INTERSTATE 25 TRACKED FROM MILE MARKER 25
TO 39 FROM 315 PM THROUGH 400 PM MDT.
&&
EISEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
431 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0431 PM HAIL GUERNSEY 42.27N 104.74W
05/23/2008 M1.00 INCH PLATTE WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
SIZE RANGE FROM DIME TO QUARTER.
&&
BCHAPMANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
433 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM TORNADO 6 SW PINE BLUFFS 41.12N 104.15W
05/23/2008 LARAMIE WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
TORNADO TOUCHDOWN SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AT
MILE MARKER 394.
&&
EISEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
439 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0433 PM HAIL 33 E CHEYENNE 41.14N 104.16W
05/23/2008 M1.00 INCH LARAMIE WY PUBLIC
POSSIBLE TORNADO NEAR EGBERT. 33E OF CHEYENNE.
&&
BCHAPMANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
457 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0452 PM HAIL 3 E BURNS 41.19N 104.30W
05/23/2008 M1.00 INCH LARAMIE WY TRAINED SPOTTER
0454 PM HEAVY RAIN 3 N BURNS 41.23N 104.36W
05/23/2008 E0.00 INCH LARAMIE WY TRAINED SPOTTER
PEA HAIL COVERS THE GROUND.
&&
BCHAPMANPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
543 PM MDT FRI MAY 23 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM FUNNEL CLOUD CHEYENNE 41.15N 104.79W
05/23/2008 LARAMIE WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
LOCATED AT EXIT 394 INTERSTATE 80, OR, 30 MILES EAST OF
CHEYENNE.
0440 PM HEAVY RAIN BURNS 41.19N 104.36W
05/23/2008 E0.00 INCH LARAMIE WY TRAINED SPOTTER
0505 PM HAIL 10 NE BURNS 41.29N 104.22W
05/23/2008 M0.50 INCH LARAMIE WY TRAINED SPOTTER
HEAVY RAIN TOO.
0514 PM TORNADO PINE BLUFFS 41.18N 104.07W
05/23/2008 LARAMIE WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
NORTH OF PINE BLUFFS ON HWY 206
0525 PM FLOOD BURNS 41.19N 104.36W
05/23/2008 LARAMIE WY FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
LOW AREAS FLOODED. COUNTY ROADS 149 AND 212 ALSO.
0540 PM TORNADO 8 S LA GRANGE 41.52N 104.16W
05/23/2008 LARAMIE WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
ALSO SEVERAL FUNNELS REPORTED.
&&
BCHAPMANThe Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:09 UTC.
1 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Tornado tracked a short distance over open country.
Hail reported from 1.0 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2008Warnings in Nebraska, May 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: 90687, 90688.