Nebraska, 2008

High Wind in Nebraska, October 26, 2008

October 26, 2008 · NWS GID · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

A surface cold front passed through the Central Plains during the overnight hours of the 25th and into the morning hours of the 26th, bringing strong northwesterly winds to the region. Strong high pressure building south from Montana created a tight pressure gradient, bringing sustained winds of over 40 mph and gusts near 60 mph across portions of south central Nebraska during the afternoon…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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
$22,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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 GID wrote it up.

A surface cold front passed through the Central Plains during the overnight hours of the 25th and into the morning hours of the 26th, bringing strong northwesterly winds to the region. Strong high pressure building south from Montana created a tight pressure gradient, bringing sustained winds of over 40 mph and gusts near 60 mph across portions of south central Nebraska during the afternoon hours of the 26th. These winds blew around construction barricades and signs, and caused scattered temporary losses of power.

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 26, 11:47 AM CST, 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 26, 11:47 AM CST, 13 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 26, 8:56 AM CST, 3 hours 4 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Valley

When
October 26, 12:00 PM CST to 2:00 PM CST
Where
Valley forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.567, -98.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sherman

When
October 26, 1:30 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Sherman forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
41.221, -98.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Greeley

When
October 26, 1:30 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Greeley forecast zone
Measured
54 kt (62 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.567, -98.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Estimated based on neighboring automated stations.

High Wind, Howard

When
October 26, 1:30 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Howard forecast zone
Measured
54 kt (62 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.220, -98.517 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Estimated based on neighboring automated stations.

High Wind, Hall

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Hall forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.873, -98.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Merrick

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Merrick forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.170, -98.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Estimated based on neighboring automated stations.

High Wind, Nance

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Nance forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.397, -97.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Estimated based on neighboring automated stations.

High Wind, Adams

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Adams forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) measured sustained
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.525, -98.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hamilton

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Measured
53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.874, -98.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, York

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
York forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
40.873, -97.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Polk

When
October 26, 2:00 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.187, -97.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Estimated based on neighboring automated stations.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 137328, 137329, 137330, 137331, 137332, 137333, 137334, 137335, 137336, 137337, 137338.