Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 31, 2009

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 31, 2009
Start: 2009-07-31T16:31
End: 2009-07-31T18:57
Location: Nebraska

July 31, 2009 · NWS LBF · 13 events in 6 counties and zones

A cold front sweeping southeast across the area help produce thunderstorms during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Large hail and gusty winds were associated with the storms.

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: $60,000
Crop damage: $80,000
Events: 13

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 LBF wrote it up.

A cold front sweeping southeast across the area help produce thunderstorms during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Large hail and gusty winds were associated with the storms.

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 31, 1:58 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 1:58 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
258 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009

.DISCUSSION...
COLD FRONT JUST NOW MAKING IT/S WAY INTO NORTHWEST NEBRASKA...WITH
TOWERING CU INVOF OF THE FRONT. BETTER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RESIDES
JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THIS AREA ACROSS SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL
NEBRASKA. EXPECT THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP SHORTLY ACROSS NORTHWEST
NEBRASKA...AND THEN INTENSIFY AS THEY MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE BETTER
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. SHEAR PROFILES INCREASE BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA...AND WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE
CONTINUING TO INCREASE /DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S/
EXPECT A FEW OF THE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WIND. FRONT AND STORMS SHOULD HAVE EXITED ALL OF THE AREA
BY 06Z SATURDAY...WITH DRY AND COOL AIR FILTERING IN BEHIND THE
FRONT. THIS DRY AND COOL AIR SHOULD LEAD TO A NICE DAY
SATURDAY...ALTHOUGH WINDS COULD GUST UP TO 20 MPH AT TIMES FROM THE
NORTHWEST. HIGHS SHOULD REACH THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. HIGH
PRESSURE CENTER OVER THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT...SO CLEAR...CALM...AND
COOL CONDITIONS EXPECTED. SUNDAY...SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING SOME
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BACK INTO THE AREA...AND ALSO WARMER TEMPS. A
COLD FRONT WILL MAKE IT/S WAY INTO THE AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON...WITH
TEMPS INTO THE 90S FOR NEARLY ALL LOCATIONS AHEAD OF THE FRONT.
SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE EASTERN PARTS OF THE AREA
BY LATE AFTERNOON AND NIGHT WERE THE BETTER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
RESIDE...ALONG WITH THE COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH. MODELS HAVE COME
INTO BETTER AGREEMENT NEXT WEEK...AND APPEARS AS IF THE HUDSON BAY
LOW WILL WEAKEN SOME...AND A TROUGH/UPPER LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE
WESTERN CONUS. THIS SPELLS WARMER WEATHER FOR OUR PART OF THE
COUNTRY. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL INCREASE SOME AS WELL...AND THIS
COULD LEAD TO SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND NIGHTTIME THUNDERSTORMS.
APPEARS BEST CHANCES WILL COME DURING MID WEEK...AS THE TROUGH
OUT WEST EJECTS SOME UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES EAST ACROSS THE
AREA.
&&

.AVIATION...
VISUAL FLIGHT RULES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY. MODELS ARE IN
FAIR AGREEMENT WITH THE COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NORTHWEST NEB WILL
EXIT WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEB BY 03Z. CUMULUS FIELDS ARE
FORMING WITH PEAK HEATING OF THE DAY WITH ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THAT MAY DROP CEILINGS BRIEFLY TO NEAR
MARGINAL VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. THESE STORMS WILL PASS QUICKLY WITH
BRIEF MENTION IN KLBF AND KVTN TAFS. WINDS MAY BE PROBLEMATIC WITH
CONVECTION WITH ACTIVE WEATHER TO MOVE SOUTHEAST BEYOND 03Z THEN
VISUAL FLIGHT RULES THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD FOR AREA TERMINALS.

&&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.
&&

DISCUSSION...TAYLOR
AVIATION...KECK

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 2:06 PM CST, 2 hours 25 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
306 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-010615-
SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-KEYA PAHA-BOYD-BROWN-ROCK-HOLT-GARDEN-
GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-BLAINE-LOUP-GARFIELD-WHEELER-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON-
LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER-
WESTERN CHERRY-
306 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2009 /206 PM MDT FRI JUL 31 2009/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE EVENING.
THE GREATEST RISK WILL EXTEND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CHAPPELL IN
DEUEL COUNTY...TO BROWNLEE IN CHERRY COUNTY....TO AINSWORTH IN
BROWN COUNTY...TP ONEILL AND EWING IN HOLT COUNTY. A COLD FRONT
WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA WITH
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP...SOME OF WHICH
MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AFTER
9 PM CDT...THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL END AS THE COLD
FRONT PUSHES SOUTHEAST.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK
AREA SUNDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. AT THIS TIME...NO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED.

&&

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...
HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE

KECK

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Blaine

When: July 31, 4:31 PM CST
Where: Blaine County, 0.69 mi N of Brewster
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.940, -99.870

Hail, Chase

When: July 31, 3:31 PM MST
Where: Chase County, 4.65 mi NNW of Lamar to 2.27 mi ESE of Lamar
Measured: 1.5 in hail
Property damage: $10,000
Crop damage: $80,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.630, -102.010

The large hail destroyed corn crops in the area.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chase

When: July 31, 3:31 PM MST
Where: Chase County, 4.65 mi NNW of Lamar
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.630, -102.010

Thunderstorms produced very strong wind gusts.

Hail, Holt

When: July 31, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Holt County, 3.77 mi NW of Amelia
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 42.270, -98.950

Hail, Custer

When: July 31, 5:38 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 3.17 mi NNW of Merna
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.520, -99.800

Hail, Custer

When: July 31, 5:40 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 3.49 mi N of Merna
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.530, -99.760

Hail, Custer

When: July 31, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 3.4 mi WNW of (Bbw)broken Bow Arpt
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.450, -99.690

Thunderstorm Wind, Custer

When: July 31, 5:50 PM CST to 5:56 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 3.38 mi NW of (Bbw)broken Bow Arpt to 0.92 mi WNW of (Bbw)broken Bow Arpt
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.463, -99.678

The automated observing system at the Broken Bow airport reported a thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph.

Hail, Wheeler

When: July 31, 6:10 PM CST
Where: Wheeler County, 5.49 mi NW of Bartlett
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.940, -98.620

Hail, Custer

When: July 31, 6:35 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 5.81 mi SE of Callaway
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.250, -99.840

Hail, Custer

When: July 31, 6:38 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 5.62 mi N of Oconto
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.230, -99.760

Hail, Custer

When: July 31, 6:53 PM CST
Where: Custer County, 1.25 mi ESE of Oconto
Measured: 1.75 in hail
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.140, -99.760

Thunderstorm Wind, Frontier

When: July 31, 6:57 PM CST
Where: Frontier County, 8.69 mi NNE of Hugh Butler Lake
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 40.480, -100.620

The strong winds rattled windows.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, July 2009

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: 187590, 187591, 187596, 187592, 187593, 187594, 187595, 187597, 187598, 187599, 187600, 187601, 187602.