A stalled surface boundary draped through the region, aided later by an increasing low level jet, provided a focus for the development of thunderstorms across South Central Nebraska. Warmer air aloft kept southern areas capped, with activity generally confined to areas along and north of Highway 6, and west of Highway 183.
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 stalled surface boundary draped through the region, aided later by an increasing low level jet, provided a focus for the development of thunderstorms across South Central Nebraska. Warmer air aloft kept southern areas capped, with activity generally confined to areas along and north of Highway 6, and west of Highway 183. Decent shear and instability allowed for thunderstorms to become strong to severe, and along with numerous reports of hail to the size of quarters and larger, wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph were also reported. The hardest hit area was across eastern Buffalo County and western Hall County. Along with thousands of acres of crops being damaged or destroyed in this area, the town of Shelton was also affected by the strongest winds. Damage reports included a metal building and billboard being destroyed, as well as trees and power lines knocked down. There were many other reports across the area of damage to homes and vehicles caused by the 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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 5, 8:19 PM CST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 919 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009 .UPDATE...QUICK UPDATE TO INCREASE COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TONIGHT. EXPECT LOW LEVEL JET TO FIRE STORMS...AND SEEMINGLY DOING SO AT THIS TIME NEAR KEARNEY. EVENING MODEL RUNS HAVE FINALLY HIT ON THIS A LITTLE BETTER...WITH MOST LIKELY SCENARIO FOR CONVECTION NORTHEAST OF AN ELWOOD...TO FRANKLIN...TO BELOIT LINE. THAT FAVORS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE HASTINGS CWFA...WITH THE SOUTHWEST/SOUTH PORTIONS EXPECTED TO HAVE LESS COVERAGE AS WARM MID LEVEL SURGES NORTHEAST. CONVECTION WILL BE MAINLY ELEVATED IN NATURE WITH HAIL THE MAIN RISK...PER RECENT HAZARDOUS WEATHER PRODUCT ISSUED. MUCH OF THE CONVECTION SHOULD BE OFF INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA BY DAWN SATURDAY. ONE NOTE ABOUT SATURDAY EVENING SEVERE WEATHER RISK...IT HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE CONDITIONAL IN NATURE...BASED UPON STRONG CAP DEPICTED IN THE MID LEVELS. EVENING NAM SUGGESTS ONLY THE FAR SOUTHEAST CORNER OF OUR CWFA WILL BE AHEAD OF SURFACE BOUNDARY...BUT ALSO NEARER THE CAPPED REGION. CERTAINLY A SITUATION TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON...BUT ALSO ONE TO LOOK AT BOTH THE REASONS FOR AND AGAINST CONVECTION FORMING. STAY TUNED. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 708 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009/ AVIATION...00Z TAF. VFR CONDITIONS THE EVENING HOURS WILL GIVE WAY TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE GRAND ISLAND AREA OVERNIGHT AS LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES AND ELEVATED CONVECTION DEVELOPS. MUCH OF THAT CONVECTION WILL PUSH EAST OF THE KGRI AREA BY DAWN SATURDAY...BUT SOME MID LEVEL CEILINGS MAY LINGER. GENERALLY SPEAKING...MVFR CIG/VSBY ISSUES WILL BE LIMITED TO SHORT PERIOD DURING THIS FORECAST CYCLE...AND MAINLY OVERNIGHT NEAR STORMS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 328 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009/ SHORT TERM...NOW THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY. THE BIG CHALLENGE CONTINUES TO BE TIMING AND CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. COLD FRONT IS JUST NORTH OF THE CWA AND STILL HEADING SOUTH. SOME CU HAVE FORMED ALONG THIS BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON BUT INSTABILITY IS LACKING. LEFT A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN THIS AFTERNOON FAR NORTH...BUT NOT TOO LIKELY. HIGH PLAINS CONVECTION IS STILL EXPECTED TO ERUPT THIS AFTERNOON ALONG THE LEE TROUGH WITH PLENTY OF INSTABILITY AND SHEAR TO WORK WITH. THIS CONVECTION WILL ROLL EAST AND WILL BE MAINTAINED WITH THE HELP OF A VERY HEALTHY LOW-LEVEL JET TONIGHT. THE NOSE OF THE JET WILL MOST LIKELY BE ON THE NEBRASKA SIDE AND THE CONVERGENCE WILL HELP MORE ELEVATED CONVECTION TO DEVELOP. THINK THAT CONVECTION SHOULD PRETTY MUCH ALL BE ELEVATED BY THE TIME IT ARRIVES TONIGHT AND SHOULD BE IN THE FORM OF AN MCS OR TWO. THE BOUNDARY SHOULD BE LEFT BEHIND AND DRAPED SOMEWHERE ACROSS OUR CWA. MORE CONVECTION COULD FIRE NEAR THIS BOUNDARY ONCE AGAIN IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH SHEAR AND INSTABILITY TO GET SOME SEVERE STORMS GOING ONCE AGAIN. A VERY NICE LOW-LEVEL JET SHOULD FORM SATURDAY NIGHT TO THE SOUTH AND EAST AND WILL HELP KEEP STORMS GOING IN THE EAST AND THINK THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL LARGELY BE OVER FOR US BY LATE EVENING AND WOULD MOVE EAST. FOR TEMPERATURES...THINK THERE WILL BE A SHARP CONTRAST NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY TO THE WARM SECTOR ON SATURDAY. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL GIVE US LOW TO MID 90S IN THE SOUTHERN CWA WITH ANOTHER GOOD GRADIENT GOING FOR SATURDAY NIGHT WITH COOLER AIR WORKING IN FROM THE NORTH BEHIND THE FRONT. LONG TERM...12Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD PRESENT THE MAIN CHALLENGE. WILL SEE ONE MORE DAY OF AT LEAST THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS SUNDAY...THAT IS IF STORMS ARE ABLE TO INITIATE IN THE WARM SECTOR...BEFORE THE BOUNDARY FINALLY CLEARS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT...CLEARING OUT THE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY. UPPER TROUGH MAKES SLOW PROGRESS TO THE EAST/NORTHEAST OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL ROCKIES ON SUNDAY...KEEPING A SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT IN PLACE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SURFACE LOW IS POSITIONED OVER WESTERN KS...WITH WARM FRONT EXTENDING NORTHEAST THROUGH THE SOUTHEASTERN CWA. CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF A FEW ELEVATED SHOWERS OR WEAK THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF OR SO OF THE CWA IN AN AREA OF H85 THETA-E ADVECTION NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY. MODERATE INSTABILITY THEN DEVELOPS SOUTHEAST OF THE BOUNDARY DURING THE AFTERNOON...ROUGHLY SOUTHEAST OF A YORK TO PHILLIPSBURG LINE AS MOISTURE POOLS NEAR THE BOUNDARY AND TEMPS CLIMB INTO THE 80S TO NEAR 90F. THIS INSTABILITY ALONG WITH MORE THAN SUFFICIENT DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 40-45 KTS WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF SOME SEVERE STORMS IF CONVECTION IS ABLE TO DEVELOP IN THIS AREA. HOWEVER...MODELS SHOW STRONG CAPPING IN THE WARM SECTOR WHICH WILL LIMIT CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT OR AT LEAST STORM COVERAGE IN THIS MORE FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR STRONG TO SEVERE CONVECTION. THUS WILL KEEP POPS FAIRLY LOW...BUT CONTINUE TO MENTION SEVERE POTENTIAL IN THE HWO FOR ANY STORMS THAT ARE ABLE TO DEVELOP. THE BETTER CHANCES FOR CONVECTION WILL LIKELY BE FOUND NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY WHERE CIN WILL BE MUCH WEAKER...WITH THE BETTER CHANCES HOLDING OFF UNTIL EVENING AS UPPER ENERGY WITH THE TROUGH PIVOTS INTO THE AREA. THIS UPPER ENERGY WILL SUPPORT PRETTY GOOD RAIN CHANCES SUNDAY EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AND FINALLY PUSH A COLD FRONT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CWA SUNDAY NIGHT...SHOVING THE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY SOUTH. WILL SEE A STRONG TEMPERATURE GRADIENT ON SUNDAY WITH THE FRONT DRAPED OVER THE AREA...MAKING FOR A TRICKY FORECAST. WILL AIM HIGHS FROM THE UPPER 60S NORTHWEST TO NEAR 90F SOUTHEAST. THE PRECIP SHOULD PUSH EAST OF THE CWA BY MONDAY MORNING...WITH SUBSIDENCE AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING IN BEHIND THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. THE SURFACE FRONT STALLS AS IT MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...AND THIS STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS DRAPED OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH NEXT WEEK. THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC PATTERN FOR MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OF NEXT WEEK FEATURES A LARGELY ZONAL/PROGRESSIVE FLOW ALOFT...WITH OCCASIONAL SHORTWAVES RIDING THROUGH THE FLOW. BROAD SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE NORTH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED STALLED SURFACE FRONT WILL ALSO LEAD TO DIURNAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT OVER THE HIGH PLAINS WHICH MAY WORK EAST WITH THE AID OF OCCASIONAL NOCTURNAL LLJ SUPPORT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT TIMING OF CONVECTION IS DIFFICULT TO NAIL DOWN AT THIS RANGE...BUT THERE WILL BE OCCASIONAL RAIN CHANCES GIVEN THE PROGGED SHORTWAVES AND HIGH PLAINS CONVECTION IN UPSLOPE REGIME MOVING EAST. THUS INTRODUCED POPS IN SEVERAL PERIODS DURING THIS TIMEFRAME. KEPT THEM LOW DUE TO LOW PREDICTABILITY WITH TIMING/PLACEMENT AT THIS RANGE...BUT WANTED TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME RAIN CHANCES DURING THIS TIMEFRAME AND WE/RE NOT LOOKING AT A TOTALLY DRY PERIOD COMING UP. BELOW AVERAGE TEMPS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE WORK WEEK...WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 70S. MONDAY LOOKS TO BE THE COOLEST DAY WITH A LITTLE REBOUND THEREAFTER. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 839 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 061200- 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- 839 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS PARTS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA BETWEEN 10 PM AND 1 AM TONIGHT...AND INCREASE IN COVERAGE OVERNIGHT. SOME STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY...WITH THE MORE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE MOST INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD OCCUR BETWEEN 10 PM AND 4 AM. THE MAIN HAZARD WILL BE HAIL TO THE SIZE OF QUARTERS OR HALF DOLLARS. WINDS GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH IS POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE MORE ISOLATED FURTHER SOUTH ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE DIMINISHING OR MOVING EAST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA BY DAWN SATURDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. ON SATURDAY...IT APPEARS THE FOCUSED RISK AREA IS MOST LIKELY EAST AND SOUTH OF THE GRAND ISLAND AND HASTINGS AREAS...BETWEEN 4 PM AND 9 PM. LATER FORECASTS WILL REFINE THE HAZARDS AND RISK AREA. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SOME THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXISTS LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT ALONG AND EAST OF A YORK NEBRASKA TO PHILLIPSBURG KANSAS LINE. PERIODIC THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS... MAINLY FOR REPORTS OF HAIL. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
948 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009
NEZ046>048-060>063-060330-
BUFFALO-DAWSON-HALL-HAMILTON-HOWARD-MERRICK-SHERMAN-
948 PM CDT FRI JUN 5 2009
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR...
SOUTHERN HOWARD COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA
SOUTHWESTERN MERRICK COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA
SOUTHERN SHERMAN COUNTY IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA
NORTHERN BUFFALO COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
NORTHEASTERN DAWSON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
HALL COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
THIS INCLUDES THE CITY OF GRAND ISLAND.
NORTHERN HAMILTON COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
AT 946 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTH OF
MILLER TO DONIPHAN...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF STORMS INCLUDE...
PLEASANTON...
POOLE...
ALDA...
RAVENNA...
HAZARD...
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 80 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 300 AND 324.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE...OR A WARNING IS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE.
LAT...LON 4095 9787 4070 9839 4102 9963 4105 9954
4105 9921 4119 9920 4127 9902
TIME...MOT...LOC 0247Z 241DEG 24KT 4103 9941 4074 9842
PFANNKUCHThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:13 UTC.
17 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gusts estimated at 50 mph were also reported.
Wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph were reported. Reports included damage to power lines and transformers, large branches down, metal building and billboard destroyed.
Golf ball hail reported with a depth of 2 inches at times.
Quarter to hen egg size hail was reported.
Penny to nickel size hail was reported.
Nickel to golf ball size hail was reported, along with wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Golf ball to hen egg size hail was reported.
Tree limbs 4 to 6 inches in diameter knocked down in town.
Dime to nickel size hail was reported.
Damage reported included destoyed garage doors, large tree branches knocked down, and 3 irrigation pivots overturned.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, June 2009
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: 181809, 181734, 181735, 181741, 181743, 181747, 181749, 181750, 181754, 181758, 181762, 181763, 181765, 181771, 181773, 181774, 181778, 181779, 181781, 181787.