A strengthening surface low pressure system over eastern Wyoming brought increasing winds to the area during the morning hours, which then continued to increase as the low shifted to the east. Once the sun came up, the impact of mixing down stronger winds aloft brought numerous wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph, with one report of a 59 mph reported by the AWOS in Lexington.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 strengthening surface low pressure system over eastern Wyoming brought increasing winds to the area during the morning hours, which then continued to increase as the low shifted to the east. Once the sun came up, the impact of mixing down stronger winds aloft brought numerous wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph, with one report of a 59 mph reported by the AWOS in Lexington. These gusty winds knocked down tree branches into power lines, causing power outages, and one home also reported damage to a vehicle and boat.
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 Apr 13, 2:37 PM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
337 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FOCUS IS ON INTENSE
SOUTH WINDS THE FIRST PART OF TONIGHT...FOLLOWED BY THUNDERSTORM
CHANCES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALED THE UPPER
LOW PRESSURE CENTER WAS LOCATED IN NW WY/SW MT EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE WAS CENTERED IN NORTHWEST
SOUTH DAKOTA AND ALSO IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. AHEAD OF THE
SYSTEM...A VERY TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT WAS IN PLACE ACROSS OUR
REGION. SOUTH WIND SPEEDS WERE ON THE ORDER OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH
GUSTS OF 45 TO JUST OVER 50 MPH EARLY THIS AFTN. FORECAST SOUNDINGS
INDICATE MIXING TO AROUND 740MB WITH PLACES WIND SPEEDS AT THE TOP
OF THE LAYER AT AROUND 50KTS BY LATE AFTN. GIVEN THE MODEL
PROGS...ANTICIPATE SOME 50 MPH OR SO WIND GUSTS IN THE NEXT FEW
HOURS. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG INTO THE EVENING IN THE TIGHT SFC
GRADIENT AND AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHING EAST OF
THE HIGH PLAINS. WIND SPEEDS WILL SLACKEN WITH THE APPROACH OF THE
BOUNDARY...GENERALLY AROUND 03-04Z IN OUR WESTERN CWA AND TOWARD
OR AFTER DAYBREAK IN THE SOUTHEAST. OUR CURRENT WIND ADVISORY IS
IN EFFECT UNTIL 03Z AND THIS TIMING STILL LOOKS ON TRACK
ATTM...AND SOME AREAS IN OUR WEST MAY GUST NEAR HIGH WIND WARNING
AT TIMES.
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED ALONG THE FRONTAL COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY
IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND NORTHEAST COLORADO. LAPS DATA AND
OPERATIONAL MODELS INDICATE THE MAIN INSTABILITY AXIS IS CONFINED TO
THE HIGH PLAINS AND WESTERN NEBRASKA/KANSAS...WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY
OF INSTABILITY ACROSS OUR CWA. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS IS ACROSS OUR
FAR WESTERN NEBRASKA COUNTIES ATTM WHERE LAPS INDICATES SFC BASED
CAPES BETWEEN 400 AND 600 J/KG. THE FRONT IS PROGGED TO REACH OUR
WESTERN CWA AROUND 03-04Z WEDNESDAY AND INSTABILITY PROGS RAPIDLY
DECREASE AFTER SUNSET. THE NAM SUGGEST THERE MAY BE SOME ELEVATED
MU CAPES AROUND A COUPLE HUNDRED J/KG AFTER 06Z. GIVEN THE
DIMINISHING INSTABILITY...DO NOT REALLY ANTICIPATE MUCH IN THE WAY
OF SEVERE WEATHER UNLESS FRONTAL TIMING CAN SPEED UP. HOWEVER WITH
THE TSTM WATCH ALONG OUR WESTERN BORDER AND SOME INSTABILITY IN
OUR FAR WEST...WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION AN OUTSIDE CHC FOR A
STRONG/SEVERE STORM EARLY TONIGHT BEFORE INSTABILITY REALLY DROPS
OFF. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AVERAGE THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH
TO JUST OVER AN INCH AND AS THE FRONT SLOWS ACROSS OUR CWA...SOME
DECENT RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE.
ON WEDNESDAY THE FRONT WILL SAG A LITTLE FARTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST
DURING THE MORNING BUT WILL ESSENTIALLY STALL ACROSS OUR SOUTHEAST
CWA DURING THE DAY. CHCS FOR TSTMS WILL CONTINUE DURING THE DAY IN
THE PRESENCE OF FRONTOGENESIS BETWEEN H85 AND H7. INSTABILITY PROGS
ARE ALSO BETTER ON WEDNESDAY AS MOISTURE POOLS ALONG THE BOUNDARY
AND CAPES ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO AROUND 800 J/KG. SHEAR VALUES
ARE AROUND 30KTS ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND BASED ON FRONTAL LOCATION
AND PROGGED PARAMETERS...CHC FOR STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE.
THE FRONT BEGINS TO WORK ITS WAY NORTH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT AND
THE LLVL JET STRENGTHENS TO AROUND 40KTS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. TSTM CHCS
CONTINUE WITH THE BOUNDARY IN THE AREA AND PRESENCE OF FORCING.
REGARDING TEMPS...LOWS WILL MAINLY AVERAGE IN THE 50S WITH HIGHS
WEDNESDAY RIGHT AROUND THE 70 DEGREE MARK.
.LONG TERM...STARTING 12Z THURSDAY. PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS CENTER UPON SHOWER
AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. OPERATIONAL GFS AND EC BOTH INDICATE THE
SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE CWA THURSDAY. KEPT THUNDER
MENTION FOR THE ENTIRE AREA DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...HOWEVER
INSTABILITY SHOULD DECREASE RAPIDLY POST FROPA...THUS HAVE RELEGATED
THE BEST CHANCES FOR THUNDER ACROSS OUR SOUTH ON THURSDAY. THE
OPERATIONAL GFS IS MUCH MORE ROBUST WITH INSTABILITY ACROSS OUR
SOUTH AT MIDDAY THURSDAY...PRESENTING BETTER LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND
STEEPER LOW TO MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES RESULTING IN LOW LEVEL MLCAPE
VALUES NEAR 1000 J/KG AND MUCAPE VALUES NEAR 1700 J/KG. THE EC ON
THE OTHER HAND INDICATES DRIER LOW LEVELS WITH LOW TO MID LEVEL
LAPSE RATES MUCH LESS IMPRESSIVE AND PRESENTING NEXT TO NO
INSTABILITY. WITH SURFACE DEWPOINTS ALREADY NEAR 50 TODAY AND THE
GULF SUPPLYING DESCENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ADVECTION...HAVE TROUBLE
BELIEVING MOISTURE WILL REMAIN LIMITED AS THE EC INDICATES AND THUS
HAVE TO BELIEVE THERE IS AT LEAST A CHANCE FOR SOME HAIL SOUTH OF
I-80 THURSDAY NEAR OR AFTER MIDDAY. OBVIOUSLY ANY SEVERE WEATHER ON
THURSDAY WILL ALSO DEPEND GREATLY ON FRONTAL TIMING...SHOULD THE
BOUNDARY ACCELERATE AND CLEAR THE CWA BY LATE MORNING...THEN ANY
DESCENT THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL ALSO BE RELEGATED SOUTH OF OUR
AREA ON THURSDAY. GIVEN THESE UNCERTAINTIES WILL KEEP ANY SEVERE
WORDING OUT OF THE HWO FOR THURSDAY...BUT WILL NEED TO CONTINUE
MONITORING FOR UPDATES.
PRECIPITATION WILL CLEAR OUT OF THE AREA FRIDAY AS LOW TO MID LEVEL
FRONTOGENESIS BEHIND THE SURFACE FRONT ALSO PUSHES OFF TO THE
SOUTHEAST. SURFACE RIDGE GRAZES THE CWA TO THE EAST LATE FRIDAY INTO
SATURDAY...WITH RETURN FLOW THEN COMMENCING LATE SATURDAY INTO
SUNDAY. THE OPERATIONAL GFS ADVERTISES RAIN IN ASSOCIATION WITH
A COUPLE OF MID LEVEL DISTURBANCES SUNDAY AND THEN TUESDAY. BUT WITH
THE EC MAINTAINING AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE AREA SUNDAY...AND
GFS ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ALL OVER THE PLACE TUESDAY...WILL KEEP EARLY
NEXT WEEK DRY DUE TO UNCERTAINTY.
TEMPERATURES ARE BIT TRICKY ON THURSDAY...WITH AREAS AHEAD OF THE
FRONT CAPABLE OF CLIMBING WELL INTO THE 70S...AND AREAS
BEHIND THE FRONT STRUGGLING THROUGH THE 60S IN CLOUDS AND
PRECIPITATION. AGAIN...FRONTAL POSITION WILL PLAY THE BIGGEST ROLE
IN TEMPERATURES ON THURSDAY. A COOLER AIR MASS THEN PRESENTS ITSELF
POST FROPA FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH AFTERNOON HIGH
TEMPERATURES CLOSER TO CLIMO IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S AND OVERNIGHT
LOWS NEAR 40.
&&
.AVIATION...18Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS WILL ACCOMPANY STRONG SURFACE
WINDS TODAY. A STRENGTHENING LEE SIDE TROUGH ACROSS THE FRONT
RANGE WILL RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT
ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS
EVENING. IN ADDITION...PROXIMITY SOUNDINGS INDICATE AFTERNOON
MIXING TO ABOVE 800MB WHERE WINDS NEAR 50 KTS WILL BE WAITING.
ASSUMING FULL MIXING THIS AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH THE STRENGTHENING
PRESSURE GRADIENT...WILL LIKELY YIELD SUSTAINED SURFACE WINDS NEAR
30 KTS WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 KTS. SURFACE WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE SOME
POST SUNSET AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES AND THE LOW
LEVEL INVERSION SETTLES IN. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO CHANCES FOR
PRECIPITATION AS AFTERNOON CONVECTION OVER THE HIGH PLAINS DRIFTS
EASTWARD TOWARDS CENTRAL NEBRASKA. ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL
DECREASE RAPIDLY AS THIS ACTIVITY NEARS THE KGRI
TERMINAL...HOWEVER MAY STILL SEE A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES IN
ASSOCIATION WITH THIS SHOWER ACTIVITY. WILL MAINTAIN -SHRA IN THE
FORECAST...LIKELY IMPACTING THE TERMINAL AFTER 07Z. HAVE ALSO
MAINTAINED A PROB30 GROUP FOR POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.
CLOUD DECK AROUND 2500 FT AGL IS ANTICIPATED WITH THE
PRECIPITATION TONIGHT...THUS PROVIDING MVFR CONDITIONS TO THE KGRI
TERMINAL AFTER 07Z.
&&
.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ039>041-
046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087.
KS...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR KSZ005>007-
017>019.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 259 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 141200- 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- 259 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR SOUTH WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL REACH THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE OUTLOOK AREA AFTER 10 PM...THEN SPREAD EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. SOME STORMS WEST OF HIGHWAY 283 MAY BECOME SEVERE LATE THIS EVENING WITH WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND QUARTER SIZE HAIL POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED WEST OF HIGHWAY 283 AFTER 9 PM THIS EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
240 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 PM NON-TSTM WND GST KEARNEY 40.70N 99.08W
04/13/2010 M50 MPH BUFFALO NE AWOS
1210 PM NON-TSTM WND GST ORD 41.60N 98.93W
04/13/2010 M49 MPH VALLEY NE ASOS
1210 PM NON-TSTM WND GST LEXINGTON 40.78N 99.74W
04/13/2010 M49 MPH DAWSON NE AWOS
1210 PM NON-TSTM WND GST HOLDREGE 40.44N 99.38W
04/13/2010 M49 MPH PHELPS NE AWOS
0235 PM NON-TSTM WND GST GRAND ISLAND 40.92N 98.37W
04/13/2010 M47 MPH HALL NE ASOS
0159 PM NON-TSTM WND GST BELOIT 39.47N 98.11W
04/13/2010 M41 MPH MITCHELL KS AWOS
0216 PM NON-TSTM WND GST SMITH CENTER 39.78N 98.78W
04/13/2010 M45 MPH SMITH KS AWOS
&&
LEWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
315 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0130 PM NON-TSTM WND GST ORD 41.60N 98.93W
04/13/2010 M50.00 MPH VALLEY NE ASOS
0210 PM NON-TSTM WND GST LEXINGTON 40.78N 99.74W
04/13/2010 M49.00 MPH DAWSON NE AWOS
0230 PM NON-TSTM WND GST HOLDREGE 40.44N 99.38W
04/13/2010 M49.00 MPH PHELPS NE AWOS
&&
MREEDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
546 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0420 PM NON-TSTM WND GST GRAND ISLAND AIRPORT 40.97N 98.32W
04/13/2010 M52 MPH HALL NE ASOS
0354 PM NON-TSTM WND GST HASTINGS AIRPORT 40.60N 98.43W
04/13/2010 M44 MPH ADAMS NE ASOS
0455 PM NON-TSTM WND GST KEARNEY AIRPORT 40.73N 99.01W
04/13/2010 M51 MPH BUFFALO NE AWOS
0510 PM NON-TSTM WND GST LEXINGTON AIRPORT 40.79N 99.78W
04/13/2010 M49 MPH DAWSON NE AWOS
0353 PM NON-TSTM WND GST ORD AIRPORT 41.62N 98.95W
04/13/2010 M52 MPH VALLEY NE ASOS
&&
REEDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
556 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0540 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 8 S ELWOOD 40.47N 99.86W
04/13/2010 GOSPER NE CO-OP OBSERVER
PICKET FENCE IN YARD BLOWN OVER BY STRONG WINDS.
0535 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 4 N GRAND ISLAND 40.98N 98.37W
04/13/2010 HALL NE PUBLIC
SHINGLES BLOWN OFF OLDER STRUCTURE PER COMMUNITY
COLLABORATIVE RAIN HAIL AND SNOW COCORAHS OBSERVER
&&
REEDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
624 PM CDT TUE APR 13 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0550 PM NON-TSTM WND GST LEXINGTON AIRPORT 40.79N 99.78W
04/13/2010 M56 MPH DAWSON NE AWOS
&&
REEDThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Wind gust measured at Lexington AWOS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, April 2010
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: 220027.