Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, July 14, 2011

Name: Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, July 14, 2011
Start: 2011-07-14T15:55
End: 2011-07-14T16:22
Location: Nebraska

July 14, 2011 · NWS CYS · 3 events in 1 county or zone

A severe thunderstorm produced large hail and a brief tornado cloud in Banner County during the late afternoon.

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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 CYS wrote it up.

A severe thunderstorm produced large hail and a brief tornado cloud in Banner County during the late afternoon.

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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 14, 1:31 PM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 14, 1:31 PM MST, 2 hours 24 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
231 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...
CONVECTION STARTING TO FORM EARLY THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY OVER AND
NEAR THE SNOWY RANGE AND SOUTHERN LARAMIE RANGE.  THE ACTIVITY HAS
FORMED NEAR THE 250 MB JET SEGMENT CURRENTLY MOVING OVER WYOMING.
BETTER INSTABILITY AND CAPE VALUES CONTINUED TO BE OVER THE
SOUTHEAST THIRD OF THE CWA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ALONG AND EAST OF
A SURFACE TROUGH.  THE TROUGH WAS LOCATED NEAR THE EASTERN WYOMING
BORDER AT 19Z.  SOME OF THE STORMS IN THAT AREA WILL PRODUCE
HEAVY RAINFALL...HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS THROUGH THE EVENING.
THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM KCYS TO KSNY STILL
LOOKS GOOD WITH SOME HEAVY RAIN PRODUCERS PERHAPS ALSO SLIGHTLY
FURTHER NORTH OF THE WATCH AREA.  THE ACTIVITY WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN
BUT LINGER FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT OVER MAINLY THE SOUTHEAST THIRD OF
THE CWA.  THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN CHANGES LITTLE FOR THIS PART OF THE
FORECAST.  SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BE OVER THE CWA WITH THE AREA
BETWEEN THE PLAINS RIDGE AND THE WEST COAST TROUGH.  THE MID AND
UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE PLUME WILL REMAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST THIRD OF
HALF OF THE CWA THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.  THAT PART OF THE CWA WILL
CONTINUE TO SEE AT LEAST A SCATTERED COVERAGE OF AFTERNOON AND
EVENING STORMS DURING THAT PERIOD.  THE ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO
LINGER AND GRADUALLY DIMINISH EACH NIGHT.  MODELS SPREAD THE DRIER
BOUNDARY LAYER AIR CURRENTLY OVER THE WEST PART OF THE CWA FURTHER
EAST ON FRIDAY.  THAT LOOKS REASONABLE...BUT WILL INCREASE VALUES
SOME FROM MODEL GUIDANCE.  THE STORMS THAT FORM ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING SHOULD BE WEAKER DUE TO THE DRIER BOUNDARY LAYER AIR
OVER THE CWA.  TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARMER EACH DAY...WITH THE
WARMEST READINGS BEING ON SATURDAY AS HEIGHTS ALOFT CONTINUE TO
SLOWLY RISE.

.LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
ON SUNDAY THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH CENTERED OVER KS/NE WILL BEGIN TO
BUILD WEST AND INCREASE HEIGHTS INTO WY/WRN NEB. PAC COAST TROUGH
AND SW FLOW WILL INCREASE OVER WESTERN CWA WITH MARKED DECREASE IN
PW VALUES. WITH HIGH SHIFTING TOWARD WRN NEB AND DRIER FLOW...TSTMS
WILL LIKELY BE MORE LIMITED ON SUNDAY. ON MONDAY THE RIDGE CENTER
SHIFTS EAST AGAIN WITH MORE MONSOON MOISTURE TAP WORKING INTO
ELEVATED TERRAIN FOR AFTN CONVECTION. THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE INTO
TUE AS WEAK VORT FEATURES WORK AROUND THE HIGH CENTER TO AID
CONVECTION. ON WED THE UPPER FLOW SHIFTS MORE WSW TO SHIFT ACTIVITY
INTO NEB PANHANDLE. TEMPS THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL REMAIN IN THE 90S
TO TRIPLE DIGITS IN PANHANDLE AS 700MB TEMPS STAY IN THE +17C TO
+18C. MADE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO CURRENT FORECAST.

&&

.AVIATION...00Z TAF ISSUANCE...
VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD BE THE GENERAL RULE AT MOST TERMINALS THROUGH
A MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. HOWEVER...TSRA WILL BE LIKELY
ALONG AND EAST OF THE LARAMIE FOOTHILLS THROUGH 04Z AS LEE TROUGHING
CONTRIBUTES TO ENHANCED SURFACE CONVERGENCE. BRIEF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS
WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THAT TIME ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST
THIRD OF THE CWA. FAVORABLE INSTABILITY AND SHEAR SUGGESTS HAIL AND
WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 KTS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED WITH THE
STRONGEST CONVECTION. ISOLATED TSRA WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AT KSNY AND
KAIA THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
LIFTS NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS REMAIN LOW INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK. FUELS REMAIN WET FROM RECENT RAINS AND HAVE SLOWED THE CURING
OF THE GRASSES.  ADDITIONAL RAINS ARE ANTICIPATED FOR THIS SAME AREA
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FOR AREAS WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE...MINIMUM
RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL DIP INTO THE UPPER TEENS THROUGH SATURDAY
AS DRIER AIR WORKS IN. BREEZY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED EACH
AFTERNOON IN THAT PART OF THE CWA AS WELL...SO WOULD EXPECT BETTER
CURING OF AREA FUELS. MOISTURE VALUES WILL INCREASE WEST OF THE
LARAMIE RANGE BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK...AS THE
MONSOONAL MOISTURE PLUME MOVES WESTWARD OVER THE AREA.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE UPPER NORTH
PLATTE RIVER AT SARATOGA THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.  AREA RIVERS WILL
CONTINUE TO SLOWLY FALL THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY
RAIN IS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY TONIGHT FOR AREAS NEAR
THE CHEYENNE RIDGE EAST INTO KIMBALL AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES.  RECENT
HEAVY RAINS HAVE LEFT SOILS ACROSS THIS AREA SATURATED...SUCH THAT
ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL QUICKLY RUNOFF INTO AREA CREEKS AND
STREAMS.  SO...THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY TONIGHT FOR THE AREA FROM CHEYENNE TO SIDNEY.

&&

&&

.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 3 AM FRIDAY FOR WYZ118-WYZ119.
NE...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 3 AM FRIDAY FOR NEZ054-NEZ055.

&&

WEILAND/APFEL

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 14, 1:40 PM MST, 2 hours 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
240 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

WYZ101>119-151115-
CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY-
NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS-
SHIRLEY BASIN-CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY-
EAST PLATTE COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY-
NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY-
SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE-
LARAMIE VALLEY-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS-
CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY-
240 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WYOMING.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE SOUTHERN LARAMIE
RANGE AND THE CHEYENNE RIDGE AND MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST.  THE
ACTIVITY WILL BE FAIRLY WIDESPREAD THROUGH THIS EVENING TO THE SOUTH
OF A WHEATLAND TO TORRINGTON LINE. IN THAT AREA...SOME STORMS WILL
PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER...WITH HAIL TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND
GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE
HEAVY RAINFALL.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM
FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN LARAMIE COUNTY. THE REST OF SOUTHEAST
WYOMING CAN EXPECT ISOLATED AND WEAKER THUNDERSTORMS. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR LARAMIE COUNTY UNTIL 9 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY THROUGH
THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER SURGE OF SUBTROPICAL
MOISTURE PUSHES INTO THE AREA LATE IN THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING OVER THE SOUTHEAST WYOMING PLAINS.

&&

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND
CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE

NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-151115-
DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE-
NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX-
240 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA
PANHANDLE.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTH HALF OF THE PANHANDLE LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT. ALL OF THE
ACTIVITY WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST. IN THAT AREA...SOME STORMS WILL
PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER...WITH HAIL TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND
GUSTS TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...THE STORMS WILL PRODUCE
HEAVY RAINFALL.  A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM
FOR KIMBALL AND CHEYENNE COUNTIES. OVER THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE...
STORMS WILL BE LESS WIDESPREAD AND NOT AS STRONG. A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOE THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE UNTIL
9 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH A HIGHER CHANCE EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A
STRONG UPPER LEVEL HIGH MOVES EAST OF NEBRASKA.

IN ADDITION...HEAT INDICES NEAR 105 DEGREES ARE POSSIBLE THIS
WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HOT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES AND
HIGH HUMIDITIES DEVELOP OVER THE AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
TONIGHT.

&&

THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND
CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE

WEILAND

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 14, 2:57 PM MST, 58 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
357 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

NEZ020-WYZ116>119-150000-
BANNER-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS-
CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARRISBURG...VEDAUWOO...BUFORD...
PUMPKIN VINE...HORSE CREEK...HARRIMAN...WHITAKER...CHEYENNE...
BURNS...CARPENTER...ALBIN...PINE BLUFFS
357 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND NORTHERN LARAMIE COUNTY
INTO BANNER COUNTY ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE
GENERALLY NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. RAINFALL RATES UP TO 2 INCHES AN
HOUR HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE DUE TO THIS RAINFALL. A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR LARAMIE COUNTY THROUGH TONIGHT.

RE

Local storm report, Jul 14, 3:08 PM MST, 47 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
408 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     HAIL             BURNS                   41.19N 104.36W
07/14/2011  E1.00 INCH       LARAMIE            WY   EMERGENCY MNGR

            THE AVERAGE HAIL WAS NICHEL SIZE. THE LARGEST WAS HAIL
            QUARER SIZE AT 350 PM.

&&

DDEAL

Local storm report, Jul 14, 3:12 PM MST, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
412 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     HAIL             BURNS                   41.19N 104.36W
07/14/2011  E1.00 INCH       LARAMIE            WY   EMERGENCY MNGR

            THE AVERAGE HAIL WAS NICKEL SIZE. THE LARGEST WAS HAIL
            QUARTER SIZE AT 350 PM.

&&

DDEAL

Local storm report, Jul 14, 3:21 PM MST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
421 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0420 PM     HAIL             ALBIN                   41.42N 104.10W
07/14/2011  M1.00 INCH       LARAMIE            WY   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

MWEILAND

Local storm report, Jul 14, 3:37 PM MST, 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
437 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0410 PM     HAIL             16 NW PINE BLUFFS       41.34N 104.29W
07/14/2011  M0.75 INCH       LARAMIE            WY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ALSO .75 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN A SHORT TIME.

&&

MWEILAND

Local storm report, Jul 14, 3:55 PM MST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
455 PM MDT THU JUL 14 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0454 PM     HAIL             17 NW BUSHNELL          41.41N 104.12W
07/14/2011  E0.25 INCH       LARAMIE            WY   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ALSO HEAVY RAIN.

&&

MWEILAND

The radar

The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:55 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Funnel Cloud, Banner

When: July 14, 3:55 PM MST
Where: Banner County, 7.46 mi NE of Harrisburg
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 41.620, -103.640

Spotter also observed a rotating wall cloud.

Tornado, Banner

When: July 14, 4:10 PM MST to 4:12 PM MST
Where: Banner County, 16.96 mi NE of Harrisburg
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.1 mi
Path width: 20 yd
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.700, -103.490

The public reported a brief tornado touchdown on open range.

Hail, Banner

When: July 14, 4:22 PM MST
Where: Banner County, 16.96 mi NE of Harrisburg
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 41.700, -103.490

What these are

Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Nebraska, 2011 Warnings in Nebraska, July 2011

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: 312154, 312672, 312155.