Hail, Sheridan
- When
- July 4, 6:53 PM MST
- Where
- Sheridan County, 18 mi NNE of Ellsworth
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 42.311, -102.145
Hail and Damaging Wind in Nebraska, July 4, 2011
Thunderstorms formed along a surface trough in the eastern Nebraska Panhandle on the evening of July 4th. These storms tracked across northern Nebraska before lifting into southern South Dakota.
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
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 LBF wrote it up.
Thunderstorms formed along a surface trough in the eastern Nebraska Panhandle on the evening of July 4th. These storms tracked across northern Nebraska before lifting into southern South Dakota. Some of the storms were severe with large hail and damaging wind gusts.
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 4, 1:39 PM MST, 5 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 1:39 PM MST, 5 hours 14 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 339 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 .SYNOPSIS... H5 ANALYSIS FROM THIS MORNING...INDICATING A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE SRN GREAT LAKES SSWD INTO THE OZARKS. WV IMAGERY INDICATING NUMEROUS EMBEDDED WAVES ACROSS THE ROCKIES EXTENDING FROM AZ TO WY. AT THE SURFACE...A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDED FROM WEST OF SIDNEY TO EASTERN ND. EAST OF THIS FEATURE...WINDS WERE SERLY WITH DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 60S/LWR 70S. AFTERNOON READINGS WERE IN THE 80S EAST OF THE TROUGH...WITH SOME 90S NOTED WEST OF THIS FEATURE. .DISCUSSION... NEAR TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...MAIN FORECASTING CHALLENGE IS TSRA CHANCES/FRONTAL TIMING OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS. FOR TONIGHT...ONGOING FORECAST GENERALLY ON TRACK WITH THE BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN THE NORTHERN CWA. AS OF 230 PM CDT...SOME TSRA INITIATION IS TAKING PLACE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF EASTERN WYOMING NORTH AND WEST OF CHEYENNE. STEERING WINDS ARE FAIRLY SLOW THIS AFTERNOON...SO CONVECTION OVR ERN WYOMING STILL A LONG WAY FROM MOVG INTO THE LBF CWA. BASED ON THE LOCATION AND FORWARD SPEED OF THE EASTERNMOST CELLS...ACTIVITY SHOULD STAY OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA UNTIL 00Z. THOUGH NOT HIGHLY PROBABLE AT THIS JUNCTURE...ANY STORMS WHICH DE DEVELOP IN THE CWA ARE EXPECTED TO GO UP ACROSS THE CENTRAL PANHANDLE...WHERE LOW LEVEL SURFACE CONVERGENCE IS PRESENT ...BULK SHEAR IS 30 TO 40 KTS SO SOME SUPERCELLS ARE POSSIBLE...PARTICULARLY OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL CWA THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND GIVEN THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THUNDERSTORMS...HEAVY RAIN MAY BE A FACTOR THIS EVENING AS WELL. MAIN AREA OF CONCERN ATTM IS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2 FROM ANTIOCH TO DUNNING...AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 97 FROM DUNNING TO ERICSON. SOUTH OF THIS LINE...CAP STRENGTH INCREASES...SHEAR WEAKENS...AND AVAILABLE CAPE DECREASES QUICKLY...SO SEVERE THREAT IS MUCH LOWER. HOWEVER...STILL CANT IGNORE THE LOW LEVEL JET LATER TONIGHT WHICH EXTENDS ACROSS THE WESTERN CWA OVERNIGHT. WITH THIS IN MIND...WILL RETAIN LOW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. FOR TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SLIDE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA...SHIFTING THE FOCUS FOR TSRA DEVELOPMENT AND THE THREAT FOR SEVERE STORMS SOUTH AND EAST. ATTM IT IS HARD TO DETERMINE WHERE AND HOW FAR SOUTH THE BOUNDARY WILL BE TOMORROW AFTERNOON BASED ON CONVECTION TONIGHT. BOTH THE GFS AND NAM SOLN HAVE THIS FRONT ALONG THE KANSAS/NEBR BORDER BY 00Z WEDS...WHICH WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR TSRA DEVELOPMENT IN OUR SRN CWA. MOISTURE...INSTABILITY AND SHEAR WILL BE PREVALENT ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH THE SEVERE THREAT CARRYING OVER TO TUESDAY EVENING. WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL PUSH SOUTH AND WEST OF THE AREA...GIVING US SOME QUIET CONDITIONS FOR WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE FRONT LIFTS EAST FOR THURSDAY...INCREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA THURSDAY NIGHT. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY...NORTHERN STREAM WILL REMAIN ACTIVE ACROSS THE NRN CONUS/SRN CANADA DURING THE PERIOD WITH HIGH PRESSURE ANCHORED OVER THE SRN PLAINS. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL TRACK ALONG THE US/CANADIAN BORDER SATURDAY...FORCING A FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO NRN NEBRASKA. DECIDED TO INCREASE POP CHANCES FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...MAINLY OVER NORTHERN NEBRASKA...AS THIS FEATURE IS PROGGED TO MEANDER ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS BEFORE LIFTING NORTH ON MONDAY. AS FOR TEMPERATURES...TRENDED THEM TOWARD THE MEDIAN MEN GUIDANCE AS THE OPERATIONAL MEX GUIDANCE WAS ON THE HIGH SIDE OF TEMPERATURES. THIS EQUATED TO UPPER 80S/AROUND 90 VERSUS THE MID 90S ADVERTISED BY THE OPERATIONAL MEX NUMBERS. && AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL EARLY IN THE TAF FORECAST PERIOD...FOLLOWED BY THE POTENTIAL FOR THUNDERSTORMS...THEN POSSIBLY MVFR OR LOWER CEILINGS. AS FOR THUNDER CHANCES...MODELS HAVE SLOWED THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION UNTIL LATER THIS EVENING WHEN FORCING INCREASES WITH THE ARRIVAL OF BOTH A COLD FRONT AND THE INFLUENCE OF A MID LEVEL PASSING WAVE. THE MODEL SOLUTIONS ALSO AGREE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE STORMS WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER GIVEN THE PROXIMITY OF THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE/COLD FRONT COMBO AND MODERATE TO STRONG INSTABILITY WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERE TO THAT OF THE VTN TERMINAL...FELT THAT A PROB30 GROUP WAS NEEDED FOR THE POTENTIAL OF STORMS. FURTHER SOUTH AT THE LBF TERMINAL...THE ATMOSPHERE LOOKS TO REMAIN STRONGLY CAPPED GREATLY LIMITING STORM CHANCES. OTHERWISE STORMS SHOULD DEVELOP INTO A COMPLEX ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA...ALLOWING FOR THE POTENTIAL OF SHOWERS AND/OR STRATUS AT VTN. ONLY INCLUDED SCT020 AT 12Z FOR THE TERMINAL AS CONFIDENCE IS LOW...BUT FURTHER UPDATES MAY NEED TO CHANGE TO BKN OR OVC AND THUS INTRODUCE MVFR. FOR LBF...THERE ARE SUBTLE HINTS THAT LOW STRATUS OR EVEN FOG MAY RETURN TOMORROW MORNING. SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AND A MOIST BL WILL BE IN PLACE...SO FOG IS POSSIBLE. HOWEVER...THE FRONTAL TIMING...INFLUENCE FROM NORTHERN CONVECTION...AND SLIGHTLY STRONGER SURFACE WINDS COULD HAMPER FOG/STRATUS DEVELOPMENT. WITH LOWER CONFIDENCE...WILL SUGGEST SCT020 AT THE LBF TERMINAL FOR NOW...BUT THIS MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED FURTHER. && HYDROLOGY... THE NORTH PLATTE AND PLATTE RIVER BASINS CONTINUE TO SHOW A SLOW DOWNWARD TREND AS IRRIGATION DEMANDS INCREASE AND SNOW MELT SLOWS OVER THE SOURCE REGION OF THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER. IN RESPONSE...KINGSLEY DAM HAS DECREASED FLOWS OUT OF LAKE MCCONAUGHY SLIGHTLY. THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER AT LISCO HAS ALREADY LOWERED BELOW FLOOD STAGE...WITH THE PLATTE CHANNEL AT BRADY EXPECTED TO LOWER BELOW FLOOD STAGE EARLY THIS WEEK. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE AVIATION AND HYDROLOGY...JACOBS SYNOPSIS...NEAR AND LONG TERM...BUTTLER
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 1:41 PM MST, 5 hours 12 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 341 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-052045- 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- 341 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 /241 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHERN NEBRASKA LATE THIS EVENING ALONG A COLD FRONT ENTERING THE STATE. THE AREA OF CONCERN IS NORTH OF A LINE FROM O'NEILL TO ELLSWORTH. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP WILL BE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF WESTERN NEBRASKA ON TUESDAY ALONG A STALLED OUT FRONTAL BOUNDARY. AGAIN THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. IN ADDITION THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE A SLOW STORM MOVEMENT AND WITH ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE IN PLACE WILL BE CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAIN. AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL KEEP THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FORECAST OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. AT THIS TIME NO WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT PLEASE RELAY ANY SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH PLATTE. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER... HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE JACOBS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:04 PM MST, 1 hour 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 704 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 NEZ094-050045- WESTERN CHERRY NE- 604 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN CHERRY COUNTY UNTIL 645 PM MDT... AT 603 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF HIGHWAY 61 CROSSING THE NIOBRARA RIVER...OR 31 MILES EAST OF GORDON...MOVING EAST AT 5 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM... ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... ELI... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:28 PM MST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 728 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 NEZ004-022-050115- GARDEN NE-SHERIDAN NE- 628 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN SHERIDAN AND NORTHWESTERN GARDEN COUNTIES UNTIL 715 PM MDT... AT 626 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM ELLSWORTH TO 6 MILES SOUTH OF TRALNOR LAKE...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR... ELLSWORTH AROUND 640 PM MDT. KENNEDY LAKE AROUND 645 PM MDT. CRESCENT LAKE NWR AROUND 710 PM MDT. JERRY LAKE...BRITTON LAKE AND DEER LAKE AROUND 715 PM MDT. THESE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 6:20 PM MST, 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 820 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 NEZ004-050200- SHERIDAN NE- 720 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN SHERIDAN COUNTY UNTIL 800 PM MDT... AT 716 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LAKESIDE...OR 25 MILES EAST OF ALLIANCE... MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... ELLSWORTH AROUND 740 PM MDT. KENNEDY LAKE AROUND 745 PM MDT. THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. TAYLOR
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 6:28 PM MST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 828 PM CDT MON JUL 4 2011 NEZ094-050215- WESTERN CHERRY NE- 728 PM MDT MON JUL 4 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN CHERRY COUNTY UNTIL 815 PM MDT... AT 726 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF HIGHWAY 61 CROSSING THE SNAKE RIVER...OR 24 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GORDON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... HIGHWAY 61 CROSSING THE SNAKE RIVER AROUND 740 PM MDT. INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 61 AND SHADBOLT ROAD AROUND 800 PM MDT. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED ROADWAY. TAYLOR
The radar
The North Platte radar (KLNX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:53 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Sheridan
- When
- July 4, 6:53 PM MST
- Where
- Sheridan County, 24 mi NNE of Antioch
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 42.391, -102.400
Thunderstorm Wind, Hooker
- When
- July 4, 8:05 PM MST to 8:15 PM MST
- Where
- Hooker County, Mullen
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 42.050, -101.030
Thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 MPH was reported along with pea sized hail.
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
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Louisiana, July 4, 2011
- Tornadoes and Hail in North Dakota, July 4, 2011
- Wildfire in Texas, July 4 to 15, 2011
- Flash Flood and Hail in Arizona, July 4, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, July 4, 2011
- Flash Flood and Hail in Virginia, July 4, 2011
- Tornadoes and Hail in Minnesota, July 4, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, July 4 to 5, 2011
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in California, July 4 to 6, 2011
- Damaging Winds in West Virginia, July 4, 2011
- Flash Flood and Hail in Tennessee, July 4, 2011
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Texas, July 4, 2011
More
Every storm in Nebraska in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 310099, 310102, 310485.