Hail, Hitchcock
- When
- May 23, 5:46 PM CST
- Where
- Hitchcock County, 11.76 mi S of Trenton Arpt
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 40.010, -101.040
Hail in Nebraska, May 23, 2011
Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms developed across southwest Nebraska during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Several reports of large hail were received as the storms moved generally northeast.
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
- 2
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 GLD wrote it up.
Isolated strong to severe thunderstorms developed across southwest Nebraska during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Several reports of large hail were received as the storms moved generally northeast.
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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 23, 5:06 PM CST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 23, 5:06 PM CST, 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 506 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 .DISCUSSION... 259 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 EARLY AFTERNOON ANALYSIS OF IR IMAGERY/UPPER AIR DATA INDICATED MID/UPPER SHORTWAVE RIDGING OVER THE HIGH PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON WITH A BROAD MID/UPPER LOW CONTINUING TO TRANSLATE ONSHORE OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS NOTED OVER THE CENTRAL ROCKIES WHICH WAS HELPING TO TRIGGER THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION OVER THE WESTERN FRINGES OF THE GOODLAND FORECAST AREA. FORECAST FOCUS IS CENTERED ON INCREASING CHANCES FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY AS WELL AS HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70 THROUGH WEDNESDAY. AFOREMENTIONED SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL INDUCE LEE CYCLOGENESIS ACROSS SOUTHEAST COLORADO OVERNIGHT. STRONG H85 NOCTURNAL JET WITH FAVORABLE TRAJECTORIES WILL AID IN TRANSPORTING GULF MOISTURE RAPIDLY NORTHWARD OVERNIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN ADVECTION OF UPPER 50S/LOW 60S DEWPOINTS INTO THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE DAY TUESDAY. AS THE DAY PROGRESS...H7-H5 LAPSE RATES WILL STEEPEN TO 7-8 C/KM RESULTING IN SBCAPE VALUES PUSHING 2000 J/KG. BUFR POINT SOUNDINGS WOULD INDICATE SUB 1KM LCL VALUES. PER THE NAM...NARROW AXIS OF 0-1KM HELICITY VALUES OF 150-200 M^2/S^2 WHICH WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF TORNADOES GENERALLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM MCCOOK TO QUINTER. ADDITIONALLY...HEAVY RAIN IS A DEFINITE CONCERN AS MIXING RATIOS OF 12-14 G/KG WILL CONTINUE TO BE ADVECTED INTO THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHEAST. CURRENT FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE WOULD INDICATE ROUGHLY TWO INCHES OF PRECIP WOULD BE NEEDED OVER A SIX HOUR PERIOD TO GENERATE HYDRO CONCERNS. GIVEN LONGER DURATION OF THIS EVENT...WILL HOLD OFF ON HOISTING A FLOOD/FLASH FLOOD WATCH THOUGH IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME ONE BE TO HAVE LOCALIZED FLOODING ISSUES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PRECIP WILL COME TO AN END FROM WEST TO EAST WEDNESDAY AS THE MID/UPPER LOW DEEPENS AND CONTINUES TO SHIFT EASTWARD INTO EASTERN KANSAS. HOWEVER...STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE IN RESPONSE TO THE TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT. A WIND ADVISORY APPEARS HIGHLY LIKELY BUT WILL HOLD OFF FOR NOW GIVEN POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE CONVECTION TOMORROW. TEMPS WEDNESDAY WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE MID TO UPPER 50S ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA WHICH WILL RESULT IN A RAW DAY WHEN COMBINED WITH THE SHOWERS AND STRONG WINDS. MID/UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS ON THURSDAY ALLOWING TEMPS TO REBOUND TO NEAR CLIMO. QUICK MOVING SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL CAUSE THE RIDGE TO BREAK DOWN THURSDAY NIGHT AND WILL PROVIDE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRIMARILY OVER THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY. BROADER RIDGE BUILDS BACK IN FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AS ANOTHER MID/UPPER TROUGH BEGINS TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. WITH RIDGING IN PLACE...TEMPS WILL WARM INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S BY SUNDAY. LARGE SPREAD AMONGST AVAILABLE GUIDANCE WITH REGARD TO TEMPS ON MEMORIAL DAY ITSELF. OPERATIONAL GFS MOVES A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT RESULTING IN MAX TEMPS ON MONDAY IN THE UPPER 60S/LOW 70S. MEANWHILE...THE EC HOLDS THE TROUGH/SURFACE FRONT BACK TO THE WEST RESULTING IN TEMPS ACROSS THE REGION IN THE MID 90S TO JUST OVER 100 DEGREES. GIVEN THIS HIGH DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY...HAVE OPTED TO FOLLOW THE GEFS MEAN RESULTING IN TEMPS IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S. FOLTZ && .AVIATION... 506 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 FOR THE 00Z TAFS...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE TAF SITES THIS EVENING AND INTO TUESDAY. OUTFLOW FROM THUNDERSTORMS COULD LEAD TO BRIEF GUSTY WINDS...AS WELL AS A TEMPORARY WIND SHIFTS BEFORE RETURNING TO THE PREVAILING DIRECTION. AS A LOW LEVEL JET BRINGS MORE MOISTURE INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT...CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE TO MVFR AND LATER IFR...AND MODERATE RAIN WILL BECOME MORE LIKELY. BY MID MORNING...THE POSSIBILITY FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE AND BE MORE LIKELY AT KMCK THAN KGLD. CJS && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. NE...NONE. CO...NONE. &&
Hazardous weather outlook, May 23, 3:56 PM CST, 1 hour 50 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 356 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-241345- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 356 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011 /456 PM CDT MON MAY 23 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...NORTHWEST KANSAS AND EAST CENTRAL COLORADO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE DEVELOP OVER EASTERN COLORADO AND WESTERN KANSAS THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE SPREADING EAST AND INCREASING IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE REST OF THE TRI-STATE AREA LATE THIS EVENING. WHILE WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY EVENING...PRIMARILY OVER NORTHWEST KANSAS AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70. THUNDERSTORMS WILL AGAIN BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE TRI-STATE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT BUT ANY REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 23, 4:18 PM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
418 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
KSZ013-232245-
SHERMAN-
418 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SHERMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...
AT 414 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GOODLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 10 MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
SOME COMMUNITIES WHICH MAY BE IMPACTED THROUGH 445 PM MDT INCLUDE
GOODLAND...RULETON AND EDSON.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE.
&&
LAT...LON 3941 10142 3916 10181 3928 10198 3957 10170
3957 10163
TIME...MOT...LOC 2217Z 224DEG 10KT 3929 10182
JERRYKSpecial weather statement, May 23, 4:28 PM CST, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 528 PM CDT MON MAY 23 2011 KSZ002-232300- RAWLINS- 528 PM CDT MON MAY 23 2011 ...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR RAWLINS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS... AT 524 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTH OF BEARDSLEY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 MPH. PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. && LAT...LON 3980 10088 3957 10114 3965 10135 3991 10118 TIME...MOT...LOC 2228Z 207DEG 5KT 3966 10120 024
Special weather statement, May 23, 4:53 PM CST, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
453 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
COZ091-232330-
KIT CARSON COUNTY-
453 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KIT CARSON COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...
AT 451 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF BURLINGTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT
15 MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE.
&&
LAT...LON 3957 10222 3957 10205 3939 10205 3930 10213
3939 10233
TIME...MOT...LOC 2253Z 211DEG 12KT 3943 10217
024Special weather statement, May 23, 5:07 PM CST, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
507 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
KSZ013-232345-
SHERMAN-
507 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GOODLAND HAS ISSUED A SIGNIFICANT
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SHERMAN COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KANSAS...
AT 505 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EDSON...MOVING EAST AT 10
MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IN THE EVENT THESE STORMS INTENSIFY AND
BECOME SEVERE.
&&
LAT...LON 3919 10173 3933 10172 3940 10139 3928 10139
3918 10139
TIME...MOT...LOC 2308Z 267DEG 8KT 3928 10162
024Local storm report, May 23, 5:27 PM CST, 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
527 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0522 PM HAIL 6 N ATWOOD 39.90N 101.04W
05/23/2011 E1.00 INCH RAWLINS KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
CJSLocal storm report, May 23, 5:41 PM CST, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
541 PM MDT MON MAY 23 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0539 PM HAIL 11 N ATWOOD 39.97N 101.04W
05/23/2011 E1.75 INCH RAWLINS KS TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JMARTINThe radar
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:47 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Hitchcock
- When
- May 23, 6:23 PM CST
- Where
- Hitchcock County, 7.6 mi SSE of Trenton
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 40.080, -100.960
What these are
- 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
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Arkansas, May 23 to 24, 2011
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 23, 2011
- Tornado and Hail in Kentucky, May 23, 2011
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Oklahoma, May 23 to 24, 2011
- Rip Current in Texas, May 23, 2011
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Ohio, May 23, 2011
- Tornadoes and Hail in Pennsylvania, May 23, 2011
- Flooding in Montana, May 23 to 31, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Ohio, May 23, 2011
- Tornado and Hail in Illinois, May 23, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Indiana, May 23, 2011
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Illinois, May 23, 2011
More
Every storm in Nebraska in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, May 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: 298088, 298089.