This late Thursday afternoon and evening, primarily between 6 and 10 PM CDT, featured a fairly widespread damaging wind event as a quasi-linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) rolled southeast across nearly the entire six-county area. Although damage was not overly significant and storm reports were limited, automated airport sensors in or near Phillipsburg, Stockton, Smith Center and Beloit…
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.
This late Thursday afternoon and evening, primarily between 6 and 10 PM CDT, featured a fairly widespread damaging wind event as a quasi-linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) rolled southeast across nearly the entire six-county area. Although damage was not overly significant and storm reports were limited, automated airport sensors in or near Phillipsburg, Stockton, Smith Center and Beloit measured peak gusts between 58-63 MPH. In addition, a patio roof was torn off in Logan. Hail was not a major issue with these storms, with the largest reported hail only penny size in Burr Oak. Rainfall-wise, much of the area tallied over 1 inch but the highest totals in excess of 3 inches focused across parts of Jewell and Mitchell Counties, including 3.37 inches at Burr Oak. Despite this heavy rain, there were no reports of significant flooding.
Breaking down event timing, the initial development between 6 PM and 730 PM CDT occurred in two separate areas, with one storm cluster pushing in from the west across Phillips, Rooks and Smith Counties, while other storms built south into Jewell County out of Nebraska. Then between 730 and 9 PM CDT, these separate clusters merged into a nearly solid line, with the main part of the line exiting the local area out of Osborne and Mitchell Counties by 930 PM CDT. Although additional storms lingered over parts of the area past midnight CDT, none were severe. These North Central Kansas storms evolved out of earlier severe storms that developed across southern Nebraska during the afternoon hours along a slow-moving cold front. In the mid and upper levels, synoptic scale forcing was relatively weak, with the area positioned well south of a stronger shortwave trough swinging across southern Canada and the Dakotas. However, with surface dewpoints averaging well into the 60s F, convective instability was quite high with early evening mixed-layer CAPE climbing to at least 2000-3000 J/kg. On the other hand, 0-6 kilometer vertical wind shear was fairly weak at only around 30 knots, which allowed initially slow-moving storms to congeal into a line and surge southeast along strong outflow. Locally heavy rainfall was enhanced by precipitable water values averaging 1.4 to 1.8 inches.
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 14, 2:58 PM CST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 358 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE BIG WEATHER STORY WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN THE VICINITY OF A SFC COLD FRONT. THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER CHANCES WE HAVE SEEN FOR WIDESPREAD APPRECIABLE PRECIPITATION IN QUITE SOME TIME. MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ALONG THE SFC BOUNDARY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS A HIGH INSTABILITY...LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT WITH MLCAPE VALUES OF OVER 4500 J/KG BUT 0-6KM BULK SHEAR VALUES OF LESS THAN 25 KTS. THE UPPER LEVEL STEERING WINDS ARE WEAK AND STORM MOTION SHOULD BE FAIRLY SLOW. IN ADDITION...THUNDERSTORMS MAY TRAIN OVER THE SAME AREAS WITH THE COMBINATION OF SLOW MOVEMENT AND TRAINING STORMS INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING. GIVEN THE LACK OF SHEAR...THUNDERSTORMS WILL QUICKLY BECOME OUTFLOW DOMINATE WITH NEW THUNDERSTORMS FORMING ALONG INTERACTING COLD POOLS. THEREFORE...THE ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTS MULTI CELL CLUSTERS OF THESE LARGELY OUTFLOW DOMINATE THUNDERSTORMS. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL GENERALLY MOVE TOWARDS THE EAST WITH THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES TURNING MORE SOUTHEAST WITH TIME. THE HIGH INSTABILITY WILL ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE HAIL DESPITE THE RELATIVELY WEAK SHEAR. HIGH WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AS THEIR PRECIPITATION CORES DESCEND. FRIDAY...CONFIDENCE IN RAIN CHANCES DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY IS FAIRLY LOW AND MAY DEPEND ON HOW EVERYTHING EVOLVES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES PRODUCED BY THIS EVENINGS CONVECTION WILL BE A KEY PLAYER IN THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ON FRIDAY. FORECAST MODELS ARE SHOWING A WIDE VARIETY OF SOLUTIONS FOR FRIDAY WITH MOST MODELS SHOWING MORE LOW END ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. FOR NOW WILL CONTINUE TO GO WITH LOW END THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IN THE FORECAST ON FRIDAY WITH BETTER CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNING TO THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN REMAINS WITH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES DURING THE PERIOD...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT AT THE START OF THE PERIOD FRIDAY EVENING/OVERNIGHT SHOWING A MESSY SOUTHWEST PATTERN IN THE UPPER LEVELS...WITH THE MAIN FEATURES BEING HIGH PRESSURE EXPANDED OVER THE MIDWESTERN CONUS AND AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WHICH HAS DUG DOWN INTO FAR SRN CA. IN BETWEEN...EMBEDDED WAVES LOOK TO BE IN PLACE ACROSS THE HIGH/CENTRAL PLAINS. MAIN CHANGE TO THE FORECAST WAS TO EXPAND THE HIGHER POPS IN PLACE ACROSS SC NEB SOUTH INTO NC KS...WITH MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT SHOWING THUNDERSTORMS WHICH INITIALLY DEVELOP TO OUR WEST MOVING IN OVERNIGHT WITH ONE OF THOSE WEAK WAVES...BUT ALSO AIDED BY A SRLY 30-40KT LLJ NOSING INTO THE CWA. GOOD INSTABILITY REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION...AND THERE CONTINUES TO BE CONCERN FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS /DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS STILL ON THE WEAK SIDE/ TO BE ON THE STRONG TO SEVERE SIDE. DIDNT MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PRECIP FORECAST FOR SATURDAY...WITH MODELS DIFFERENCES KEPT THEM IN THE LOW CHANCE RANGE...WITH THE SLIGHTLY HIGHER POPS IN THE ERN/SRN AREAS. DURING THE MORNING HOURS...PRECIP CHANCES LOOK TO BE MAINLY TIED TO LINGERING ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LLJ/UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE CONTINUING TO SHIFT EAST. IN THE MEANTIME...ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LOCATED OVER SC CANADA AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING SOUTH IS EXPECTED TO BE PUSHING A SURFACE FRONT IN FROM THE N/NW. CURRENT MODELS HAVE THE FRONT ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE CWA BY MIDDAY AND ON OUR SRN/SERN EDGE BY EVENING...BUT THAT TIMING COULD BE AFFECTED BY ANY LINGERING ACTIVITY IN THE MORNING...SO CONFIDENCE IS NOT THE HIGHEST. SO LATE IN THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT HOURS...THIS SFC BOUNDARY WILL SERVE AS A FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORMS...AGAIN AIDED BY THE DEVELOPING LLJ /WHICH LOOKS TO BE MORE IN A SW-NE DIRECTION THAN FRIDAY/. KEPT THE BETTER POPS FOR SAT EVENING/NIGHT ACROSS FAR SRN NEB INTO NC KS. INSTABILITY/SHEAR PARAMETERS REMAIN FAIRLY SIMILAR...SO WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CHANCE FOR SOME STRONG/SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. DECIDED TO KEEP THE DRY FORECAST FOR SUNDAY GOING...THOUGH WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE ERN/SERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. UPPER LEVEL FLOW ACROSS THE AREA REMAINS GENERALLY ZONAL...AND COULD BE SOME LINGERING ACTIVITY FROM SATURDAY NIGHT. MODELS SHOW THE WEAK SFC BOUNDARY ACROSS THE AREA WASHING OUT AND MORE SOLID SRLY FLOW SETTING UP AHEAD OF ANOTHER FRONT OFF TO THE WEST...AND EXPECT BETTER PRECIP CHANCES TO SHIFT OFF TO THE E/NE OF THE CWA. AS FAR AS TEMPERATURES GO THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ONLY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS WERE MADE...WITH HIGHS SAT/SUN GENERALLY IN THE MID 80S TO NEAR 90 AND LOWS IN THE 60S. THE FORECAST SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT REMAINS DRY...MODELS NOT SHOWING ANY NOTABLE DISTURBANCES SHIFTING THROUGH THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW. THE PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION IS ZONAL...UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF BROAD TROUGHING...A RESULT OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER WRN/CENTRAL CANADA. THINGS LOOK TO POTENTIALLY BECOME MORE UNSETTLED DURING THE MIDWEEK PERIOD...AS THE PATTERN TRANSITIONS TO MORE SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WITH HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING THROUGH THE MIDWEST/INTO THE GREAT LAKES...WHILE A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM STARTS TO DIG SOUTH INTO THE PAC NW AND ROCKIES. A SURFACE BOUNDARY MAKES ITS WAY INTO AT LEAST NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA /IF NOT FURTHER/...HELPING PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR ACTIVITY. AT THIS POINT THE BETTER CHANCES FOR PRECIP LOOK TO COME DURING THE WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY NIGHT TIME FRAME...BUT WITH IT BEING THIS FAR OUT...NO DOUBT THAT TIMING WILL CHANGE...SO KEPT POPS LOW. FORECAST HIGHS ON MONDAY IN THE NEAR 90/MID 90S RANGE ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY TAPER DOWN THROUGH MIDWEEK...BASED ON THE ARRIVAL OF THAT SURFACE FRONT. CURRENTLY HAVE HIGHS FALLING INTO THE NEAR 80/LOW 80S BY THURSDAY. && .AVIATION...12Z TAF. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A COLD FRONT WILL BE APPROACHING THE KGRI TERMINAL AREA. ALONG THE FRONT THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT...WESELY LONG...ODER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 338 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 151215- 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- 338 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA BRINGING WITH IT A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. SEVERAL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH HAIL TO THE SIZE OF GOLF BALLS AND WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH. IN ADDITION...THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND WILL BE CAPABLE OF DUMPING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...THERE WILL BE CONTINUED CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. THE BEST CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO BE ON THE STRONG TO SEVERE SIDE REMAINS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL RETURN TO THE OUTLOOK AREA. WHILE IT IS TOO EARLY AT THIS POINT IN TIME TO DETERMINE THE SPECIFIC DETAILS...THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE COMPLETELY RULED OUT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE) WESELY/ODER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
609 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0607 PM HAIL GLENVIL 40.50N 98.25W
06/14/2012 E1.00 INCH CLAY NE TRAINED SPOTTER
ALSO 45 MPH GUSTS
&&
PFANNKUCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
614 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 PM HAIL 6 SSE HASTINGS 40.51N 98.35W
06/14/2012 E1.50 INCH ADAMS NE TRAINED SPOTTER
PING PONG BALL SIZE HAIL AND ALSO GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH
ALONG SHOWBOAT ROAD
&&
PFANNKUCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
615 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0510 PM HAIL 4 S WILSONVILLE 40.05N 100.11W
06/14/2012 E1.00 INCH FURNAS NE PUBLIC
LASTED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES 510PM-525PM.
0610 PM HEAVY RAIN 4 S WILSONVILLE 40.05N 100.11W
06/14/2012 M2.40 INCH FURNAS NE PUBLIC
&&
SROSSIPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
617 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0614 PM HAIL GLENVIL 40.50N 98.25W
06/14/2012 E2.50 INCH CLAY NE TRAINED SPOTTER
TENNIS BALL SIZE
&&
PFANNKUCHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
627 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
NEZ082-150000-
FURNAS NE-
627 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN FURNAS COUNTY UNTIL
700 PM CDT...
AT 622 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BEAVER CITY...OR 16 MILES
NORTH OF NORTON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
HOLLINGER...
OXFORD...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. 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.
LAT...LON 4020 9989 4028 9963 4001 9963 4001 9964
4000 9990
TIME...MOT...LOC 2327Z 264DEG 23KT 4006 9974
GUERREROPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
629 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0627 PM TSTM WND GST 5 SSE OXFORD 40.19N 99.60W
06/14/2012 E60 MPH HARLAN NE FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
&&
WESELYThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:31 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A patio roof was torn off due to a severe thunderstorm wind gust.
The Phillipsburg Airport AWOS measured a wind gust of 62 mph.
Rainfall of 3.37 inches over the past 24 hours. The rain began during the late afternoon on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
The Stockton Airport AWOS measured a wind gust of 63 mph.
Mainly pea sized hail occurred with a few penny sized. Estimated wind gust of 50 mph occurred.
The Smith Center Airport AWOS measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
Rainfall of 3.15 inches over the past 24 hours. The rain began during the evening on June 14th, with the last round of rain ending during the early morning hours of June 15th.
The Beloit Airport AWOS measures a wind gust of 62 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kansas in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Kansas, June 2012
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: 388557, 383271, 383284, 383274, 383275, 383277, 391139, 383279, 383280.