A few weak thunderstorms developed along a surface boundary located from central into northeast Nebraska on the afternoon of April 15th. These thunderstorms produced short-lived and weak tornadoes, before the storms quickly dissipated.
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 LBF wrote it up.
A few weak thunderstorms developed along a surface boundary located from central into northeast Nebraska on the afternoon of April 15th. These thunderstorms produced short-lived and weak tornadoes, before the storms quickly dissipated. One of the tornadoes hit a farmstead, causing damage to several buildings.
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 Apr 15, 5:45 AM CST, 6 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 645 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 .AVIATION... SHOWERS ARE CURRENTLY SCATTERED GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR KLBF THROUGH KANW. THUNDERSTORMS ALSO OCCURING NEAR KLBF SUOTHWEST TO NEAR KGLD KS. TSTMS TO IMPACT KLBF THROUGH AT LEAST 15Z AND MAY ALSO IMPACT KVTN...ALSO SHRA ONLY MENTIONED ATTM. CURRENTLY IFR CEILINGS AT KLBF AND KVTN SHOULD RANGE INTO MVFR AFTER 15Z...THEN PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST 02Z/16TH. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS 330-340 AT 27-32G40KT FROM 15Z UNTIL AROUND 01Z. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 344 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012/ DISCUSSION...AS WAS THE THINKING YESTERDAY...IT APPEARS THAT THE DEEP CONVECTION DURING THE PAST 24 HRS HAS INDEED ADJUSTED THE OVERALL MASS FIELD...WITH THE UPPER LEVEL LOW TRACK FARTHER SOUTHEAST TODAY. THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LEVEL LOW IS EXPECTED TO TRACK FROM COLORADO NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL NEBRASKA TODAY. A DEFORMATION BAND OF PRECIP WILL RESIDE JUST TO THE WEST OF THE LOW TRACK ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. SREF INDICATES HIGH PROBABILITIES OF OF GREATER THAN A QUARTER OF AN INCH IN THIS AREA...IN FACT TOTAL QPF/S COULD BE GREATER THAN A THIRD OF AN INCH. WILL GO WITH DEFINITE POPS FROM SOUTHWEST THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA WITHIN EXPECTED DEFORMATION BAND...AND GO LIKELY ON EITHER SIDE ACROSS CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND THE PANHANDLE. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A FEW WET SNOW FLAKES MIXED IN...AS SOUNDING SHOW SOME POTENTIAL WITHIN THE HEAVIEST PRECIP BAND...BUT NEAR SFC TEMPS WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING...AND NOT EXPECTING A COMPLETE CHANGE OVER TO SNOW...SO WILL LEAVE OUT OF THE FORECAST FOR NOW AND HAVE THE MORNING SHIFT MONITOR. WIND IS THE OTHER ISSUE FOR TODAY. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE DAY...AND NAM 500 METER WIND SPEEDS INCREASE TO NEAR 35 TO 40 KTS BY MID AFTERNOON. TOYED WITH THE IDEA OF A HIGH WIND WARNING...BUT AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION...0 TO 3 KM LAPSE RATES ARE VERY WEAK DUE TO CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION LOADING...SO FEEL THE WIND ADVISORY ALREADY IN EFFECT SHOULD COVER. MAIN SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO MOVE NORTHEAST AWAY FROM THE AREA TONIGHT...BUT A SECOND WEAKER SYSTEM WILL DIVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA MONDAY. THIS WILL HELP KEEP A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS GOING THROUGH THE DAY. WEAK SHORT WAVE RIDGING EXPECTED TUESDAY AHEAD OF YET ANOTHER SYSTEM TO BRING MORE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEASONAL THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK...WITH NO REAL WARM OR COLD TEMPERATURES ANTICIPATED. && HYDROLOGY...RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM 1 TO 4 INCHES BETWEEN NORTH PLATTE AND HERSHEY FROM SATURDAY STORMS HAS CAUSED THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER AT NORTH PLATTE TO RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE ONCE AGAIN. WHILE A FLOOD WARNING IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT...THE RIVER STAGE APPEARS TO HAVE NOW CRESTED NEAR 6.2 FEET AND IS FORECAST TO FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE BY THIS EVENING. RELEASES FROM KEYSTONE DAM WERE REDUCED EARLIER THIS WEEK...WHICH WILL KEEP THE RIVER LEVEL LOWER NEAR THE ACTION STAGE OF 5.5 FEET FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CDT /8 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ004- 005-022>025-035>037-056>059-069>071-094. WIND ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ006>010-026>029-038. && SHORT TERM/EXTENDED...TAYLOR AVIATION...ROBERG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 451 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-161100- 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- 451 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 /351 AM MDT SUN APR 15 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TODAY AND INTO EARLY THIS EVENING... .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM LIFTS ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA TODAY... STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH WILL OCCUR ALONG WITH SHOWERS LIFTING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITHING THE SHOWERS...MAINLY EAST OF A LINE FROM IMPERIAL THROUGH AINSWORTH AND SPRINGVIEW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER... HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE KAR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1109 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM HAIL 8 SW STAPLETON 41.40N 100.62W
04/14/2012 E1.00 INCH LOGAN NE PUBLIC
&&
JSWEETPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1125 AM CDT SUN APR 15 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM HAIL 7 W STAPLETON 41.48N 100.65W
04/14/2012 E1.75 INCH LOGAN NE PUBLIC
&&
JSWEETSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 1238 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 NEZ038-151845- CUSTER NE- 1238 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CUSTER COUNTY UNTIL 145 PM CDT... AT 1233 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BERWYN...OR 8 MILES EAST OF BROKEN BOW... MOVING SOUTH AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... BERWYN... ANSLEY... MASON CITY... BROOKS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 1256 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 NEZ028-029-151845- GARFIELD NE-WHEELER NE- 1256 PM CDT SUN APR 15 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WHEELER AND GARFIELD COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM CDT... AT 1255 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF ORD...OR 19 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BURWELL...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES IS EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. ANOTHER STORM WAS DEVELOPING JUST SOUTH OF ERICSON AND WILL ALSO BE MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH WHICH WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SMALL HAIL. IN ADDITION...FUNNEL CLOUDS HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THE STORM IN VALLEY COUNTY. IF THESE STORMS DO PRODUCE ANY FUNNELS AS THEY MOVE INTO GARFIELD AND WHEELER COUNTIES...THEY WILL LIKELY BE SHORT LIVED...AS FUNNELS PRODUCED WITH THESE TYPES OF STORMS USUALLY DO NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. IF THEY DO TOUCH DOWN...IT IS TYPICALLY FOR A VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME...WITH MINOR DAMAGE AND LITTLE THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE... ERICSON... BARTLETT... FOUR CORNERS... BROOKS
The North Platte radar (KLNX), 164 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:05 UTC.
2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A tornado briefly touched down and caused damage to a farmstead five miles northeast of Ericson. Damage occurred to two buildings where a pole barn sustained major damage and the canvas roof of a second larger outbuilding was destroyed.
A tornado briefly touched down and lifted with no damage reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2012Warnings in Nebraska, April 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: 371436, 371434.