Thunderstorms formed along a surface trough during the evening of the 1st within a zone of moderate to strong instability. The thunderstorms struggled to sustain themselves as they pressed east into a region lacking mid level moisture.
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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 OAX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms formed along a surface trough during the evening of the 1st within a zone of moderate to strong instability. The thunderstorms struggled to sustain themselves as they pressed east into a region lacking mid level moisture.
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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 1, 9:04 PM CST, 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 1004 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 .UPDATE... DID AN EVENING UPDATE A LITTLE EARLIER TO ACCOUNT FOR HIGHER POPS IN THE NORTHEAST AND CONTINUED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS FARTHER SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT. && .DISCUSSION... THE EVENING OAX SOUNDING WAS ON THE DRY SIDE WITH LESS THAN ONE INCH PRECIP WATER...LBF HOWEVER HAD A MUCH MORE FAVORABLE SOUNDING WITH AROUND 3200 J/KG FOR CAPE AND LITTLE CINH AND 1.34 FOR PRECIP WATER. THE MOISTURE TRANSPORT VECTORS CONTINUE TO BRING THE MOISTURE EASTWARD AND SOUTHWARD...SO SCATTERED POPS STILL SEEM ON TRACK. GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH DOWNDRAFT CAPE OF 1800 J/KG. SO FAR HAVE HAD REPORTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH NEAR NELIGH. THE NEW NAM TRIES TO HOLD ON TO THE PRECIPITATION THURSDAY MORNING FARTHER NORTH SO THIS WILL NEED TO BE ASSESSED. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 715 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012/ AVIATION... AVIATION... 00Z TAFS FOR KOMA...KLNK...AND KOFK. SHRA/TSRA AND WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRECIPITATION WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN OVERNIGHT. TSRA HAVE BEEN MOVING THROUGH WESTERN AND WEST CENTRAL NEBRASKA. STRONG WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH HAVE BEEN OCCURRING WITH SOME OF THE STORMS AND SOME DIME-SIZED HAIL. INCLUDED A FEW HOURS OF SHRA AT EACH SITE BETWEEN 06Z AND 11Z ALONG WITH SOME GUSTY WINDS OF 25-35KTS. WILL NEED TO MONITOR SPEED/MOVEMENT AND HOW THEY HOLD TOGETHER TO ADD IN TSRA AND STRONGER WINDS AS NECESSARY. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN AN INCREASE IN SPEED OF THE LINE AND STORMS MAY MAKE IT TO KOFK EARLIER. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL HOWEVER SOME MVFR CIGS/VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE STORMS. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 501 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012/ DISCUSSION... IT APPEARS THAT A SHORT REPRIEVE FROM THE OPPRESSIVE DRY CONDITIONS THAT HAVE PLAGUED US AS OF LATE IS ON THE HORIZON AS A COUPLE OF COLD FRONTS APPROACH THE PLAINS. RADAR LOOP WAS SHOWING PCPN ACTIVITY OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA AND PARTS OF SOUTH DAKOTA WHILE LATEST OBS WERE DEPICTING A BNDRY EXTENDING ALONG THE ND/SD BORDER WITH CAA SLOWLY SPREADING SWD OVER NRN SD. THE BIG QUESTION IS WILL THIS RESULT IN PCPN OVER THE CWA LATER TONIGHT. IT SEEMS THE MODELS ARE TRYING TO STALL THE FRONT IN THE VICINITY OF THE NRN CWA...BUT GOOD CHUNK OF DPVA DOES CROSS THE CWA...AND WITH STOUT 315K UPGLIDE NOT UNREASONABLE AT THIS POINT TO EXPECT SOME HIGH BASED ACTIVITY DEVELOPING. LATEST HRRR SEEMS TO HAVE A DECENT HANDLE ON THINGS... WHICH SUGGEST ACTIVITY COULD GET INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA BEFORE MIDNIGHT. CHANCES FOR ANOTHER ROUND PCPN ARE ON TAP HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND. MODELS ARE IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT UPSTREAM SHORTWAVE TROF OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA WILL SLIGHTLY BREAK DOWN THE CONUS UPPER RIDGE AS IT DROPS INTO THE LOWER 48. THE THERMAL GRADIENT WITH THE ATTENDANT COLD FRONT WILL BE MORE STOUT IN NATURE. WITH DECENT ENVIRONMENTAL MOISTURE ON HAND... PRECIP WATER VALUES AROUND 2"/KI OF 40...IS REASONABLE TO MAINTAIN POPS FRIDAY NIGHT. POSSIBLE LINGERING ACTIVITY THEN SATURDAY MORNING OVER THE SRN CWA. RELATIVELY COOLER AFTN HIGHS IN THE MID 80S THEN SUNDAY AFTERNOON. HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK...THE SITUATION LOOKS RATHER BLEAK WITH DRY CONDITIONS AND HIGH TEMPS PUSHING BACK TO THE MID/UPPER 90S AS AN UPPER RIDGE RETURNS OVER THE CONUS. DEE/BCM && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && ZAPOTOCNY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 527 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-021230- MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE-KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON- STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER- SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE- JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON- 527 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS EVENING AND SPREAD SOUTHEAST OVERNIGHT...WITH A FEW LINGERING STORMS NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER THURSDAY MORNING. SOME STORMS MAY PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL WITH THEM. AN UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCE WITH AN ACCOMPANYING SURFACE FRONT AND AVAILABLE MONSOONAL MOISTURE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER CHANCE FOR STORMS MONDAY NIGHT. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THE STORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THE STORMS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONGER WEATHER DISTURBANCE AND FRONT THAT MOVES THROUGH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT...BUT WILL PROBABLY NOT BE NEEDED THURSDAY MORNING. ZAPOTOCNY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
828 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012
NEZ011-020200-
KNOX NE-
828 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KNOX COUNTY UNTIL 900 PM CDT...
AT 827 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM NIOBRARA TO 13 MILES NORTHEAST OF ONEILL...OR ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 28 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PICKSTOWN TO 23 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF SPENCER...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CREIGHTON...VERDIGRE...NIOBRARA...SANTEE...CENTER...VERDEL AND
BAZILE MILLS.
LAT...LON 4287 9825 4284 9819 4284 9815 4276 9804
4277 9795 4279 9791 4286 9788 4287 9786
4284 9771 4244 9783 4244 9830 4244 9830
4288 9830
TIME...MOT...LOC 0127Z 268DEG 30KT 4282 9809 4259 9846
MILLERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA 841 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 NEZ011-016-020230- ANTELOPE NE-KNOX NE- 841 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ANTELOPE AND SOUTHWESTERN KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 930 PM CDT... AT 838 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR INMAN...OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ONEILL...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NELIGH...ORCHARD...CLEARWATER...OAKDALE...BRUNSWICK AND ROYAL. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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. && LAT...LON 4252 9831 4253 9797 4202 9795 4202 9830 TIME...MOT...LOC 0138Z 268DEG 26KT 4235 9857 MILLER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA 953 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 NEZ011-012-016>018-030>032-042-020330- BOONE NE-CEDAR NE-STANTON NE-ANTELOPE NE-PIERCE NE-MADISON NE- PLATTE NE-WAYNE NE-KNOX NE- 953 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN BOONE...SOUTHWESTERN CEDAR...WESTERN STANTON...SOUTHEASTERN ANTELOPE...PIERCE...MADISON... NORTHWESTERN PLATTE...WESTERN WAYNE AND SOUTHEASTERN KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 1030 PM CDT... AT 949 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BLOOMFIELD TO ALBION...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 29 MILES SOUTHWEST OF YANKTON TO 36 MILES NORTHWEST OF COLUMBUS...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... NORFOLK...MADISON...PIERCE...PLAINVIEW...BATTLE CREEK...RANDOLPH... NEWMAN GROVE...OSMOND...WAUSA...COLERIDGE...HADAR...MEADOW GROVE... HOSKINS...LINDSAY...CRESTON...TILDEN...HUMPHREY...MAGNET...TARNOV AND FOSTER. LAT...LON 4260 9776 4259 9718 4156 9734 4160 9796 TIME...MOT...LOC 0249Z 262DEG 26KT 4254 9772 4166 9800 MILLER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
1015 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012
NEZ011-012-017-018-031>033-020345-
CEDAR NE-STANTON NE-PIERCE NE-MADISON NE-CUMING NE-WAYNE NE-KNOX NE-
1015 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN CEDAR...STANTON...
EASTERN PIERCE...NORTHEASTERN MADISON...NORTHWESTERN CUMING...
WAYNE AND SOUTHEASTERN KNOX COUNTIES UNTIL 1045 PM CDT...
AT 1012 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM WAUSA TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF NORFOLK...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING
FROM 26 MILES SOUTH OF YANKTON TO 33 MILES NORTH OF COLUMBUS...AND
MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
NORFOLK...WAYNE...HARTINGTON...STANTON...WISNER...RANDOLPH...WAUSA...
COLERIDGE...WINSIDE...PILGER...HADAR...HOSKINS...CARROLL...LAUREL...
BELDEN...MAGNET...MCLEAN AND SHOLES.
LAT...LON 4227 9702 4226 9692 4183 9686 4184 9746
4257 9756 4268 9701
TIME...MOT...LOC 0312Z 261DEG 22KT 4251 9748 4192 9740
MILLERSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
1040 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012
NEZ012-015-018-020415-
CEDAR NE-THURSTON NE-WAYNE NE-
1040 PM CDT WED AUG 1 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN CEDAR...WESTERN
THURSTON AND WAYNE COUNTIES UNTIL 1115 PM CDT...
AT 1036 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CARROLL...OR 19 MILES
NORTHEAST OF NORFOLK...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
WAYNE...WINSIDE...CARROLL AND SHOLES.
LAT...LON 4227 9702 4226 9680 4209 9671 4209 9721
4238 9732 4242 9702
TIME...MOT...LOC 0336Z 259DEG 17KT 4226 9720
MILLERThe Omaha radar (KOAX), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:55 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured at 58 mph by the Awos at Wayne. The winds downed a few tree limbs a few miles east northeast of town.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, August 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: 387632.