Scattered thunderstorms developed along and behind a cold front during the afternoon and evening of May 19th. Several of the storms were severe producing large hail and strong winds as they tracked across the region.
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 OAX wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed along and behind a cold front during the afternoon and evening of May 19th. Several of the storms were severe producing large hail and strong winds as they tracked across the region.
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 May 19, 2:12 PM CST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 312 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012 .DISCUSSION... A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED OVER PARTS OF NORTHEAST INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AT 19Z. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE EAST OF THE AREA ON SUNDAY WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION THROUGH MONDAY. INCREASING SOUTHERLY FLOW THEN RETURNS MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS. THIS SECOND COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY THEN STALL OUT OVER SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. EXTENDED MODELS THEN DIFFER ON THE SOLUTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AS THE GFS KEEPS THE STALLED BOUNDARY NEAR THE KANSAS BORDER WITH THE CHANCE OF MORE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE AREA. THE ECMWF MEANWHILE LIFTS IT NORTH AS A WARM FRONT BY FRIDAY WITH SIGNIFICANTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES INDICATED FOR THE WEEKEND. AS A RESULT LOW CONFIDENCE AT THIS TIME FOR THIS PORTION OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS FOR KOMA...KLNK...AND KOFK. MAIN AVIATION CONCERN WILL BE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP AFTER 22Z AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND SEVERE DOWNBURST WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH A FEW OF THESE STORMS. STORMS SHOULD WEAKEN AFTER 03Z...AND MAY DIMINISH TO SHOWERS OR WEAK CONVECTION BY 06Z THEN END SHORTLY AFTER 06Z. A WELL-DEFINED COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM AROUND KOFK TO KGRI AT 17Z AND THIS FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE THROUGH EASTERN NEBRASKA TODAY AND TONIGHT...SWITCHING THE WINDS FROM SOUTH TO NORTHWEST. AHEAD OF THE FRONT DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...KOMA AND KLNK WILL HAVE SOUTH WINDS GUSTING OVER 20 KNOTS...BUT THESE SHOULD WEAKEN BY SUNSET AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. AFTER THE STORMS AND SHOWERS MOVE OUT LATE TONIGHT...VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM THE EARLY MORNING HOURS SUNDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && FOBERT/NIETFELD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 413 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-090-NEZ015-032>034-042>045-050>053-065>068- 078-088>092-201115- MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-FREMONT-THURSTON- STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER- SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE- JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE- 413 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 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 SUNDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE. THE MAIN HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY... AND CHANCES MAY CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THROUGH THIS EVENING. NEZ011-012-016>018-030-031-201115- KNOX-CEDAR-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON- 413 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY... AND CHANCES MAY CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. LATER OUTLOOKS WILL ADDRESS THE CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS IN THOSE PERIODS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED TONIGHT OR SUNDAY. IAZ080-091-NEZ093-201115- MONTGOMERY-PAGE-RICHARDSON- 413 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY THE NEXT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...AND CHANCES MAY CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. LATER OUTLOOKS WILL ADDRESS THE CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS IN THOSE PERIODS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. FOBERT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
519 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012
NEZ042-043-192245-
COLFAX NE-PLATTE NE-
519 PM CDT SAT MAY 19 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR COLFAX AND PLATTE COUNTIES
UNTIL 545 PM CDT...
AT 515 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BELLWOOD...OR 5 MILES EAST OF
COLUMBUS...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.
ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS IS
ALSO MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
COLUMBUS...CLARKSON...LEIGH...DUNCAN...PLATTE CENTER...CRESTON...
HUMPHREY...RICHLAND AND TARNOV.
THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 81 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 110 AND 133.
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 4174 9754 4174 9723 4172 9701 4143 9710
4138 9719 4139 9721 4138 9730 4139 9736
4138 9741 4140 9760
TIME...MOT...LOC 2215Z 189DEG 24KT 4141 9726
NIETFELDThe Omaha radar (KOAX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:21 UTC.
11 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail around 1 inch in diameter fell north of Malcolm.
Hail up to golf ball-size fell in the Schuyler area for 10 to 15 minutes. The hail was accompanied by winds estimated at 60 mph. The hail broke windows and damaged cars and siding. The area 4 miles northeast of Schuyler was hit the hardest according to emergency management.
Thunderstorm winds gusts estimated at 60 mph were accompanied by hail that was quarter and golf ball-size.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 mph were accompanied by nickel-size hail.
Nickel-size hail was accompanied by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph in the Wahoo area.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at close to 60 mph broke some 3 to 5 inch diameter tree limbs.
Thunderstorm winds were estimated to have reached around 60 mph in the Ashland area.
Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured at 58 mph by home weather equipment. The winds uprooted a 6 inch diameter tree.
Home weather equipment measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 81 mph in the Blair area. The winds destroyed a horse barn and grain bin a few miles west of Blair and also damaged the siding of a home. Other outbuilding damage was noted in the area.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 mph downed a tree near Dodge Park along 36th Street. The fallen tree downed power lines in the area.
The hail was reported north of I680 just north of Omaha and east of Bennington.
Hail up to quarter-size was reported near 15th and Gaelic Streets and nickel-size along West 16th Avenue in Bellevue.
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, May 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: 371868, 371848, 371849, 371852, 372524, 371854, 371872, 371853, 371855, 371866, 371856, 371857, 371862, 371864, 371858, 371867, 371860, 371869, 371874.