For the second evening in a row, strong to severe thunderstorms developed across parts of eastern Nebraska along a nearly stationary front that had pushed into the region. Higher amounts of instability allowed for a little larger coverage in the severe weather than previous evening, and some isolated wind damage and heavier rain totals also occurred along with the large hail reports.
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.
For the second evening in a row, strong to severe thunderstorms developed across parts of eastern Nebraska along a nearly stationary front that had pushed into the region. Higher amounts of instability allowed for a little larger coverage in the severe weather than previous evening, and some isolated wind damage and heavier rain totals also occurred along with the large hail reports.
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 2, 5:38 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 638 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS FOR KOMA...KLNK...KOFK. CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL AND TIMING REMAIN MAIN CONCERN DURING THIS PERIOD. COUPLE OF BOUNDARIES IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING TO ACT AS POSSIBLE FOCUS WITH KOFK APPEARING TO BE CLOSEST TO INITIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH BOUNDARY FROM JUST WEST OF KOLU TO WEST OF KSUX. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 419 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012/ DISCUSSION... MAIN FORECAST PROBLEMS TONIGHT ARE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL AND SEVERITY. THERE ARE 3 MAIN AREAS FOR CONCERN TONIGHT. THE FIRST WOULD BE ALONG AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY FROM LAST NIGHT'S CONVECTION...IN AN AREA FROM NEAR HEBRON TO SOUTH OF LINCOLN TO WESTERN IOWA. HOWEVER...AN 18Z SOUNDING REVEALED A CAP THAT HAS TO BE OVERCOME... AND OVERALL SATELLITE IMAGERY AND VISUAL OBSERVATIONS SUGGESTS THAT VERTICAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THIS CUMULUS FIELD IS LIMITED...BUT IS AN AREA THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. THE SECOND AREA WOULD BE ALONG THE SURFACE TROUGH THAT EXTENDS FROM NEAR HASTINGS INTO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. THE DEWPOINT GRADIENT ALONG THIS FEATURE...COMBINED WITH NEARLY FULL SUNSHINE TODAY HAS ALLOWED A LINE OF TOWERING CUMULUS CLOUDS TO DEVELOP...AND IT'S WITHIN THIS AREA THAT SPC IS MONITORING WITH A RECENT MCD THAT WAS ISSUED. INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR WOULD BE SUFFICIENT IN THIS AREA FOR SEVERE STORMS AND WOULD BE WITHIN THE MODERATE RISK ENVELOPE GIVEN EFFECTIVE SHEAR AROUND 45 TO 55 KNOTS. ONE CELL APPEARS TO BE POPPING NEAR CENTRAL CITY...SO WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH TO SEE IF THIS CAN CONTINUE TO VERTICALLY DEVELOP. AND FINALLY...THE LAST CONCERN WOULD BE A CONVECTIVE MCS THAT DEVELOPS ACROSS THE WESTERN HIGH PLAINS THIS EVENING IN RESPONSE TO THE ADVANCING WAVE FROM THE WEST...THAT WOULD RACE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT WITH A SUBSTANTIAL WIND THREAT...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL...WITHIN AN AXIS ORIENTED NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THIS WOULD MOVE INTO AN AREA THAT RECEIVED THE HEAVY RAINFALL LAST NIGHT...BUT BECAUSE OF THE FORWARD MOVING PROPAGATION AND NO TRAINING...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WOULD PROBABLY NOT CAUSE PROBLEMS. BEYOND TONIGHT...IF AN MCS DEVELOPS AND ROLLS EASTWARD OVERNIGHT... THERE COULD BE LINGERING CONVECTION EARLY IN THE MORNING THURSDAY. THEN THERE SHOULD BE A SEVERAL HOUR PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER...BUT STORMS COULD REFIRE THURSDAY AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF I80. THE DETAILS BECOME SLIGHTLY DEPENDENT ON HOW FAR SOUTH THE OVERNIGHT CONVECTION CAN PUSH THE BOUNDARY...BUT CONVECTION WOULD TEND TO PUSH SOUTH INTO KS/MO BY DAY BREAK FRIDAY. FRIDAY ACTUALLY MAY BE DRY...WITH AN MCS TO OUR NORTH. HOWEVER ANOTHER DEVELOPING SURFACE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...THUS HAVE ADDED POPS FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS BOUNDARY THEN APPEARS TO STALL IN SIMILAR FASHION FROM CENTRAL NEBRASKA THROUGH THE MID MISSOURI VALLEY REGION. ANOTHER IMPULSE MOVING IN SATURDAY NIGHT SHOULD BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE REGION THAT THEN MOVES THROUGH THE AREA THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT...AND COULD LINGER INTO SUNDAY. FOR MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK...OVERALL FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS SOMEWHAT LOW. MODEL DISCREPANCIES BEGIN TO MAGNIFY AND DETAILS BECOME UNCLEAR. OVERALL...PREFER A DRIER SOLUTION... ALTHOUGH THE FORECAST MODEL BLENDS INDICATED 20 TO 30 PERCENT CHANCE THROUGH THE PERIOD. DEWALD && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && FOBERT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 429 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-031130- 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- 429 PM CDT WED MAY 2 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 THERE IS A CHANCE FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING... PRIMARILY IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...WITH ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE BY LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. STORMS MAY DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHEAST NEBRASKA THROUGH EARLY EVENING AND COULD QUICKLY BECOME SEVERE GIVEN INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR IN THE ATMOSPHERE. SUPERCELL STORMS WOULD BE POSSIBLE...WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND AN ISOLATED ISOLATED TORNADO. STORMS MAY ALSO DEVELOP EARLY THIS EVENING ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA... THEN SPREAD EASTWARD THROUGH THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA. THE MAIN THREAT AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. LARGE HAIL AND ESPECIALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ALSO IS POSSIBLE. THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT WOULD BE IN THE SAME AREA THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL LAST NIGHT. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 THURSDAY AFTERNOON WHICH ALSO HAVE A SLIGHT RISK OF BECOMING SEVERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE THURSDAY EVENING ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. MORE THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP FRIDAY NIGHT...THEN AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AS ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGH SETTLES INTO THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THROUGH THE EVENING IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. DEWALD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
758 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012
NEZ030-030130-
BOONE NE-
758 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN BOONE COUNTY
UNTIL 830 PM CDT...
AT 754 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BELGRADE...OR 38 MILES NORTH
OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CEDAR RAPIDS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE IN OMAHA.
&&
LAT...LON 4163 9824 4164 9803 4150 9807 4148 9810
4148 9824
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 206DEG 25KT 4146 9817
BOUSTEADThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:18 UTC.
15 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail up to ping pong ball-size was reported just southeast of Cedar Rapids.
Hail around dime-size covered Highway 52 between Cedar Rapids and Primrose.
Hail from quarter to golfball-size fell west through southwest of Friend. Most of the hail was quarter-size.
The hail was mostly dime-size, but a few stones up to half dollar-size were observed.
Hail up to quarter-size was reported north of Carroll.
Hail up to nickel-size was reported in Dorchester.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at close to 60 mph downed a few large tree limbs which blocked a few streets in Crete.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 60 mph downed a few large tree limbs onto a few streets in the Wilber area.
Reported at the Lincoln Airpark.
Thunderstorm winds were estimated at around 60 mph by spotters near Ashland.
In the La Vista area.
Reported near 108th and Mockingbird.
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: 368837, 368839, 368840, 368841, 368842, 368843, 368856, 368845, 368846, 368847, 368848, 368849, 368854, 368855, 368851, 368857, 368852, 368853.