Hail, Phelps
- When
- October 13, 7:40 PM CST
- Where
- Phelps County, 13 mi N of Holdrege
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 40.638, -99.370
Hail in Nebraska, October 13, 2012
Mainly between 8 PM and 1 AM CDT on this Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, a few rounds of strong multicell storms rumbled through areas primarily between Interstate 80 and the Kansas border. Although radar data suggested that some of these storms might have contained marginally severe hail to around nickel-quarter size, the only known report of sizeable hail consisted of penny size…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.
Mainly between 8 PM and 1 AM CDT on this Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, a few rounds of strong multicell storms rumbled through areas primarily between Interstate 80 and the Kansas border. Although radar data suggested that some of these storms might have contained marginally severe hail to around nickel-quarter size, the only known report of sizeable hail consisted of penny size stones in far north central Phelps County. The first round of convection affected western parts of the area, first developing over Dawson and far western Buffalo Counties around 8 PM CDT before drifting south primarily through Phelps, Harlan and Franklin Counties. Around 1030 PM CDT, a new and fairly widespread coverage of strong storms flared up farther east, primarily impacting Webster, Nuckolls, Fillmore and Thayer Counties before weakening and gradually fading away after midnight. Rainfall totals were generally less than one inch, although one of the higher exceptions included 1.43 in Hebron. This event was driven by a rather deep mid-upper level trough that lumbered directly over the Central Plains from west to east. Although the primary corridor of strong to severe storms during the late afternoon hours passed just southeast of the local area within a zone of stronger deep-layer wind shear, lingering most-unstable CAPE on the order of 500-1000 J/kg along with pronounced mid level convergence within the passing upper trough axis sparked the evening activity.
What forecasters said that day
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 Oct 13, 6:00 PM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 13, 6:00 PM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 700 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012 .AVIATION...00Z KGRI TAF...VFR CONDS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT KGRI FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PRIMARILY A WIND FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD AS THE SURFACE LOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS EVENING EVENTUALLY SHIFTS SOUTHEASTWARD DURING THE LATE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THIS WILL CAUSE THE WINDS TO SHIFT NORTHERLY AT THE TERMINAL AROUND 14/03Z...WITH GUSTS TO 16KS POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. WITH A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS LOW...EXPECT WIND TO INCREASE FURTHER DURING THE MORNING HOURS SUNDAY...GUSTING AS HIGH AS 25KTS DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS...BEFORE EVENTUALLY DIMINISHING AROUND SUNSET. && .UPDATE...SENT AN UPDATE TO THE FORECAST TO REMOVE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR KANSAS COUNTIES AS WELL AS TO TRIM BACK POPS A BIT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING HOURS. OTHERWISE...NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES NECESSARY AT THIS TIME. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 354 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012/ SHORT TERM...THROUGH SUNDAY. FOCUS AND MAIN FORECAST CONCERN FOR THIS PERIOD WILL BE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES LATER THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING...SOME OF WHICH COULD BE STRONG WITH NICKEL TO QUARTER HAIL AND WIND GUSTS RANGING BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. SHOWERS FROM THIS MORNINGS THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD OUT OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...AS A RESULT...GENERAL CLEARING IN SKY COVER HAS BEEN ONGOING OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA. AT 20Z...SURFACE TEMPERATURES HAVE REACHED 70S FOR A MAJORITY OF THE OUTLOOK AREA WITH DEWPOINTS TANKING AS DRIER AIR PUSHES IN. A SURFACE TROUGH AXIS WAS ALSO CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH 500 MB LOW CENTERED OVER WESTERN PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS AT 20Z MESOSCALE ANALYSIS SHOWS MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK AREA CAPPED WITH LITTLE INSTABILITY...HENCE THE LACK OF THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE OUTLOOK AREA. GENERAL CONSENSUS BETWEEN THE MODELS INDICATE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL BEGIN SHORTLY BEFORE SUNSET FOR THE CWA AS THE CAP BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN AND THE CUMULUS FIELD INITIATES INTO STORMS. HOWEVER...MOST OF THESE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA WHERE THE BULK OF THE INSTABILITY WILL RESIDE. ADDITIONALLY...SHEAR VALUES WILL BE STRONGER EAST AND SOUTH EAST OF THE OUTLOOK AREA AS WELL...JUST AHEAD OF THE SURFACE TROUGH AXIS. WITH THIS BEING SAID...A FEW STRONGER STORMS COULD STILL POTENTIALLY IMPACT THE AREA...MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM STOCKTON KANSAS TO OSCEOLA NEBRASKA...WHERE THE MORE FAVORABLE ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WILL BE REALIZED. LONG TERM...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. MAIN CHALLENGE WILL BE DETERMINING PRECIPITATION CHANCES TUESDAY NIGHT AND BEYOND. MODELS HAVE MAINLY GOOD CONTINUITY AND AGREEMENT. NORTHWEST FLOW WILL GIVE WAY TO QUASI-ZONAL FLOW BY MONDAY. THIS WILL BE SHORT-LIVED...HOWEVER AS A SIGNIFICANT WAVE MOVES IN AND DEVELOPS A CUTOFF LOW OVER THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THIS COULD MEAN A COOL DOWN ALONG WITH CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION AFTER A PERIOD OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE BUILDING SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE PACIFIC WILL ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG JET ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DEVELOPING LONGWAVE TROUGH...WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AS A RESULT. WILL ALSO KEEP THUNDER OUT OF THE FORECAST AS THERE IS LITTLE OR NO MUCAPE AROUND. ANY CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION WILL LIKELY BE HIGHER TOWARD THE EAST...CLOSER TO THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS...AND DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY INTO AT LEAST THURSDAY AS INSOLATION OCCURS AND ENCOURAGES SHOWER DEVELOPMENT...WHICH SHOULD TRAIL OFF TOWARD EVENING. THINGS BECOME MORE DICEY FOR PRECIPITATION CHANCES LATER ON AS IT IS UNCERTAIN AS TO HOW THIS CUTOFF SCENARIO WILL PLAY OUT AND WILL KEEP CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION OUT FOR NOW AS THE AXIS SHOULD SLIDE A BIT MORE EAST BY THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1235 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012/ AVIATION...18Z TAF FOR KGRI. VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE REALIZED AT THE TAF SITE FOR A MAJORITY OF THE TAF PERIOD. HOWEVER...MVFR CONDITIONS WILL BE INTRODUCED FOR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AS THUNDERSTORMS ENTER THE TAF SITE...AND THIS WILL BE EVIDENT WITHIN A TEMPO GROUP FOR THE TAF. WIND GUSTS COULD BE STRONGER IN THE VICINITY OF A THUNDERSTORM. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ANTICIPATED AT THE TAF SITE SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET AND THIS IS SEEN IN SEVERAL MODEL OUTPUTS. CONFIDENCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS PAST 06Z IS NOT HIGH...AND VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE EXPECTED THEREAFTER FOR THE TAF SITE. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && UPDATE/AVIATION...ROSSI SHORT TERM...GUERRERO LONG TERM...HEINLEIN
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 13, 7:27 PM CST, 13 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 827 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ041-048-049-060>064-072>077-082>087-150130- PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-NANCE-MERRICK-POLK- DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS- CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 827 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BE ON THE STRONG SIDE...WITH SMALL HAIL AND THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND OF 20 TO 30 MPH ALONG WITH FAIRLY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RESULT IN ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE) NEZ039-040-046-047-150130- VALLEY-GREELEY-SHERMAN-HOWARD- 827 PM CDT SAT OCT 13 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND OF 20 TO 30 MPH ALONG WITH FAIRLY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES WILL RESULT IN ELEVATED TO NEAR CRITICAL FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE) ROSSI
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Oct 13, 3:52 PM CST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
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</html>The radar
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:42 UTC.
Event by event
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Oklahoma, October 13, 2012
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, October 13, 2012
- Tornado and Flash Flood in Oklahoma, October 13, 2012
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Arkansas, October 13 to 14, 2012
- Damaging Winds in Texas, October 13, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 13, 2012
- High Wind in Montana, October 13 to 16, 2012
- Frost and Freeze in Virginia, October 13, 2012
- Frost and Freeze in West Virginia, October 13, 2012
- Frost and Freeze in Maryland, October 13, 2012
- Hail and Heavy Rain in Iowa, October 13 to 14, 2012
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, October 13, 2012
More
Every storm in Nebraska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, October 2012
Sources
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: 410936.