Hail, Dawes
- When
- May 18, 3:08 PM MST to 3:10 PM MST
- Where
- Dawes County, 14 mi SSE of Crawford
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 42.493, -103.295
Nickel to quarter size hail was reported.
Tornado and Hail in Nebraska, May 18, 2013
A synoptic pattern similar to the previous day produced several reports of large hail, funnel clouds and a brief tornado in the western Nebraska Panhandle during the late afternoon and early evening.
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
- 8
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 CYS wrote it up.
A synoptic pattern similar to the previous day produced several reports of large hail, funnel clouds and a brief tornado in the western Nebraska Panhandle during the late afternoon and early evening.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 18, 1:12 PM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 18, 1:12 PM MST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 212 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 1236 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 18Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE POOLING IN THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE WITH MOST LOCATIONS OBSERVING DEW POINTS IN THE 50S. DRIER AIR JUST TO THE WEST OF THE WYOMING STATE LINE. THIS BOUNDARY SHOULD BE THE FOCAL POINT FOR STRONG CONVECTION AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. SPC HAS THIS AREA IN SLIGHT RISK AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE WATCH LATER TODAY. CURRENT LAPS DATA SHOWING CAPE VALUES ALREADY OVER 1500 IN THE PANHANDLE WITH SOME AREAS OVER 3000.LIFTED INDEX OF MINUS 6. RADAR BEGINNING TO SHOW STORMS DEVELOPING IN WESTERN CARBON COUNTY AND IN NORTHERN PLATTE COUNTY. LIGHTNING DETECTION SHOWING SOME STRIKES WITH THIS ACTIVITY. STORMS THAT DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 25 AND ESPECIALLY IN THE PANHANDLE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. IN EXTREME EASTERN AREAS OF THE CWA AN ISOLATED TORNADO WOULD NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION. STORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AND SHOWERS PERSIST OVERNIGHT. COOLER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED BOTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS UPPER TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD KEEP THE THE AREA UNSETTLED AND WILL CONTINUE CHANCES OF RAIN IN THE FORECAST. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 1241 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 UPPER TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WRAPAROUND RAIN SHOWERS TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY WITH CONTINUED COOLER TEMPERATURES. SHORTWAVE RIDGING WILL BUILD OVERHEAD FOR WEDNESDAY WITH WARMER BUT MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS...EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS OUT WEST. FLOW ALOFT WILL RETURN TO A MORE SOUTHWESTERLY COMPONENT FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND WITH INCREASING CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 1241 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE OVER THE FORECAST AREA TODAY AND WILL INITIATE A MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM OUTBREAK FOR THIS AFTERNOON. STORMS ALREADY OCCURRING OVER WESTERN CARBON COUNTY WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE TO THE EAST THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...WITH SOME STORMS OVER THE WESTERN NEBRASKA EXPECTED EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE WITH VERY STRONG DOWNDRAFT WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAIN THE MAIN THREATS AFTER 22Z. STORMS OVER SOUTHEAST WYOMING WILL ALSO PRODUCE STRONG DOWNDRAFT WINDS ALONG WITH SMALLER HAIL. MVFR TO BRIEF IFR CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY OCCUR IN THE STORMS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NEBRASKA SITES. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER INTO TONIGHT ACROSS THE EASTERN HIGH PLAINS...AND WILL STEADILY DISSIPATE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL THEN OVERSPREAD THE FORECAST AREA EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...WITH RAIN SHOWERS AND MVFR CIGS EXPECTED IN THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 1241 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS AS UNSETTLED WEATHER SHOULD KEEP THE RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ABOVE CRITICAL VALUES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLER AND CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...GRIFFITH LONG TERM...RJM AVIATION...RJM FIRE WEATHER...GRIFFITH
Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 12:55 PM MST, 2 hours 13 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 155 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 WYZ101>119-191715- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS- SHIRLEY BASIN-CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- EAST PLATTE COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY- SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE- LARAMIE VALLEY-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 1111 AM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL WYOMING... SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS FURTHER WEST TOWARDS LARAMIE AND RAWLINS. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME STRONG...WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL POSSIBLE. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...BUT IS POSSIBLE IN AREAS CLOSE TO THE NEBRASKA BORDER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AND MONDAY ACROSS SOUTHEAST WYOMING...ESPECIALLY ALONG AND EAST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTIVITY ON TUESDAY...THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING GENERALLY EAST OF INTERSTATE 25. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-191715- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- 155 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 ...TORNADO WATCH 170 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM MDT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR ON SATURDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY RESULT IN LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION EAST OF HIGHWAY 385. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AND MONDAY ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA. ALTHOUGH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE...SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL MOST LIKELY BE NEEDED ACROSS THE PANHANDLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && THIS PRODUCT...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGIC...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB AT... HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/CHEYENNE GRIFFITH
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 18, 1:47 PM MST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 247 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 WYZ102-108-182115- GOSHEN COUNTY WY-NIOBRARA COUNTY WY- 247 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN NIOBRARA AND NORTHERN GOSHEN COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM MDT... AT 246 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF JAY EM...OR 17 MILES SOUTH OF LUSK...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... LUSK... RAWHIDE BUTTES... IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. && LAT...LON 4293 10440 4283 10406 4241 10436 4248 10459 TIME...MOT...LOC 2047Z 202DEG 15KT 4253 10443 GRIFFITH
Special weather statement, May 18, 2:38 PM MST, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 338 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 NEZ054-055-182215- CHEYENNE NE-KIMBALL NE- 338 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN KIMBALL AND SOUTHWESTERN CHEYENNE COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM MDT... AT 337 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTH OF POTTER...OR 18 MILES WEST OF SIDNEY...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN KIMBALL AND WESTERN CHEYENNE COUNTIES. 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 4100 10346 4119 10347 4120 10316 4101 10317 TIME...MOT...LOC 2139Z 171DEG 13KT 4109 10331 MAZUR
Special weather statement, May 18, 2:51 PM MST, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 351 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 NEZ002-182245- DAWES NE- 351 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN DAWES COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM MDT... AT 346 PM MDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CRAWFORD...OR 26 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHADRON...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... WHITNEY LAKE... WHITNEY... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY....AND A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. 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 4290 10333 4280 10298 4246 10324 4251 10345 TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 202DEG 11KT 4256 10332 GRIFFITH
Local storm report, May 18, 3:01 PM MST, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
401 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM HAIL 14 SSE CRAWFORD 42.50N 103.31W
05/18/2013 E0.75 INCH DAWES NE TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
GCLAYCOMLocal storm report, May 18, 3:04 PM MST, 4 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
404 PM MDT SAT MAY 18 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0403 PM HAIL CRAWFORD 42.69N 103.41W
05/18/2013 E0.75 INCH DAWES NE TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
GCLAYCOMThe radar
The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 185 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:08 UTC.
Event by event
5 hail, 2 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Dawes
- When
- May 18, 3:15 PM MST to 3:17 PM MST
- Where
- Dawes County, 9.73 mi N of Box Butte Reservoir
- Measured
- 1.75 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 42.610, -103.170
Golf ball size hail was reported.
Hail, Cheyenne
- When
- May 18, 3:35 PM MST to 3:37 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County, Brownson
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.180, -103.120
There were several reports of quarter size hail in Brownson.
Hail, Cheyenne
- When
- May 18, 3:40 PM MST to 3:42 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County, 12 mi NW of Sidney
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.273, -103.143
Penny to quarter sized hail was reported.
Funnel Cloud, Morrill
- When
- May 18, 3:45 PM MST to 3:53 PM MST
- Where
- Morrill County, 14 mi NE of Bridgeport
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 41.813, -102.908
A well defined cone funnel persisted for several minutes.
Funnel Cloud, Morrill
- When
- May 18, 3:53 PM MST to 3:58 PM MST
- Where
- Morrill County, 9 mi N of Broadwater
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
- Coordinates
- 41.730, -102.850
The base of the funnel cloud lowered to 50 feet above the ground.
Tornado, Morrill
- When
- May 18, 3:58 PM MST to 4:01 PM MST
- Where
- Morrill County, 9 mi N of Broadwater to 10 mi N of Broadwater
- Rating
- EF0
- Path length
- 1 mi
- Path width
- 50 yd
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 41.730, -102.850
The tornado was on the ground for a few minutes before it lifted.
Hail, Cheyenne
- When
- May 18, 4:10 PM MST to 4:20 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County, Sidney
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 41.150, -102.980
There were numerous reports of penny to quarter size hail in Sidney.
What these are
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Funnel Cloud
- A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
- Tornado
- A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 18, 2013
- Hail in South Dakota, May 18, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, May 18, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, May 18, 2013
- Tornadoes and Hail in Kansas, May 18, 2013
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Tennessee, May 18 to 19, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Dakota, May 18, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Kansas, May 18 to 19, 2013
- Hail in Colorado, May 18, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Dakota, May 18 to 19, 2013
- Flash Flood and Hail in South Dakota, May 18, 2013
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kansas, May 18, 2013
More
Every storm in Nebraska in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2013Warnings in Nebraska, May 2013
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: 442486, 442487, 442488, 442489, 442490, 442491, 442492, 442493.