A strong spring storm system produced high winds across portions of the west on April 28, 2014. The winds quickly increased during the morning hours and persisted through the afternoon as northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to near 60 mph were observed.
Every event with a place to put it; 13 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 LBF wrote it up.
A strong spring storm system produced high winds across portions of the west on April 28, 2014. The winds quickly increased during the morning hours and persisted through the afternoon as northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to near 60 mph were observed. The strong winds were reported to have destroyed a grain bin in Hershey.
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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 28, 6:06 AM CST, 2 hours 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 706 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 705 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 UPDATED FORECAST TO DROP WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SHERIDAN AND WESTERN CHERRY COUNTIES AND TO CAPTURE WIND HEADLINES. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 HAD SOME SNOW THIS MORNING OVER NORTH WEST ZONES AND ALONG THE EASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. KOGA REPORTED SNOW FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BUT HAS NOW CHANGED BACK TO RAIN. 36F TO 39F WERE BRINGING A MIX AND 35F AND LOWER LOOKED TO BE BRINGING SNOW. MAIN FOCUS TODAY WILL BE POPS AND WIND. HAVE CARRIED SOME SNOW OVER THE NORTHWEST EARLY THIS MORNING WITH A MIX SOUTH INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. ALL CHANGED OVER TO RAIN BY THE NOON HOUR. DEFORMATION ZONE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE CENTRAL NEBRASKA SANDHILLS THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THE NIGHT ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA WITH 987MB SURFACE LOW OVER EASTERN NEBRASKA. BAND OF SHOWERS ABOUT 40 MILES WIDE AND IS PROGGED TO MOVE SLOWLY WEST THROUGH THE MORNING AND THEN SHIFT BACK TO THE EAST TONIGHT. VERY STRONG WINDS TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE MORNING OVER THE SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA PANHANDLE INTO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. HAVE EXPANDED THE HIGH WIND WARNING JUST A ROW OF COUNTIES TO THE EAST AND CONTINUED THROUGH THE DAY. WILL LEAVE THE WIND ADVISORY TO THE EAST OF THE HIGH WIND WARNING. WILL KEEP THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY GOING EARLY THIS MORNING WITH A PRE FIRST PERIOD TO THE ZONES. DON'T EXPECT MUCH IN THE WAY OF ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION BUT DOR CAMS AND OBS LOOK TO WARRANT IT. WILL LEAVE WIND HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE EVENING HOURS FOR THE DAY SHIFT...PROBABLY WILL NEED AN ADVISORY FOR PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. HAVE CARRIED A CHANGEOVER TO ALL SNOW AGAIN TONIGHT AFTER MIDNIGHT FROM SHERIDAN TO VALENTINE AND ALONG HIGHWAY 2. WITH 10 TO 1 RATIO HAVE A COUPLE OF INCHES BUT BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 342 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 FORECAST CONCERNS CONTINUE TO CENTER ON GUSTY NORTHWEST WIND...COOLER THAN AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW RELUCTANTLY MEANDERS EAST ACROSS THE CORN BELT AND NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. THE UPPER LOW WILL BE ABSORBED BY THE NORTHERN STREAM LATE WEEK AND LIFT EAST INTO SOUTHEASTERN CANADA. FOR TUESDAY...MODELS CONTINUE TO KEY ON PRECIPITATION FORMING ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA AS DECENT ISENTROPIC LIFT CONTINUES. WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHERN NEBRASKA ONCE AGAIN WILL SEE THE HIGHEST CHANCES OF POPS AS UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WRAPS AROUND THE NORTHEASTERN ADVANCING MIDLEVEL LOW...WHICH CORRESPONDS NICELY WITH A FAVORABLE AREA OF WEAK FRONTOGENETIC FORCING. THERMAL PROFILES OF THE LOWER TROPOSPHERE WILL SUPPORT SNOW IN SOME PLACES /SANDHILLS...NORTHERN AND WESTERN NEBRASKA/ THROUGH LATE MORNING TUESDAY...HOWEVER QPF RATES WILL NOT BE SUCH THAT MEASURABLE ACCUMULATIONS WOULD OCCUR. WILL CONTINUE A RAIN/SNOW MIX MENTION IN THE FORECAST FOR NOW. THE UPPER LOW CONTINUES TO MEANDER EAST LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...ENDING UP WEST OF LAKE SUPERIOR BY 00Z THURSDAY. THE SLOW EASTWARD PROGRESSION SHOULD ALLOW FOR A SLOW DOWNWARD TREND IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES EACH DAY....WITH THE HIGHEST POPS FAVORING OUR NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA ZONES. WILL GENERALLY CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE TO LOW END CHANCE WORDING IN THE FORECAST INTO EARLY FRIDAY AS ADDITIONAL SW ENERGY DIVES SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. ATTM...CANNOT RULE OUT SNOW AND/OR MIX DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BUT MEASURABLE ACCUMULATION ARE ONCE AGAIN NOT ANTICIPATED AS THERMAL PROFILES ONLY MARGINALLY SUPPORT SNOW. THE SW ENERGY WILL EFFECTIVELY RE-ENFORCE THE EXITING TROUGH LATE WEEK AS RIDGING AMPLIFIES ACROSS THE WESTERN QUARTER OF THE CONUS. SHARP NORTHERLY FLOW ATOP THE HIGH PLAINS WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES SEASONAL TO BELOW AVERAGE THROUGH SATURDAY. BUT THE UPPER PATTERN WILL TRANSITION TO QUASI ZONAL LATE NEXT WEEKEND...WITH A BIT OF A WARMUP EXPECTED BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEXT UPPER SYSTEM/SFC FRONT. PRECIPITATION CHANCES SEEM WARRANTED LATE THIS WEEKEND...GENERALLY TIED TO THE PASSAGE OF A WEAK DISTURBANCE AND MID-LEVEL FRONT. BUT ATTM WILL CAP AT POPS AT SLIGHT CHANCE AT BEST AS LOCATIONAL DIFFERENCES OF THE DISTURBANCE AND FRONT ARE NOTED BETWEEN THE LONG RANGE CAMPS. FOR THE WIND FORECAST AND ASSOCIATED HIGHLIGHTS...GIVEN THE MULTITUDE OF WIND HEADLINES ALREADY OUT...WILL EMPLOY A KEEP IT SIMPLE APPROACH AND TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME. THAT BEING SAID...THE SLOW NATURE OF THE SYSTEM WILL ALLOW FOR ADVISORY CRITERIA WIND SPEEDS ACROSS MUCH /IF NOT ALL/ OF THE CWA TUESDAY. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT...CAA AND MOMENTUM XFER OF 40-45KTS /AT H85/ WILL PROMOTE WIND GUSTS TO AT LEAST 50 MPH FOR MUCH OF THE DAY...AGAIN HEADLINES ARE ANTICIPATED. WINDS WILL BE SOMEWHAT LIGHTER ON WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER AND SURFACE LOW SLOWLY WORK EAST...THOUGH WINDY...WIND SPEEDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED. THERE MAY BE A FEW GUSTS IN WIND PRONE AREAS TO 40 MPH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...BUT ADDITIONAL WIND HEADLINES FOR WEDNESDAY ARE NOT CERTAIN. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 705 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN WITH SOME RAIN AND SNOW MIXED WILL CONTINUE OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA TODAY. GENERALLY MVFR CONDITIONS PERSIST OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA THROUGH THE MORNING WITH SUSTAINED WINDS AT 35 TO 45 MPH AND GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY AND WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THIS EVENING TO 25 TO 35 MPH. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ022-023-035-036-056>059-069>071. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ004- 024-025-037-094. WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR NEZ005-006-008-009- 026-027-038. && UPDATE...POWER SHORT TERM...POWER LONG TERM...JACOBS AVIATION...POWER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 508 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-291015- SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-KEYA PAHA-BOYD-BROWN-ROCK-HOLT-GARDEN- GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-BLAINE-LOUP-GARFIELD-WHEELER-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON- LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER- WESTERN CHERRY- 508 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014 /408 AM MDT MON APR 28 2014/ ...HIGH WIND WARNING OVER WESTERN NEBRASKA TODAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. VERY STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA TODAY. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH AND WEST OF A LINE FROM HYANNIS TO BRADY. TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF THIS LINE NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE OVER NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TODAY WITH LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. AS PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TONIGHT RAIN MAY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO ALL SNOW OVER NORTHWEST NEBRASKA ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2 FROM ELLSWORTH IN SHERIDAN COUNTY TO BROWNLEE IN SOUTHEAST CHERRY COUNTY. SOME ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. STRONG WINDS AND SHARPLY COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS THE LARGE STORM SYSTEM SLOWLY MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. SNOW IS POSSIBLE AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE AND WESTERN SANDHILLS. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND WIND COULD PRESENT A WINTER WEATHER HAZARD FOR MOTORISTS AND LIVESTOCK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && GET YOUR WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE (ALL LOWERCASE) POWER
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
630 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 N VALENTINE 42.92N 100.55W
04/28/2014 M2.81 INCH CHERRY NE PUBLIC
2.81 INCHES OF RAIN IN LAST 24 HOURS.
&&
JGOMEZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
644 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0643 AM HEAVY RAIN 29 S VALENTINE 42.45N 100.55W
04/28/2014 M0.95 INCH CHERRY NE PUBLIC
24 HOUR PRECIP
&&
JGOMEZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
925 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0919 AM SNOW 13 N RUSHVILLE 42.90N 102.47W
04/28/2014 E8.0 INCH SHERIDAN NE LAW ENFORCEMENT
ESTIMATED REPORT TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 8.0 INCHES OF SNOW AND
6 INCHES ON THE GROUND AT TIME OF REPORT.
0900 AM SNOW 1 SW GORDON 42.80N 102.22W
04/28/2014 E5.0 INCH SHERIDAN NE TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JGOMEZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
956 AM CDT MON APR 28 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0955 AM SNOW 3 NE GORDON 42.84N 102.16W
04/28/2014 E4.0 INCH SHERIDAN NE PUBLIC
&&
JGOMEZThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Nearby Imperial ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to around 50 mph between 3 pm CDT and 6 pm CDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph were common across Hayes County.
Nearby McCook ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to near 60 mph between 11 am CDT and 6 pm CDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to near 60 mph were common across Frontier County.
North Platte ASOS recorded a peak wind gust 58 mph at 205 pm CDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph were common across Lincoln County. In Hershey a large grain bin was destroyed and resulted in the Union Pacific Railroad to temporarily halt train traffic through the area.
Nearby Sidney ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to 58 mph between 9 am MDT and 5 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 55 mph were common across Deuel County.
Ogallala AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to 50 mph between 12 pm MDT and 3 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph were common across Keith County.
Nearby Ogallala AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to 50 mph between 12 pm MDT and 3 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph were common across Arthur County.
Nearby Imperial ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to around 50 mph between 2 pm MDT and 5 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph were common across Perkins County.
Imperial ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with occasional gusts to around 50 mph between 2 pm MDT and 5 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 50 mph were common across Chase County.
Nearby North Platte ASOS recorded a peak wind gust 58 mph at 205 pm CDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph were common across Logan County during the late morning and afternoon hours.
Nearby North Platte ASOS recorded a peak wind gust 58 mph at 205 pm CDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph were common across McPherson County during the late morning and afternoon hours.
The Thedford AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph between 1 pm CDT and 4 pm CDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph were common across Thomas County during the late morning and afternoon hours.
A mesonet site near Whitman recorded sustained winds of 40 mph between 2 pm MDT and 4 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph were common across Grant County during the late morning and afternoon hours.
Nearby Thedford AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph between 12 pm MDT and 3 pm MDT. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts in excess of 50 mph were common across Hooker County during the late morning and afternoon hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, April 2014
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: 505042, 505043, 505036, 505037, 505038, 505039, 505040, 505041, 505044, 505050, 505068, 505035, 505067.