For a few hours on this Sunday afternoon, several strong to severe thunderstorms streamed from southwest-to-northeast through far eastern portions of South Central Nebraska, primarily affecting locations east of a line from Nelson-Grafton-Stromsburg. Of the handful of storm reports received, all of them consisted of hail ranging in size from pennies to ping pong balls.
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 GID wrote it up.
For a few hours on this Sunday afternoon, several strong to severe thunderstorms streamed from southwest-to-northeast through far eastern portions of South Central Nebraska, primarily affecting locations east of a line from Nelson-Grafton-Stromsburg. Of the handful of storm reports received, all of them consisted of hail ranging in size from pennies to ping pong balls. The largest reported 1.5 inch stones fell in Nelson, while quarter size hail fell during two separate storms in Shickley and also Davenport. Rainfall-wise, there were no reports of impactful flooding as amounts in most places averaged less than 1.50, with a few of the slightly higher exceptions featuring 1.87 four miles southeast of Waco (NeRAIN) and 1.58 four miles south of Shickley (NWS cooperative observer).
In the days and even hours leading up to this event, it appeared that severe thunderstorms might develop farther west and thus pose an overall more widespread and significant threat within the 24-county South Central Nebraska area. However, a slow-moving, north-south oriented cold front shifted eastward through most of the area during the day, and by the time convective initiation occurred, this primary low-level convergence zone focused severe storms only within the far-eastern local counties. Timing-wise, severe convection first flared up between 330-430 pm CDT, as seasonably-strong forcing along the front quickly resulted in a messy storm mode with numerous cell mergers helping prevent the establishment of discrete supercells and a potential tornadic threat. Also between 330-430 pm CDT, a separate of strong storms briefly brushed a few local counties farther north such as Greeley and Nance, but this area of convection did not intensify to severe levels until it exited the area. Back south within the main convective corridor, local storm coverage peaked between 430-630 pm CDT, before quickly departing eastward into eastern Nebraska and ending the South Central Nebraska severe threat.
On the synoptic and mesoscale levels, this was a rather potent late-summer severe weather setup. In the mid and upper levels, a broad, seasonably strong trough shifted eastward out of the Rockies into Nebraska, accompanied by an upper level jet streak and resultant increase in upper level divergence. Meanwhile, low-level forcing focused along the aforementioned cold front as surface temperatures climbed into the 80s F and dewpoints averaged well into the 60s. Instability and shear parameters were certainly supportive of supercell development along the front, as mixed-layer CAPE climbed into the 2000-3000 J/kg range in the presence of 0-6 kilometer deep layer wind shear as high as 40-50 knots.
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 Aug 31, 2:01 PM CST, 54 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 301 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 SURFACE ANALYSIS AND OBSERVATIONS SHOW A COLD FRONT JUST ENTERING THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. AHEAD OF THE FRONT THERE ARE SOME HIGH CLOUDS AND DEW POINTS IN THE MID 60S. BEHIND THE FRONT THERE ARE SOME SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. MODELS STILL HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE EXACT TIMING OF THE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT THERE WILL BE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING BEHIND THE FRONT LATE THIS AFTERNOON THEN CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE BEST MUCAPE HAS BEEN IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. THERE IS A CAP OVER THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. EXPECT MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG AND JUST BEHIND THE FRONT AS IT MOVES THROUGH. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. AS MIDNIGHT APPROACHES THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD START TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA. LATE TONIGHT THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVE OUT OF THE AREA AND A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SETTLE INTO THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WILL KEEP SKIES PARTLY CLOUDY AND WINDS FAIRLY LIGHT. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 300 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 THE EXTENDED PERIODS WILL SEE VARYING WEATHER FROM COOL/WARM AND WET/DRY. BEGINNING MONDAY NIGHT THE PATTERN ALOFT WILL FEATURE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE PLAINS STATES WITH A JET STREAK AND AND SHORTWAVE TROUGH MOVING ACROSS OUR REGION PRIMARILY DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE NIGHT. MODELS SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL FOR CONVECTION AS THIS NEXT SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH BUT INSTABILITY IS WEAKER...RANGING FROM JUST A FEW HUNDRED J/KG IN OUR WESTERN ZONES UP TO POSSIBILITY AROUND 1000 J/KG. ALTHOUGH A FEW STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. TEMPERATURE TREND UP ON TUESDAY AS THE PATTERN BECOMES MORE ZONAL BEHIND THE DEPARTING WAVE. THE LLVL JET IS PROGGED TO INCREASE TO 40 TO 50KTS TUESDAY NIGHT AND THERE IS AN OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT STORMS MAY REDEVELOP ON THE NOSE OF THE JET ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN/SOUTHEAST ZONES...BUT WITH ACTIVITY ON THE EDGE OF OUR CWA PLAN TO JUST GO WITH SILENT POPS FOR NOW AND MONITOR. FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WORKWEEK...AN UPPER TROUGH REACHES THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION AND THE FLOW ALOFT TRANSITIONS SOUTHWESTERLY WITH HEIGHT RISES/RIDGING EXPANDING NORTH. DAYTIME TEMPS CONTINUE TO WARM IN THIS REGIME WITH H85 TEMPS REACHING THE MID/UPPER 20S CELSIUS AND RESULTANT AFTN TEMPS SHOULD REACH WELL INTO THE 80S TO MID 90S. ANOTHER COOL FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE ONTO THE PLAINS AS EARLY AS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND POTENTIALLY AS LATE AS THURSDAY NIGHT DEPENDING ON THE MODEL. GIVEN UNCERTAINTY IN TIMING WILL NOT DEVIATE FROM THE EXTENDED INIT AND CURRENT FORECAST WITH CHCS FOR STORMS RETURNING THURSDAY NIGHT. THE BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO SETTLE FROM EASTERN NEB TO WESTERN KS ON FRIDAY WITH FRONT FOCUSING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR CONVECTION. WITH TIME THE FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH INTO KANSAS OVER THE WEEKEND WITH THE FORECAST DRYING OUT FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AS A COOL 1022 MB SURFACE HIGH BUILDS SOUTH FM THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND SETTLES ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS. IN THE COOLER...DRIER AIRMASS TEMPS WILL TREND MORE FALL LIKE WITH HIGHS IN THE AVERAGING IN THE 70S AND LOWS AVERAGING IN THE 50S. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1218 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS TIMING THUNDERSTORMS AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. STILL LOOKS LIKE BEST CHANCES WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA ALONG WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS AND WINDS WILL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST LATER IN THE PERIOD. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JCB LONG TERM...FAY AVIATION...JCB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 336 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 011300- PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE- SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK- GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN- WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 336 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RE-DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK AREA. LARGE AND POTENTIALLY DAMAGING HAIL...PERHAPS APPROACHING THE SIZE OF TENNIS BALLS...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 70 MPH...AND A FEW TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO PROMOTE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...BUT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. INTERMITTENT CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORM EXIST THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THROUGH AROUND 10 PM. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
317 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KSZ007-312045-
JEWELL KS-
317 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR JEWELL COUNTY UNTIL 345 PM CDT...
AT 316 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM
NEAR BURR OAK...OR 24 MILES NORTHWEST OF BELOIT...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 30 MPH.
THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO RAPIDLY
INTENSIFY...AND RESIDENTS ACROSS JEWELL COUNTY WILL NEED TO BE
PREPARED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MANKATO...JEWELL...BURR OAK...ESBON...FORMOSO...IONIA...WEBBER...
MONTROSE AND LOVEWELL STATE PARK.
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 3958 9829 3959 9848 3999 9849 3998 9795
3971 9797
TIME...MOT...LOC 2016Z 209DEG 28KT 3978 9833
BRYANTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
338 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KSZ007-NEZ085-086-312100-
JEWELL KS-WEBSTER NE-NUCKOLLS NE-
338 PM CDT SUN AUG 31 2014
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR JEWELL...SOUTHEASTERN WEBSTER AND
NUCKOLLS COUNTIES UNTIL 400 PM CDT...
AT 336 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR BOSTWICK TO NEAR
WEBBER...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
PENNY TO NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO AROUND 50 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS AT THEY STRENGTHEN CONTINUE MOVING
NORTHEAST.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SUPERIOR...MANKATO...NELSON...JEWELL...GUIDE ROCK...BURR OAK...
HARDY...RUSKIN...ESBON...FORMOSO...IONIA...OAK...RANDALL...WEBBER...
NORA...BOSTWICK...MONTROSE AND LOVEWELL STATE PARK.
THESE STORMS 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.
A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM CDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR
SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
LAT...LON 4000 9793 3958 9793 3959 9849 3999 9848
4025 9826 4033 9786 4000 9783
TIME...MOT...LOC 2036Z 221DEG 33KT 4007 9813 3992 9814
BRYANTThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 34 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:56 UTC.
8 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
One inch diameter hail began falling at 3:55 p.m. CDT, and by 3:58 p.m. CDT, hail diameter increased to 1.5 inches.
Dime to nickel size hail occurred.
This report was received via Facebook.
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, August 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: 541134, 541136, 541140, 541148, 541139, 541141, 541143, 541144.