The drought that began in June 2012 was eased across the northwest as convection brought rainfall. Further south and east, the drought intensified into portions of the sandhills and north central to Extreme (D3) conditions and Severe (D2) conditions northeast into eastern Holt County.
Every event with a place to put it; 26 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.
The drought that began in June 2012 was eased across the northwest as convection brought rainfall. Further south and east, the drought intensified into portions of the sandhills and north central to Extreme (D3) conditions and Severe (D2) conditions northeast into eastern Holt County.
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 30, 11:36 PM CST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 1236 AM CDT THU MAY 1 2014 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 337 PM CDT WED APR 30 2014 A PERSISTENT PATTERN CONTINUES OVER THE LOWER 48 WITH A CUTOFF LOW CENTERED OVER FAR SERN MINNESOTA. WV IMAGERY HAS SHORTWAVE ENERGY ROTATING ON THE WESTERN AND SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LOW. THE FORMER SHORTWAVE HAS LED TO ABUNDANT CLOUDINESS AND INSTABILITY SHOWERS ACROSS MOST OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON AS H500 TEMPS WERE -26C PER THE 12Z KLBF RAOB SOUNDING FROM EARLIER THIS MORNING. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE WAS NOTED OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN WITH HIGH PRESSURE ANCHORED ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THIS LED TO A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS TDY...WHICH HAS RESULTED IN STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES...2 PM CDT TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S. && .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 704 PM CDT WED APR 30 2014 SUSTAINED WIND SPEED IN WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA HAD DECREASED TO LESS THAN 30 MPH FOR NEARLY ALL OF THE AREA...SO THE WIND ADVISORY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 337 PM CDT WED APR 30 2014 TONIGHT STRONG LOW PRESSURE IMPACTING MUCH OF THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE CONUS WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE UPPER MIDWEST...LEAVING OUR AREA IN DEEP NORTHERLY FLOW. STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL BACK OFF TO AROUND 10-20 MPH DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. THIS WILL STILL BE ENOUGH TO KEEP THE BL MIXED...COMBINING WITH CLOUD COVER TO KEEP TEMPERATURES FALLING ONLY 10 TO 15 DEGREES...WITH LOWS NEAR TO JUST ABOVE FREEZING OVERNIGHT. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AS ANOTHER VORT LOBE ROTATING AROUND THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL PROVIDE JUST ENOUGH LIFT TO PRODUCE A FEW RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS. ONLY EXPECTING LIGHT QPF AMOUNTS. THURSDAY STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW FINALLY KICKS NORTHEAST AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BEGINS TO BUILD INTO THE CENTRAL CONUS THURSDAY. EXPECTING HIGHS TO CONTINUE BELOW NORMAL H85 TEMPS REMAIN AROUND OR BELOW 5C...RESULTING IN HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S FOR MOST OF THE AREA. BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL ALSO CONTINUE...HOWEVER NOT EXPECTING GUSTS ABOVE 40 MPH LIKE OUR AREA HAS SEEN THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS AS THE LOCAL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE WEAKER. SKIES WILL CLEAR THROUGH THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON AS DRIER AIR MOVES IN FROM THE NORTH. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 337 PM CDT WED APR 30 2014 OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...THE PATTERN WILL TRANSITION FROM A LOW AMPLITUDE ZONAL PATTERN...BACK TO AN AMPLIFIED PATTERN WITH A BROAD TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING IN THE WEST. THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES IN THE MID RANGE PERIOD FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY ARE TEMPERATURES AND LOW PRECIPITATION CHANCES. FOR THE EXTENDED PERIODS FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY ARE TEMPERATURES AND THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS. FOR THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...LIGHT WESTERLY WINDS AND DRY AIR...WILL PUSH LOWS INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER TO MID 30S ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THURSDAY NIGHT. ATTM...THE BEST CHANCES FOR SUB FREEZING TEMPS WILL BE ACROSS THE EASTERN PANHANDLE...AND IN THE PLATTE RIVER VALLEY GIVEN THE GOOD COLD AIR DRAINAGE SETUP FRIDAY MORNING. STILL TOO EARLY CLIMATOLOGICALLY FOR FROST/FREEZE ADVISORIES/WARNINGS JUST YET AS OUR CLIMATOLOGICAL MEAN FOR FREEZING TEMPS IS STILL 1 TO 2 WEEKS AWAY. ON FRIDAY...LOW PRESSURE WILL DROP SOUTH FROM NERN WYOMING INTO THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. MUCH WARMER AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION FROM THE WEST WITH H85 TEMPS RANGING FROM AROUND 8C IN THE NORTHEAST...TO NEAR 20C IN THE SOUTHWEST. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 60S IN THE NORTHEAST...TO MID 70S IN THE SOUTHWEST. WINDS WILL BE FAIRLY LIGHT FROM THE WEST AT AROUND 10 MPH. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...ON FRIDAY NIGHT...AS THE SURFACE LOW PUSHES EAST...A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION...STALLING ACROSS SWRN NEBRASKA AND NRN KS SATURDAY. AS THIS FEATURE PUSHES SOUTH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...THE COMBINATION OF THE FRONT ALONG WITH VERY STEEP LAPSE RATES...WILL LEAD TO AN INCREASED CHANCE FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY OVER THE PANHANDLE AND NWRN CWA. INSTABILITY WILL BE DECENT IN THE NORTHWEST...HOWEVER MOISTURE WILL REMAIN MEAGER WITH SFC DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER 30S/LOWER 40S. WITH THIS IN MIND...HAVE KEPT ANY PCPN CHANCES ISOLATED AT BEST. AS FOR THE SEVERE THREAT FRIDAY EVENING...AM NOT REALLY ANTICIPATING ANY SEVERE AT THIS JUNCTURE. DEEP LAYER SHEAR IS 60+KTS PER THE LATEST NAM SOLN. GIVEN THE MEAGER MOISTURE AND CAPE...ANY STORMS WHICH DO DEVELOP WILL PROBABLY GET SHEARED OFF BEFORE THEY CAN BECOME ORGANIZED. OVERNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT SINKS FARTHER SOUTH...A DECENT AREA OF MID LEVEL LIFT WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THE FRONT OVER NRN NEBRASKA. ATTM...GIVEN THE CONTINUED LACK OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...DECIDED TO LEAVE THE FCST DRY FOR NOW. ON SATURDAY...COOLER TEMPS WILL SET IN ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH MIDDAY. DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS...A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT EAST OF THE PANHANDLE INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA. HIGHS SATURDAY WILL MIRROR FRIDAYS HIGHS IN THE SOUTHWEST...HOWEVER WITH THE FRONT SOUTH OF THE NERN FORECAST AREA...TEMPS WILL STRUGGLE TO GET OUT LOWER 60S ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...LOW AMPLITUDE RIDGING WILL BUILD EAST INTO THE CENTRAL CONUS FOR SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH WARM AND DRY CONDS EXPECTED. BY MONDAY NIGHT...A TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO DEEPEN ACROSS THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE CONUS. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO PUSH INTO THE REGION WITH DEW POINTS REACHING THE UPPER 40S AND LOWER 50S BY TUESDAY. BY TUESDAY NIGHT...THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES WILL LIFT NORTHEAST FROM THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROCKIES ONTO THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS WILL INCREASE THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. WITH DEW POINTS IN THE MIDDLE 50S POSSIBLE AND A NICE SHEAR PROFILE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS...WE COULD SEE A SHARP UPTICK IN SEVERE WEATHER TOWARD THE MIDDLE AND END OF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 1237 AM CDT THU MAY 1 2014 THE RADAR ECHOES IN NORTHERN NEBRASKA APPEAR TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THICKER CLOUD LAYERS...BUT SURFACE OBSERVATIONS DO NOT INDICATE ANY PRECIPITATION REACHING THE SURFACE. HOWEVER...SINCE NO PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN INDICATED AT VTN WHEN THE HEAVIER INDICATIONS WERE IN THE AREA...IT IS UNLIKELY THAT PRECIPITATION IS OCCURRING ANYWHERE. IF ANY PRECIPITATION WERE TO REACH THE SURFACE...IT WOULD BE VERY LIGHT BUT...IF TEMPERATURES GO BELOW 32F...SOME LIGHT ICING IS POSSIBLE. CEILING IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE 7000 FEET AGL OR HIGHER FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEBRASKA ALONG AND WEST OF AN ANW-LBF LINE. THERE MAY BE CEILINGS BELOW 3000 FEET AGL NORTH AND EAST OF A BBW- ANW LINE. NORTHWEST WIND WILL INCREASE TO 15-25KT BY 14Z THURSDAY AND GUSTY. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...SPRINGER SYNOPSIS...CLB SHORT TERM...MARTIN LONG TERM...CLB AVIATION...ROBERG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 1135 PM CDT WED APR 30 2014 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-020445- 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- 1135 PM CDT WED APR 30 2014 /1035 PM MDT WED APR 30 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK OVER WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .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) JRS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
26 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered through all but the extreme north. The northwest portion of the county saw around 2 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
Moderate drought conditions returned to southern Brown County in May as Severe (D2) drought conditions developed. lingered through all but the extreme north. Precipitation for the month average 2 to 3 inches. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified across the north in May. Extreme (D3) drought conditions were seen across the north half of the county with Severe (D2) conditions in the south. The county received an average of 1 to 3 inches of rainfall with the greatest across the northwest. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased in May. The Severe (D2) drought conditions across the south were reduced to Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions to Moderate (D1) conditions. The county received an average of 2 to 8 inches of rainfall during the month, with the highest amounts across the northwest.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Extreme (D3) drought conditions lingered through all but the eastern part of the county where Severe (D3) drought conditions exist. The western portion of the county saw around 2 inches of rainfall for the month, while the eastern portion only saw 1 to 1.5 inches. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified slightly across the north in May. Severe (D2) drought conditions were seen across the entire county. The county received an average of 1 to 1.5 inches of rainfall. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 saw little change across the county in May. Severe (D2) drought conditions were seen across most of the county with the exception of the far northeastern county where Extreme (D3) drought conditions were seen. The county received an average of 2 to 3 inches of rainfall. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified across the county in May. Severe (D2) drought conditions were seen across the southern and eastern half of the county with Moderate (D1) conditions in the northwest. The county received an average of 1 to 2 inches of rainfall with the greatest across the northwest. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Abnormally (D0) dry conditions lingered through all but the far southeastern part of the county where Moderate (D1) drought conditions exist. Most of the county saw around 3 to 4 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered through all but the southwest where Extreme (D3) drought. Much of the county saw 2 to 3 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified across the county in May. Extreme (D3) drought conditions were seen across the county. The county received around 2 inches rainfall. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified a little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered throughout the county. Most of the county saw around 1 to 1.5 inches of rainfall for the month with the exception of the far northwest which saw around 2 inches. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered through all but the far east where Extreme (D3) drought. Much of the county saw around 2 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified across the county in May. Severe (D2) drought conditions were seen across the southern half of the county with Moderate (D1) conditions in the north. The county received an average of 1.5 to 2 inches of rainfall. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased in May. The Severe (D2) drought conditions across the north were reduced to Moderate (D1) conditions. The county received an average of 2 to 3 inches of rainfall during the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 intensified slightly across in May. Severe (D2) drought conditions were seen across the most of the county. The county received an average of 1 to 1.5 inches of rainfall. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased from Severe (D2) drought to Moderate (D1) conditions across Arthur County. Convective rains brought relief as rainfall ranged from local areas of 2 inches in the east to 7 inches in the west.
The drought that began in June 2012 improved slightly through May. Extreme (D3) drought conditions were eased in the northeast with Severe (D2) conditions over much of the remainder, except far west. The county received an average of 3 to 5 inches of rainfall. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased in May. The Severe (D2) drought conditions across the east were reduced to Moderate (D1) conditions. The county received an average of 5 to 7 inches of rainfall during the month.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered through all but the far northeastern part of the county where Moderate (D1) drought conditions exist. Most of the county saw around 2 to 3 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered. Most of the county saw around 2 to 3 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 changed little during May. Severe (D2) drought conditions lingered through all but the southeast where Extreme (D3) drought. Much of the county saw between 2 and 4 inches of rainfall for the month. The drought continued into June.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased in May. The Moderate (D1) drought conditions across the southeast were reduced to Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions across the far southeast and no drought conditions across the rest of the southeast. The Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions across the central and southwest county were reduced to no drought conditions. The county received an average of 4 to 10 inches of rainfall during the month, with the highest amounts across the southeast.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased in May. The Severe (D2) drought conditions across the south were reduced to Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions. The Moderate (D1) drought conditions across the north were reduced to no drought conditions. The county received an average of 5 to 10 inches of rainfall during the month.
The drought that began in June 2012 eased from Severe (D2) drought to Abnormally Dry (D0) conditions across Garden County. Convective rains brought relief as rainfall ranged from 6 inches to 10 inches.
The drought that began in June 2012 saw little change across the county in May. Severe (D2) drought conditions were seen across most of the county with the exception of the far northwestern county where Moderate (D1) drought conditions were seen. The county received an average of 2 to 3 inches of rainfall across the southeast and 5 to 6 inches of rainfall across the northwest. The drought continued into June.
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, May 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: 516177, 516178, 516180, 516182, 516183, 516184, 516190, 516191, 516202, 516204, 516205, 516213, 516525, 516528, 516530, 516532, 516176, 516179, 516181, 516199, 516203, 516526, 516529, 516533, 516534, 516541.