Thunderstorms increased in coverage and intensity during the evening on July 15th into the early morning hours of the 16th to the north of a surface warm front. Instability was limited across the area and thus allowed for most thunderstorms to be non-severe during the evening and overnight hours.
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 OAX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms increased in coverage and intensity during the evening on July 15th into the early morning hours of the 16th to the north of a surface warm front. Instability was limited across the area and thus allowed for most thunderstorms to be non-severe during the evening and overnight hours.
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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 15, 5:36 PM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 636 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 312 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 UPPER WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE MID MISSOURI VALLEY HAS BROUGHT A WIDESPREAD AREA OF RAIN TO THE AREA TODAY...RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CLOUD COVER THAT HAS LINGERED INTO THE AFTERNOON. WHILE THE STEADIER SHOWERS HAVE DIMINISHED IN MANY AREAS AND CLOUDS WERE BEGINNING TO THIN...ADDITIONAL VERY SHORT TERM CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IS DOUBT. PRECIP WAS ALSO LIKELY BEING AIDED BY THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN UPPER LEVEL JET...BUT THAT WAS MOVING AWAY RESULTING IN LESS FORCING FOR OUR AREA. SURFACE PATTERN WAS HIGHLY PERTURBED BY THE RAIN TODAY. HOWEVER...AN OBJECTIVE 20Z SURFACE ANALYSIS REVEALED WHAT COULD BE A WARM FRONT DEVELOPING OVER NORTHEAST KANSAS. WHILE A FEW SHOWERS HAD BUBBLED UP ALONG THIS FRONT...SPC MESOANALYSIS INDICATED QUITE A BIT OF SURFACE CIN STILL IN THE AREA THUS THEY WERE STRUGGLING. BULK SHEAR VALUES HAVE INCREASED TO 40 TO 50 KNOTS ACROSS THE REGION. WE WILL LIKELY NEED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT SUBTLE SHORT WAVE MOVING OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES...COMBINED WITH THE NORTHWARD MOVING WARM FRONT AND A STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL JET TO GET STRONGER CONVECTION TO FIRE LATER THIS EVENING IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REMAIN QUITE HIGH AROUND 2 INCHES...THUS SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA TONIGHT...WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN FORECAST. THIS RAIN IS HOWEVER FALLING IN AN AREA THAT DID NOT SEE THE HEAVY RAINFALL EARLIER THIS MORNING...THUS BELIEVE WE CAN TAKE IT WITHOUT TOO MUCH TROUBLE. FOR ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP TONIGHT...LOW LEVEL HELICITY IS QUITE HIGH...AND THERE STILL APPEARS TO BE A TORNADO THREAT...BUT CONFINED TO AREAS SOUTH OF I80. PRECIP CHANCE WANE BY DAYBREAK THURSDAY...BUT A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS COULD LINGER EARLY THURSDAY MORNING IN THE SOUTHEAST CWA. ANOTHER SUBTLE WAVE COULD MOVE INTO THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT WHICH COULD BRING AN SMALL CHANCE OF STORMS. ANOTHER WAVE MOVES INTO THE AREA LATER FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. IT ALSO GETS HOT AGAIN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH TEMPS CLIMBING INTO THE LOWER TO MID 90S. VERY HUMID CONDITIONS REDEVELOP WITH DEWPOINTS BACK INTO THE LOWER TO MID 70S...WHICH RESULTS IN HEAT INDEX VALUES AGAIN INTO THE UPPER 90S TO LOWER 100S. THE BEST CHANCE FOR HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA APPEARS TO BE SATURDAY WHEN HEAT INDEX VALUES COULD REACH 105 IN MANY AREAS. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 312 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLOW SETTLES INTO THE FORECAST SATURDAY NIGHT AND THEN SOUTH OF THE AREA SUNDAY. THIS DOES RESULT IN COOLER TEMPS AND A SLIGHT BREAK IN THE HUMIDITY...BUT ALSO BRINGS CONTINUED SMALL CHANCES FOR STORMS THAT LINGERS INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. MONDAY SHOULD BE DRY. ANOTHER VERY SUBTLE WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE REGION TUESDAY...RESULTING IN SLIGHT CHANCE FOR POPS. WEDNESDAY COULD VERY WELL BE DRY...BUT DAY 7 MODEL BLENDS SUGGEST SMALL CLIMATOLOGICAL POPS...BUT CONFIDENCE IS QUITE LOW. && .AVIATION...(00Z TAFS FOR KOFK...KLNK AND KOMA.) ISSUED AT 620 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 LATEST SFC ANALYSIS REVEALING LOW PRESSURE CENTERED OVER WRN KS WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING EWD CLOSE TO THE NEB/KS BORDER. TSRA IS ALREADY FIRING ALONG THE BNDRY FROM WRN TO N-CNTRL KS...AND EXPECT ACTIVITY TO MOVE INTO ERN NEB WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. CONFIDENCE IS A BIT HIGHER THAT KLNK AND KOMA WILL EVENTUALLY SEE STORMS DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS...THUS TEMPO GROUPS ARE IN PLACE. AS FOR KOFK...DECIDED TO INCLUDE A TEMPO GROUP AS WELL...BUT AT THIS POINT AM SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL THAT ANY WIDESPREAD ACTIVITY WILL BE SEEN TO THE NORTH. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...DEWALD LONG TERM...DEWALD AVIATION...DEE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 547 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-161300- MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE-KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON- STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER- SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE- JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON- 547 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND THURSDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE THIS EVENING...CONTINUING THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING BEFORE ENDING BY DAY BREAK. ALTHOUGH WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA THIS EVENING WITH LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREAT. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT...MAINLY OVER SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED RANGE OF THE FORECAST. ORGANIZED SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE REGION ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX VALUES FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT OR ON THURSDAY.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA 907 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 NEZ093-160245- RICHARDSON NE- 907 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN RICHARDSON COUNTY UNTIL 945 PM CDT... AT 907 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR VERDON...OR 10 MILES WEST OF FALLS CITY...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... VERDON...DAWSON...SALEM AND THE HIGHWAY 75 AND 8 JUNCTION. THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 75 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 4 AND 10. 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 4003 9589 4017 9588 4018 9561 4001 9565 TIME...MOT...LOC 0207Z 271DEG 16KT 4011 9579 BOUSTEAD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
943 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015
IAZ079-080-090-091-160315-
FREMONT IA-PAGE IA-MILLS IA-MONTGOMERY IA-
943 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN MONTGOMERY...
SOUTHEASTERN MILLS...PAGE AND NORTHEASTERN FREMONT COUNTIES UNTIL
1015 PM CDT...
AT 943 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES SOUTH OF MALVERN TO
NEAR CLARINDA...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CLARINDA...SHENANDOAH...ESSEX...COIN...TABOR...COLLEGE SPRINGS...
SHAMBAUGH...RANDOLPH...YORKTOWN...IMOGENE...COBURG...BLANCHARD AND
PIERCE RECREATION AREA.
THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 59 IN IOWA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 7 AND 28.
LAT...LON 4058 9523 4092 9579 4100 9540 4078 9493
4070 9491
TIME...MOT...LOC 0243Z 265DEG 27KT 4091 9561 4070 9510
BOUSTEADSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
949 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015
NEZ093-160330-
RICHARDSON NE-
949 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL RICHARDSON COUNTY UNTIL
1030 PM CDT...
AT 948 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
FALLS CITY...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
FALLS CITY...RULO AND BARADA.
LAT...LON 4022 9572 4026 9553 4025 9552 4025 9549
4023 9547 4020 9548 4018 9548 4016 9543
4013 9542 4012 9539 4008 9539 4007 9540
4006 9542 4005 9542 4005 9565
TIME...MOT...LOC 0248Z 261DEG 20KT 4015 9556
BOUSTEADThe Grand Island radar (KUEX), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:13 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The emergency manger relayed reports from local law enforcement of strong winds estimated in excess of 60 mph.
Trees were reported blown down along U.S. Highway 75 and Platteview Rd blocking the road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2015
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: 579386, 579385.