Late afternoon thunderstorms over the southern Nebraska Panhandle produced damaging winds and large hail.
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 CYS wrote it up.
Late afternoon thunderstorms over the southern Nebraska Panhandle produced damaging winds and large hail.
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 Jul 18, 2:43 PM MST, 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 343 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 343 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN IN SOUTHEAST WYOMING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN QUESTION IS THE COVERAGE AND STRENGTH OF THE CONVECTION AS IT SPREADS EAST INTO THE PLAINS. STABLE AIR IN THE PLAINS DOES SHOW A WEAK CAP BUT CONTINUED SURFACE HEATING AND COOLING ALOFT ASSOCIATION WITH A WEAK DISTURBANCE SHOULD ALLOW THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE ACROSS MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. ALTHOUGH A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN THE FORECAST AREA...THE MAIN SEVERE POTENTIAL STILL LOOKS TO BE ALONG AND NEAR THE INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDOR WHICH IS VERY CLOSE TO WHERE THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IS SHOWING A SLIGHT RISK. 40 TO 50KT 0-6KM BULK SHEAR AND 1500 J/KG MU CAPE FAVORS THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING INTO A LINE IN THE PLAINS WITH STRONG WINDS BEING THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT. SEVERE HAIL POTENTIAL WILL QUICKLY DECREASE NORTH OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WHICH SHOULD BE LOCATED OVER LARAMIE COUNTY...KIMBALL COUNTY AND CHEYENNE COUNTY. GOLF BALL OR SLIGHTLY LARGER HAIL POSSIBLE ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WITH SMALLER SIZED HAIL ELSEWHERE. TORNADIC THREAT IS LOW TODAY WITH ANY TORNADIC POTENTIAL BEING TIED TO THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING. MOST THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL PUSH EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY LATE THIS EVENING WITH ONLY A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AFTER MIDNIGHT. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON. BASED ON THE LATEST NAM AND GFS...CAPE VALUES WILL BE HIGHER TOMORROW THAN TODAY...AT LEAST OVER THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. THEREFORE THERE WILL AGAIN BE THE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF WYOMING BY EARLY AFTERNOON AND THEN SHOULD SPREAD INTO THE PLAINS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WILL BE LESS ON MONDAY WITH STABLE AIR IN PLACE OVER THE PLAINS AND RIDGING ALOFT OVER THE ROCKIES. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 343 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 A FAIRLY SEASONAL PATTERN CAN BE EXPECTED NEXT WEEK AS BROAD RIDGING PREVAILS ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS. ON THE WEST SIDE OF THIS UPPER RIDGE...DIFFICULT TO TIME SHORTWAVE ENERGY EMBEDDED WITHIN SOUTHWEST FLOW. EACH OF THESE SHORTWAVES WILL TRAVERSE THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST PROVIDING FOR PERIODIC BOUTS WITH THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL MOSTLY OCCUR DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. THE FIRST EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE WILL ARRIVE SOMETIME TUESDAY AFTERNOON OR TUESDAY NIGHT DEPENDING WHICH MEDIUM RANGE SOLUTION VERIFIES. IN EITHER CASE...INSTABILITY AHEAD OF THIS FTR WILL PROVIDE FOR A DECENT SHOT OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS. SEVERE POTENTIAL TUESDAY WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON SHORTWAVE TIMING. ALTHOUGH WITH 1500 J/KG OF PROGD SBCAPE AND AN APPROACHING JET STREAK...THE POTENTIAL IS AT LEAST THERE. ALTHOUGH SOME THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAY LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY DEPENDING UPON SHORTWAVE TIMING...COVERAGE WILL BE LESS. MEDIUM RANGE MODELS TREND DRIER THU-SAT. TUESDAY WILL BE THE COOLEST DAY OF THE PERIOD WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S ABOVE 5000 FEET AND 80S BELOW. WARMER TEMPS RETURN WED-SAT. BUT EVEN SO JUST BACK TO SEASONAL NORMS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 135 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE THIS TAF CYCLE IS TRYING TO PIN DOWN THUNDERSTORM TIMING AND EXTENT THIS AFTERNOON. LATEST MODELS SHOW CONVECTION INITIATING IN THE VICINITY OF KLAR AND KCYS BETWEEN 19-20Z WITH ADDL DEVELOPMENT THEREAFTER AS STORM MERGE ACROSS THE ERN PLAINS. FOR NOW...CONFIDENCE IS THE GREATEST IN SEEING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT KCYS SO INTRODUCED A TEMPO GROUP THERE 21-01Z. ELSEWHERE...KEPT VCTS MENTION AT MOST OTHER AIRFIELDS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVEN AS THE ANTICIPATED THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX SHIFTS EAST INTO WRN NEBRASKA. CONVECTION WILL DEPART W-E DURING THE EVENING HOURS AND BE OUT OF THE AREA 04-06Z. THE OTHER CHANGE TO THE FORECAST WAS TO INTRODUCE FOG POTENTIAL AT KCYS...KBFF AND KSNY 10-15Z. CONFIDENCE IS NOT ALL THAT HIGH IN THIS OCCURRING...BUT WANTED TO STEER THE TAFS THAT DIRECTION. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 343 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST WY AND THE WESTERN NE PANHANDLE TODAY. GUSTY/ERRATIC WINDS COULD ACCOMPANY SOME THUNDERSTORMS. FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN NON-CRITICAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH AFTERNOON RH VALUES ABOVE 20 PCT. A TREND TOWARD WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...SML LONG TERM...CAH AVIATION...CAH FIRE WEATHER...SML
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 1111 AM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-WYZ101>119-191500- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX-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 JUL 18 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA...EAST CENTRAL WYOMING...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. STORMS WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE WINDS UP TO 70 MPH OVER FAR SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE NEBRAKSA PANHANDLE. THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES TODAY IS LOW...HOWEVER AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A STATIONARY FRONT NEAR THE INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDOR FROM AROUND CHEYENNE WYOMING THROUGH SIDNEY NEBRASKA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE MOST DAYS THROUGH NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING OVER THE PLAINS OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING AND NEBRASKA PANHANDLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 252 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 WYZ106>108-117>119-182130- CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY WY- SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS WY-EAST PLATTE COUNTY WY- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY WY-GOSHEN COUNTY WY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY WY- 252 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN LARAMIE... SOUTHWESTERN GOSHEN AND SOUTHEASTERN PLATTE COUNTIES UNTIL 330 PM MDT... AT 251 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF IRON MOUNTAIN...OR 29 MILES SOUTH OF WHEATLAND... MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF NORTHWESTERN LARAMIE...SOUTHWESTERN GOSHEN AND SOUTHEASTERN PLATTE COUNTIES. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 25 IN WYOMING BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 39 AND 52. LAT...LON 4158 10515 4168 10514 4177 10449 4146 10451 TIME...MOT...LOC 2051Z 272DEG 34KT 4163 10503 RUBIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 335 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 WYZ107-108-117>119-182215- SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS WY-EAST PLATTE COUNTY WY- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY WY-GOSHEN COUNTY WY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY WY- 335 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN LARAMIE...SOUTHERN GOSHEN AND SOUTHEASTERN PLATTE COUNTIES UNTIL 415 PM MDT... AT 335 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF MERIDEN REST AREA...OR 34 MILES NORTH OF CHEYENNE...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LA GRANGE...HAWK SPRINGS CAMPGROUND...GUN BARREL...MERIDEN REST AREA AND HAWK SPRINGS RECREATION AREA. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 25 IN WYOMING BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 41 AND 47. LAT...LON 4159 10495 4171 10475 4176 10411 4132 10411 TIME...MOT...LOC 2135Z 278DEG 26KT 4162 10458 RUBIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 419 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 NEZ020-054-WYZ118-119-182300- KIMBALL NE-BANNER NE-CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY WY- EAST LARAMIE COUNTY WY- 419 PM MDT SAT JUL 18 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN KIMBALL... SOUTHWESTERN BANNER AND EAST CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM MDT... AT 419 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER GUN BARREL...OR 32 MILES NORTHEAST OF CHEYENNE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... ALBIN AND GUN BARREL. LAT...LON 4140 10444 4150 10441 4140 10370 4126 10374 TIME...MOT...LOC 2219Z 272DEG 21KT 4144 10431 RUBIN
The Cheyenne radar (KCYS), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:28 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A wind sensor 13 miles west of Harrisburg measured a peak gust of 75 mph.
A wind sensor three miles west of Harrisburg measured a peak gust of 58 mph.
Quarter size hail was reported at Harrisburg.
An estimated wind gust of 60 mph was reported at Harrisburg.
Hen egg size hail was reported at Harrisburg.
Wind gusts estimated at 65 mph blew a semi-tractor trailer off Highway 385 north of Dalton. The driver was not injured.
Wind gusts estimated at 60 mph were observed 13 miles east of Dalton.
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: 583529, 583530, 583532, 583533, 583534, 583536, 583538.