Thunderstorms developed over Custer county Nebraska during the evening hours of July 31st. As they moved into eastern portions of the county, they became severe with large hail and damaging winds being reported.
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 LBF wrote it up.
Thunderstorms developed over Custer county Nebraska during the evening hours of July 31st. As they moved into eastern portions of the county, they became severe with large hail and damaging winds being reported.
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 Jul 31, 2:39 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 339 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ROTATING ON HUDSON BAY. UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES. NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. SFC BOUNDARY /GENERALLY EAST TO WEST/ ACROSS THE STATE AND IS THE FOCUS FOR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. TEMPS AS OF 3 PM WERE IN THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S...AND DEW PTS WERE IN THE LOWER 60S TO MID 50S. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 LOOKING VERY SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY...EXCEPT THE STORMS ARE A LITTLE FURTHER NORTH. THE NEARLY STATIONARY BOUNDARY HAS INCHED NORTHWARD SINCE YESTERDAY...THUS THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FIRED FURTHER NORTH THAN YESTERDAY. MID LEVEL DRY AIR WILL KEEP ACTIVITY ISOLATED...HOWEVER STEEP LAPSE RATES...DECENT SHEAR BUT MARGINAL MOISTURE MAY RESULT IN SOME STRONG STORMS...BUT NOT GREAT FOR SEVERE. THESE STORMS SHOULD DRIFT SOUTHEAST AND DIMINISH ONCE SUNSET OCCURS. HOWEVER A MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE IN THE NW FLOW ACROSS PORTIONS OF S DAKOTA AND NORTHERN NEB. THESE ELEVATED NOCTURNAL STORMS WILL GET AN ADDED BOOST BY THE LOW LEVEL JET. THIS POTENTIAL MCS COULD LINGER ACROSS N CENTRAL IN THE MORNING. ANOTHER WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TOMORROW AFTERNOON. THE STALLED BOUNDARY SHOULD ALSO BE IN THE AREA...ALTHOUGH WITH THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT CONVECTION...MODELS MAY BE OFF IN THE PLACEMENT. THIS BOUNDARY WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN EXPECTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE BOUNDARY. AT THIS TIME THE FAVORED LOCATION IS ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 338 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...THE MODELS SUGGEST WHATEVER CONVECTION IS ONGOING SATURDAY AFTN SHOULD DIMINISH IN THE EVENING. THE CAVEAT IS A MODEST SSWLY 25KT 850 MB JET THAT DOES NOT VEER UNTIL 06Z AND THERE IS STILL GOOD MOISTURE IN PLACE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT POSITIONED ACROSS NW NEB. THUS IT IS POSSIBLE THE CONVECTION COULD LAST UNTIL 09Z OR A BIT LATER. SUNDAY WILL BE A DRY AND WARM DAY. MOISTURE DROPS OFF SIGNIFICANTLY WITH PWAT LESS THAN 1 INCH AND AS LOW AS 0.5 INCHES. HIGHS RISE INTO THE 90S. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PRESS INTO NCNTL NEB BUT THE BULK OF THE AIR FILTERING SOUTHEAST WILL BE HOT AIR OFF A THERMAL RIDGE ACROSS THE NRN ROCKIES. COOLER AIR WILL BACK IN SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SOUTH WINDS DEVELOPING ON THE CNTL HIGH PLAINS BY MORNING. THIS SETS UP RETURN FLOW AND A WARM FRONT MONDAY. THE MODELS LOOKS PRETTY CRAZY WITH PRECIPE. STUFF LIKE QPF BULLSEYES WITH 850-700MB MOISTURE LESS THAN 60 PERCENT. POPS ARE LIMITED TO 30 PERCENT MONDAY AFTN. STILL THE MODELS SUGGEST HIGHS IN THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90. THE BAD PART OF THE FORECAST IS THE QPF FORECAST WITH LITTLE OR NO CAPE MONDAY AFTN...DEWPOINTS LESS THAN 60 AND TEMPERATURES NEAR 90. WHICH SPELLS A STABLE ATMOSPHERE. SAFE TO SAY THIS FORECAST PERIOD IS LOWER CONFIDENCE. WE WOULD NOTE THE MODELS ARE BIFFING THE DEWPOINT FORECAST THIS AFTN. SFC DEWPOINTS ARE WELL INTO THE 60S...THE MODELS WERE FORECASTING 40S AND 50S. MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...NO BIG CHANGES IN THE ECM AND GFS SOLNS. THE DEEP HUDSON BAY LOW WILL PULL COOL HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST WHICH WILL BACK INTO THE FCST AREA SETTING A STATIONARY BOUNDARY FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT SOMEWHERE ACROSS WRN AND NCNTL NEB. THE GFS AND ECM SUGGEST THE BETTER RAIN CHANCES ACROSS NORTHEAST NEB WHILE THE GEF MODEL SPREADS THE WEALTH INTO SWRN NEB. THIS RAINFALL WOULD LIKELY DEPEND ON THE POSITION OF THE FRONT WHICH WILL VARY DAY TO DAY AS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE TRACK EAST SOUTHEAST THROUGH WRN AND NCNTL NEB. THE ECM SMARTLY SHOWS THE FRONT PULLING UP 65+ DEW POINTS INTO WRN AND NCNTL NEB ALONG THE FRONT. THE GFS IS SIMILAR BUT PREFERS TO KEEP THE FRONT MOISTLY IN THE MISSOURI BASIN AND THIS HAS BEEN THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MODELS THIS WEEK. PRESUMABLY...SOME VERY WARM TEMPERATURES COULD DEVELOP ACROSS SWRN NEB WHICH MIGHT REMAIN SOUTH OR WEST OF THE FRONT. POPS ARE LIMITED TO 30 PERCENT FOR THIS PORTION OF THE FORECAST. WPC SUGGESTS 1/2 TO 1 INCH OF RAIN WILL FALL EAST OF HIGHWAY 83 NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 108 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 ANOTHER WARM AFTERNOON EXPECTED WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED. AT THIS TIME THE THUNDERSTORMS LOOK TO BE FOCUSED ON AN EAST/WEST BOUNDARY ACROSS CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THIS PLACED BOTH TAF SITES IN A LESS THAN FAVORABLE LOCATION AND DID NOT INCLUDE IN THE TAF. THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET. HOWEVER THE BOUNDARY REMAINS ACROSS THE AREA...AND WILL LIFT NORTH. CANNOT RULE OUT SOME ISOLD STORMS ACROSS NORTHERN NEB OVERNIGHT. COVERAGE DOES NOT WARRANT MENTION IN THE KVTN TAF YET. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...MASEK SHORT TERM...MASEK LONG TERM...CDC AVIATION...MASEK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 352 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-012100- 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- 352 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 /252 PM MDT FRI JUL 31 2015/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS...LOCALLY STRONG WITH HAIL AND WINDS...ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. OVERNIGHT ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA...MAINLY NORTH OF HAY SPRINGS TO BROKEN BOW LINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE EAST OF A LINE FROM VALENTINE TO BROKEN BOW. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN SEVERE THREATS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. AT THIS TIME...WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED. .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) MASEK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 334 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 NEZ028-312115- GARFIELD NE- 334 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN GARFIELD COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM CDT... AT 333 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF BURWELL...MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... DEVERRE AND BURWELL. 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 4178 9913 4194 9916 4195 9899 4182 9893 TIME...MOT...LOC 2033Z 346DEG 5KT 4188 9906 CDC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 418 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 NEZ008-009-026-312200- BLAINE NE-BROWN NE-ROCK NE- 418 PM CDT FRI JUL 31 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN ROCK...SOUTHERN BROWN AND NORTHEASTERN BLAINE COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM CDT... AT 418 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTH OF AINSWORTH...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL REMAIN OVER MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF SOUTHWESTERN ROCK...SOUTHERN BROWN AND NORTHEASTERN BLAINE COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...HOFELD LAKE...RAVEN...JONES LAKE...JOHNSONS CORNER AND TWIN LAKES STATE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA. THIS INCLUDES HIGHWAY 183 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 160 AND 168. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. && LAT...LON 4237 10012 4254 9983 4231 9941 4208 9985 TIME...MOT...LOC 2118Z 312DEG 24KT 4243 9984 POWER
The North Platte radar (KLNX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:49 UTC.
1 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
In addition to golf ball sized hail, thunderstorm wind gusts of 50 to 60 MPH were reported which led to downed tree limbs at this location.
Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 MPH brought down tree limbs of 6 to 8 inches in diameter.
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: 587887, 587888.