An active early June weather pattern continued into the day on June 6th. Warm front lifted northward from Kansas and Missouri into eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
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.
An active early June weather pattern continued into the day on June 6th. Warm front lifted northward from Kansas and Missouri into eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. This allowed for moisture to return to the region and instability to increase. At the same time a storm system moving across the northern Plains allowed for a cold front to move into the region. Thunderstorms developed by mid to to late afternoon at the intersection of where these fronts met. As these thunderstorms moved east and southeast across the area during the evening isolated severe hail and strong were reported with this line. There were also periods of heavy rainfall observed in northeast Nebraska as well.
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 Jun 6, 6:31 AM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 731 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 325 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015 ONGOING MCS EARLY THIS MORNING MAY COMPLICATE THE FORECAST FOR LATER TODAY. CONFIDENCE IS NOT OVERLY HIGH ON HOW THINGS WILL EVOLVE. SO CHANCES OF CONVECTION/TIMING THROUGH TONIGHT WILL PROVIDE THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES. LARGE SCALE PATTERN AT 500 MB FEATURES A RIDGE EXTENDING FROM TEXAS UP INTO THE EASTERN DAKOTAS AND MINNESOTA. A TROUGH WAS LOCATED FROM MONTANA DOWN TO OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST...WITH A CLOSED LOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. 300 MB JET MAX OF AROUND 95 KNOTS WAS NOTED AT 00Z TO THE EAST OF THE LOW IN WESTERN ARIZONA. THE ONLY 12 HOUR HEIGHT FALLS AT 500 MB LAST EVENING WERE FROM PARTS OF UTAH INTO WYOMING AND COLORADO. MOIST AXIS AT 850 MB EXTENDED FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND GULF COAST UP INTO EASTERN MONTANA. DEWPOINTS OF 17-18 DEGREES CELSIUS WERE OVER PARTS OF KANSAS. IT WAS NICE TO SEE SOME DATA FROM THE TWO SOUNDINGS LAST EVENING FROM THE NSSL PLAINS ELEVATED CONVECTION AT NIGHT (PECAN) PROJECT...ONE IN NEBRASKA AND ONE IN KANSAS. TODAY...CURRENT ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO LIFT EAST/NORTHEAST AND RECENT HRRR RUNS SEEM TO SHOW THAT FAIRLY WELL. RUNS PRIOR TO 05Z HAD MOST OF THE ACTIVITY MOVING OUT BY MID TO LATE MORNING...BUT MORE RECENT RUNS LINGER THE ACTIVITY A BIT LONGER. SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY AHEAD OF STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE TO OUR WEST. THE BEST LARGE SCALE FORCING IS GENERALLY DEPICTED TO BE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS TODAY...SHIFTING INTO MINNESOTA THIS EVENING AND THEN TO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION OVERNIGHT. MESOSCALE FORCING IS EXPECTED TO BE STRONGEST FROM CENTRAL NEBRASKA INTO SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA LATER TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THE HIGH RESOLUTION CONVECTION ALLOWING MODELS DEPICT A VARIETY OF SOLUTIONS. IT DOES NOT APPEAR THAT THERE WILL BE A STRONG LOW LEVEL FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR CONVECTION IN OUR AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WITH GENERALLY MODEST SOUTH/SOUTHEAST FLOW IN THE WARM SECTOR. HOWEVER...WILL HAVE TO KEEP POPS 20-40 PERCENT MOST AREAS THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO AT LEAST SOME MODEL SOLUTIONS SHOWING SCATTERED STORM DEVELOPMENT FROM HASTINGS TOWARD NORFOLK BY 5 PM. IF STORMS CAN GET GOING...SHEAR AND INSTABILITY PARAMETERS SUGGEST A DECENT CHANCE FOR SUPERCELLS. ACTIVITY...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE...SHOULD LINGER INTO TONIGHT AND THEN DROP OFF LATE TONIGHT AS THE WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES DOWN ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. MODEL SOLUTIONS AGAIN VARY AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL BE ANY STORM DEVELOPMENT IN OUR AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON. FELT THE BEST ROUTE FOR NOW WAS TO KEEP SOME LOW POPS GOING ACROSS PARTS OF EAST CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA INTO SOUTHWEST IOWA FOR THE AFTERNOON AND THEN NEAR THE BORDERS OF KANSAS AND MISSOURI FOR SUNDAY NIGHT. MONDAY SHOULD BE DRY WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S. .LONG TERM...(MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 325 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015 WEAK RIDGING ALOFT BUILDS FOR THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK WHICH WILL FAVOR A DRIER PATTERN OVERALL. DID INCLUDE A LOW POP FOR PARTS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA ON WEDNESDAY AS A WEAK FRONT DROPS INTO THE AREA. STORM CHANCES AND HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL WILL RETURN BY THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY. HIGHS TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SHOULD BE MAINLY IN THE 80S WITH LOWS IN THE 60S. HIGHS WILL COOL TO MOSTLY 70S BY FRIDAY WITH LOWS COOLING DROPPING INTO THE MID OR UPPER 50S NORTH AND LOWER 60S SOUTH. && .AVIATION...(12Z TAFS FOR KOFK...KLNK AND KOMA.) ISSUED AT 712 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015 A FEW RAIN SHOWERS ARE FORECAST AT KOMA BTWEEN 12Z AND 16Z. THERE MAY BE AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM BETWEEN 15Z AND 16Z AT KOMA AS WELL. VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THUNDERSTORMS NEAR A SURFACE WARM FRONT LOWER CEILINGS INTO THE MVFR RANGE. SURFACE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH KOFK AFTER 0700Z. THREAT OF HAIL AT ALL 3 AIRPORTS...BUT PRIMARY THREAT FOR HAIL WILL BE AT KOMA AND KOFK. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...MILLER LONG TERM...MILLER AVIATION...SMITH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 424 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-062330- 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- 424 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MOST OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA THIS MORNING. A FEW STORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN...BUT ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED THIS MORNING. THERE IS A HIGHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT...AND SOME MAY BE SEVERE. INSTABILITY AND WIND SHEAR WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR AT LEAST SCATTERED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS BY MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. IT APPEARS INITIAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE OVER CENTRAL OR NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...WITH COVERAGE INCREASING IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN. TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE OCCURRING AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT THAT WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT... MAINLY IN SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. STORM CHANCES WILL BE LOW FROM MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...BUT WILL INCREASE LATER IN THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
830 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015
NEZ042-043-050-051-061430-
COLFAX NE-PLATTE NE-BUTLER NE-SAUNDERS NE-
830 AM CDT SAT JUN 6 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN COLFAX...NORTHWESTERN
SAUNDERS...NORTHERN BUTLER AND SOUTHEASTERN PLATTE COUNTIES UNTIL 930
AM CDT...
AT 829 AM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
DUNCAN...OR NEAR COLUMBUS...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.
DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH
THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
COLUMBUS...SCHUYLER...BELLWOOD...DUNCAN...MONROE...OCTAVIA...BRUNO...
ROGERS...LINWOOD...RICHLAND...ABIE...LAKE OCAONEE...COLLEGE VIEW
TRAILER PARK...SHELL CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...LAKE NORTH BABCOCK
CAMPGROUND...CAMP PAWNEE...CIRCLE H TRAILER PARK...CAMP LUTHER AND
CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
HIGHWAY 30 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 369 AND 402.
HIGHWAY 81 IN NEBRASKA BETWEEN MILEMARKERS 110 AND 118.
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.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 4148 9760 4158 9692 4127 9690 4129 9737
4139 9737 4137 9746 4136 9751 4135 9755
TIME...MOT...LOC 1329Z 249DEG 27KT 4140 9746
MEYERThe Omaha radar (KOAX), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:48 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A microburst caused a camper being pulled by a pickup truck to be blown over on Highway 81. Other damage included tree limbs down in Tarnov, a grain bin was blown off the foundation, and several center irrigation center pivots were blown over.
A storm chaser reported winds up to 70 mph that resulted in the back window of their vehicle being blow out.
There were 3 trees reported blown down just to the southwest of the city of Macy.
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, June 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: 569945, 569944, 569946, 569947.