An evening thunderstorm produced large hail over northern Box Butte County in the northern Nebraska Panhandle.
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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.
An evening thunderstorm produced large hail over northern Box Butte County in the northern Nebraska Panhandle.
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 May 24, 5:31 PM MST, 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 631 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 631 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ALTHOUGH REGIONAL RADARS SUPPORT LIGHT TO PERHAPS OCCASIONALY MODERATE PRECIPITATION TONIGHT...NO LONGER ANTICIPATE IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH FLASH FLOODING ACROSS NRN CARBON/ALBANY AND CONVERSE COUNTIES TONIGHT. THEREFORE...WAS CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO LET THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH EXPIRE FOR THESE AREAS AT 6 PM. OTHERWISE...STILL MONITORING POCKETS OF CONVECTION ACROSS PRIMARILY THE NRN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE WHERE LATEST SPC MESONALYSIS SHOWS 500-1000 J/KG OF SBCAPE REMAINED. THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE CASE FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO BEFORE CONVECTION STRENGTH IS EXPECTED TO WANE CONSIDERABLY. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 408 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE EXPANDED IN COVERAGE SINCE THE EARLIER FORECAST UPDATE...WITH MODERATE RAINFALL OBSERVED AT TIMES ALONG WITH SMALL HAIL NEAR CHEYENNE. ACTIVITY IS INCREASING OVER THE NORTHERN LARAMIE RANGE AND CENTRAL CONVERSE COUNTY AS WELL...WITH SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS OBSERVED ON RADAR. COULD STILL SEE SOME HEAVIER RAINFALL TOTALS OUT OF THIS ACTIVITY SO WILL MAINTAIN THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. THE STRONGEST STORM SO FAR THOUGH IS OVER NORTHERN SIOUX COUNTY WITHIN THE SLIGHTLY MORE UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT. IT CONTINUES TO TREK EAST TOWARD DAWES COUNTY WITH FURTHER DEVELOPMENT TO THE SOUTH. EXPECT THESE TRENDS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING. FOR TONIGHT...THE UPPER LOW WILL FINALLY MOVE NORTHEAST OVER THE CWA AND WILL WEAKEN. SIMILARLY...THE SFC LOW WILL STEADILY TREK NORTHEAST WITH WINDS SHIFTING TO THE NNW BEHIND THE LOW. OVERALL FLOW SHOULD REMAIN ON THE WEAKER SIDE TONIGHT...WITH AREAS OF FOG REDEVELOPING OVERNIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. WITH THE NW FLOW IN PLACE...DRIER AIR SHOULD BEGIN TO FILTER INTO THE CWA WHICH WILL REDUCE OVERALL COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR MONDAY. HOWEVER...COOLER AIR WITHIN THE UPPER TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVERHEAD SO EXPECT AT LEAST SCATTERED COVERAGE OF SHOWERS WITH ISO-T LATE MORNING THROUGH THE EVENING...ESPECIALLY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN FEATURES. A WEAK TRANSITORY RIDGE LOOKS TO MOVE OVERHEAD FOR TUESDAY BRINGING WARMER TEMPS TO THE FORECAST AREA ALONG WITH SUBSIDENCE ALOFT. SFC HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO SLIDE SOUTHEAST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS THROUGH THE DAY...WITH SFC WINDS VEERING BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST AND INCREASING LLVL UPSLOPE FLOW OVER THE CWA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE COMBINATION OF UPSLOPE AND HIGHER TEMPS SHOULD MAINTAIN AT LEAST A CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...AGAIN ESPECIALLY NEAR TERRAIN FEATURES. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 408 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 AN ACTIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK AS LARGE SCALE TROUGHING REMAINS INTACT ACROSS THE WESTERN US. A FEW EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES WITHIN MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT COMBINED WITH PERIODS OF LLVL UPSLOPE WILL PROMOTE DAILY CHANCES FOR CONVECTION THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF THE WORK WEEK. GENERALLY WEAK MID LEVEL FLOW / LESS THAN 25 KTS AT H5 / WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ON THE LOW SIDE...BUT THE GFS SUGGESTS SBCAPE AROUND 1500 J/KG ACROSS A LARGE PART OF THE EASTERN PLAINS ON WED-THU. CANNOT RULE OUT A STRAY SEVERE STORM...BUT ANYTHING ORGANIZED APPEARS UNLIKELY. EXPECT DAILY HIGHS TO HOLD FAIRLY STEADY THROUGH THE EXTENDED GIVEN A PERSISTENT UPPER LEVEL PATTERN IN PLACE. H7 TEMPS AVERAGING AROUND 5 C SUGGEST HIGHS IN THE 65 TO 75 DEGREE RANGE FOR MOST AREAS. RIDGING ALOFT AND A PUSH OF DRIER AIR ASSOCIATED WITH A CANADIAN SURFACE HIGH DIPPING INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST MAY GIVE US A BREAK FROM PRECIPITATION AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 615 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH IN COVERAGE FOR RAWLINS...LARAMIE AND CHEYENNE THROUGH 03Z...WITH NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 03Z AND THEN START A GRADUAL DISSIPATION THROUGH THE LATE EVENING. WILL HOLD ONTO IFR CEILINGS FROM PREVIOUS FORECAST FOR CHEYENNE...ALLIANCE AND CHADRON TONIGHT...OTHERWISE KEPT CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES MVFR OR HIGHER. WITH THE UPPER LOW OPENING UP AND LIFTING OUT TO THE NORTHEAST ON MONDAY...EXPECT GENERALLY VFR FOR TOMORROW WITH SCATTERED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 408 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK AND WILL BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AT TIMES ACROSS THE DISTRICT. WITH PLENTIFUL MOISTURE ANTICIPATED...NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE EXPECTED. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 408 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 FORECAST RAINFALL FROM SHOWERS DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 0.25 AND 0.50 INCHES...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORMS. RUNOFF FROM THIS RAINFALL WILL MAINTAIN HIGH WATER LEVELS ALONG THE LARAMIE RIVER AT LARAMIE AND NEAR FORT LARAMIE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. REFER TO THE LATEST RIVER AND FLOOD STATEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC INFORMATION. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...NONE. NE...NONE. && UPDATE...CAH SHORT TERM...RJM LONG TERM...CLH AVIATION...JG FIRE WEATHER...RJM HYDROLOGY...MJ/RJM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 610 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 WYZ101>119-260015- 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- 610 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. AREAS OF FOG WILL RETURN TO THE AREA TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS MOST DAYS THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-260015- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- 610 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. ALTHOUGH SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME STRONG THIS EVENING CONTAINING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO AROUND 45 MPH. AREAS OF FOG WILL RETURN TO THE AREA TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS MOST DAYS THROUGH THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 438 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 NEZ019-096-WYZ108-242315- SOUTH SIOUX NE-SCOTTS BLUFF NE-GOSHEN COUNTY WY- 438 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 435 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS NEAR HAWK SPRINGS RECREATION AREA...OR 21 MILES SOUTH OF TORRINGTON... MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... HAWK SPRINGS AROUND 445 PM MDT. YODER AND HUNTLEY AROUND 505 PM MDT. VETERAN AROUND 515 PM MDT. OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS INCLUDE HIGHWAY 85 BETWEEN LAGRANGE AND TORRINGTON. 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 4163 10408 4162 10432 4202 10443 4203 10405 TIME...MOT...LOC 2235Z 174DEG 22KT 4175 10422 HAHN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY
503 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0456 PM HAIL 3 N HAWK SPRINGS 41.83N 104.27W
05/24/2015 E0.50 INCH GOSHEN WY LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
HAHNSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 505 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 NEZ002-095-242345- NORTH SIOUX NE-DAWES NE- 505 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT... AT 505 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF FORT ROBINSON CAMPGROUND...OR 24 MILES WEST OF CHADRON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... CRAWFORD AROUND 530 PM MDT. WHITNEY LAKE AROUND 545 PM MDT. OTHER LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE WHITNEY. 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 4277 10358 4287 10352 4285 10313 4261 10325 TIME...MOT...LOC 2305Z 287DEG 12KT 4280 10349 HAHN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 525 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 NEZ002-250000- DAWES NE- 525 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WEST CENTRAL DAWES COUNTY UNTIL 600 PM MDT... AT 525 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WHITNEY LAKE...OR 20 MILES WEST OF CHADRON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... WHITNEY LAKE AND WHITNEY. 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 4277 10347 4286 10345 4284 10314 4262 10324 TIME...MOT...LOC 2325Z 285DEG 15KT 4279 10339 HAHN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 636 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 NEZ003-021-250100- MORRILL NE-BOX BUTTE NE- 636 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN BOX BUTTE AND NORTHEASTERN MORRILL COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM MDT... AT 636 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES SOUTH OF ALLIANCE AIRPORT...OR 14 MILES SOUTH OF ALLIANCE... MOVING NORTHWEST AT 15 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 SOUTHERN BOX BUTTE AND NORTHEASTERN MORRILL COUNTIES. 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 4186 10277 4184 10284 4199 10300 4204 10281 TIME...MOT...LOC 0036Z 154DEG 11KT 4189 10283 HAHN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 659 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 NEZ002-003-250145- DAWES NE-BOX BUTTE NE- 659 PM MDT SUN MAY 24 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN BOX BUTTE AND SOUTH CENTRAL DAWES COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM MDT... AT 659 PM MDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BOX BUTTE CAMPGROUND...OR 27 MILES NORTHWEST OF ALLIANCE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... BOX BUTTE CAMPGROUND AROUND 735 PM MDT. HEMINGFORD AROUND 740 PM MDT. BOX BUTTE DAM AROUND 745 PM MDT. 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 4235 10331 4243 10332 4247 10302 4232 10301 TIME...MOT...LOC 0059Z 265DEG 10KT 4239 10325 HAHN
The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 194 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:14 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Quarter size hail was reported about six miles south-southwest of Box Butte Reservoir Campground.
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, May 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: 572075.