The supercell thunderstorm that tracked across parts of northwest Kansas continued into extreme southwest Nebraska. Law enforcement reported a tornado south of McCook which dissipated as it got closer to town.
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 GLD wrote it up.
The supercell thunderstorm that tracked across parts of northwest Kansas continued into extreme southwest Nebraska. Law enforcement reported a tornado south of McCook which dissipated as it got closer to town. Further west, repeat episodes of thunderstorms resulted in very heavy rainfall and flash flooding in Benkelman.
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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 4:20 PM MST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 520 PM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 240 PM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015 CURRENTLY MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA (EXCEPT WESTERN FRINGE OF YUMA COUNTY) REMAINS UNDER A LARGE AMOUNT OF DRY AIR ALOFT WHICH DESPITE SOME CLEARING AND INCREASING INSTABILITY HAS DELAYED THUNDERSTORM INITIATION. LATEST RUC/18Z NAM/HRRR SUGGESTING NEXT SPOKE OF ENERGY TO EJECT FROM PARENT UPPER LOW INTO SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE AREA AROUND 23Z LIFTING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MIDNIGHT. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED. AFTER MIDNIGHT CENTER OF WOUND UP UPPER LOW MOVES NORTHEAST TOWARD YUMA COUNTY WITH WRAPAROUND PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE NORTHWEST 1/2 OF THE AREA. DURING THE DAY SUNDAY UPPER LOW LIFTS INTO NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. WRAPAROUND PRECIPITATION WILL SLOWLY END FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH THE DAY. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW EXPECTED IN THE 09Z-13Z OR 14Z TIMEFRAME FROM NEAR WAUNETA TO STRATTON TO KIT CARSON COUNTY. ANY ACCUMULATION SHOULD BE CONFINED TO GRASSY AREAS. ELSEWHERE WINDS INCREASE FOR MANY WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH POSSIBLE. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT RANGE FROM THE LOW 30S FOR FAR EASTERN COLORADO TO AROUND 50 IN NORTON AND HILL CITY. HIGH TEMPERATURES SUNDAY IN THE MID 40S WEST TO AROUND 60 HILL CITY. REGARDING FROST/FREEZE HEADLINES. BASED ON CURRENT FORECAST NOT QUITE HALF OF YUMA COUNTY AND TO A LESSER EXTENT KIT CARSON AND CHEYENNE COUNTY COLORADO WOULD SEE FROST CONDITIONS...THIS IS ALSO THE AREA I AM ANTICIPATING SNOW. SO FOR NOW WILL NOT ISSUE ANY HIGHLITES. IF A GREATER AREA OF YUMA COUNTY GETS INTO THE LOW 30S A FROST HEADLINE WOULD BE NEEDED. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 138 PM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015 QUIET WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE FORECAST AREA BEGINNING SUNDAY NIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH AT LEAST MID-DAY TUESDAY. DURING THIS TIME FRAME...THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS FROST/FREEZE POTENTIAL. FOR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING...THERE ARE A FEW FORECAST ASPECTS THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED. IN THE WAKE OF THE DEPARTING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT UNDER CLEARING SKIES. THESE COMPETING FACTORS INTRODUCE UNCERTAINTY INTO THE LOW TEMPERATURES FORECAST AND THUS FROST/FREEZE CONCERNS. CURRENT FORECAST IS SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY'S RUN WITH LOW TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO THE MID 30S ALONG/WEST OF HIGHWAY 25 AND IN THE LOW 30S ALONG/WEST OF HIGHWAY 27. THERE MAY EVEN BE SOME UPPER 20S OBSERVED OVER EAST COLORADO WITH COLD AIR ADVECTION PERSISTING. FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...COLD LOW TEMPERATURES ARE ONCE AGAIN FORECAST. THIS TIME...LIGHT WINDS ARE LIKELY IN ADDITION TO CLEAR SKIES. THE LIGHT WINDS WILL BE THE RESULT OF A HIGH PRESSURE CENTER PASSING DIRECTLY OVERHEAD. THESE ARE PRIME CONDITIONS FOR EFFECTIVE RADIATIONAL COOLING AND RAPIDLY DROPPING TEMPERATURES. CURRENT FORECAST PREDICTS LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 30S GENERALLY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 70 WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR OBSERVATIONS IN THE LOW 30S NEAR MCCOOK NEBRASKA AND NORTON KANSAS. BEGINNING TUESDAY EVENING...SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN ONCE AGAIN AS THE PATTERN SHIFTS FROM BRIEF SHORTWAVE RIDGING TO ANOTHER DEEP LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. INITIALLY...MOST CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY REMAINS ALONG THE COLORADO FRONT RANGE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. A MORE PRONOUNCED SHORTWAVE TROUGH ROTATES AROUND THE LONGWAVE TROUGH...EJECTING OVER THE HIGH PLAINS WEDNESDAY EVENING. THIS SHOULD BRING A BETTER CHANCE FOR STORMS BUT CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS ARE A LITTLE UNCERTAIN AS MOISTURE RETURN AND THUS INCREASING INSTABILITY MAY BE LIMITED. FOR THURSDAY AND BEYOND...A WET PATTERN LOOKS TO RESUME AS MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY RETURN IN EARNEST OVER THE PLAINS. FORECAST SOLUTIONS VARY WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES LONGWAVE TROUGH. IT APPEARS THERE WILL BE SOME SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL...PARTICULARLY ON SATURDAY IF FORECAST ELEMENTS COME TOGETHER. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 514 PM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015 MVFR AND IFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE AT KGLD AND KMCK THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR SUNDAY MORNING AT BOTH SITES AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. && .GLD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KS...NONE. CO...NONE. NE...NONE. && SHORT TERM...99 LONG TERM...RRH AVIATION...FS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 200 PM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015 COZ090>092-KSZ001>004-013>016-027>029-041-042-NEZ079>081-101200- YUMA-KIT CARSON-CHEYENNE CO-CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS-DECATUR-NORTON- SHERMAN-THOMAS-SHERIDAN-GRAHAM-WALLACE-LOGAN-GOVE-GREELEY-WICHITA- DUNDY-HITCHCOCK-RED WILLOW- 200 PM MDT SAT MAY 9 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL COLORADO... EXTREME SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN INTENSITY AND AREAL COVERAGE AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES...CONTINUING INTO THE EVENING. MOVEMENT WILL BE TO THE NORTHEAST. ALL MODES OF SEVERE WEATHER REMAIN POSSIBLE INCLUDING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND A FEW TORNADOES. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. SNOW IS EXPECTED AFTER MIDNIGHT GENERALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR WAUNETA TO STRATTON TO KIT CARSON COLORADO. ANY ACCUMULATION WILL LIKELY BE ON GRASSY SURFACES. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 30 TO 40 MPH WILL COMBINE WITH THE SNOW TO PRODUCE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW. THIS AREA WILL LIKELY SEE FROST CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY... SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW IS EXPECTED AN HOUR OR SO AFTER SUNRISE SUNDAY MORNING. ANY ACCUMULATION WILL LIKELY BE ON GRASSY SURFACES. THIS AREA WILL ALSO HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR FROST CONDITIONS. FROST IS POSSIBLE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A TRENTON NEBRASKA TO LEOTI KANSAS LINE. FROST IS POSSIBLE AGAIN LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING NORTH OF A LINE FROM BENKELMAN TO HILL CITY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY THROUGH THIS EVENING.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
854 PM MDT SAT MAY 09 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 PM TORNADO 5 NE MENLO 39.41N 100.68W
05/09/2015 SHERIDAN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS A TORNADO ON THE GROUND NE OF
MENLO.
&&
T. LYNCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
857 PM MDT SAT MAY 09 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0855 PM TORNADO 7 ESE REXFORD 39.44N 100.62W
05/09/2015 SHERIDAN KS TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTS A LARGE, MULTI-VORTEX TORNADO ESE
OF REXFORD.
&&
T. LYNCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
918 PM MDT SAT MAY 09 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0917 PM TORNADO 4 NNW SELDEN 39.60N 100.61W
05/09/2015 DECATUR KS PUBLIC
TORNADO ON THE GROUND NNW OF SELDEN.
&&
T. LYNCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
926 PM MDT SAT MAY 09 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0924 PM TORNADO 7 NNW SELDEN 39.63N 100.62W
05/09/2015 DECATUR KS TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO ON THE GROUND 7 MILES NNW OF SELDEN.
&&
T. LYNCHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
927 PM MDT SAT MAY 09 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0920 PM HAIL 14 SSE BIRD CITY 39.57N 101.41W
05/09/2015 E1.25 INCH SHERMAN KS PUBLIC
REPORT OF 1.25 INCH HAIL.
&&
T. LYNCHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS 1030 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 KSZ001-002-100400- CHEYENNE KS-RAWLINS KS- 1030 PM CDT SAT MAY 9 2015 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN RAWLINS AND NORTHEASTERN CHEYENNE COUNTIES UNTIL 1100 PM CDT... AT 1030 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MCDONALD...OR 19 MILES WEST OF ATWOOD...MOVING NORTH AT 45 MPH. HALF INCH HAIL AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... MCDONALD. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT FOR NORTHWESTERN KANSAS. LAT...LON 3964 10128 3965 10151 4000 10154 4000 10120 TIME...MOT...LOC 0330Z 182DEG 40KT 3974 10139 MK
The Goodland radar (KGLD), 77 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:28 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The fairgrounds area iin Benkelman received flash flooding. Water was up to the running boards on pickup trucks and over many roads as well.
Law enforcement and a storm spotter reported an intermittent tornado south of McCook. No damage was observed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2015Warnings 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: 576818, 573107.