Nebraska, 2018

Hail and Damaging Winds in Nebraska, July 22 to 24, 2018

July 22 to 24, 2018 · NWS LBF · 13 events in 6 counties and zones

A stationary front and weak northwest flow aloft provided the dynamics for a couple days worth of scattered severe thunderstorms.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS LBF wrote it up.

A stationary front and weak northwest flow aloft provided the dynamics for a couple days worth of scattered severe thunderstorms.

What forecasters said that day

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 22, 4:11 PM MST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 22, 4:11 PM MST, 12 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 22, 1:15 PM MST, 3 hours 8 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service North Platte NE
315 PM CDT Sun Jul 22 2018

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-232015-
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-
315 PM CDT Sun Jul 22 2018 /215 PM MDT Sun Jul 22 2018/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and
north central Nebraska.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

Scattered thunderstorms will be possible along an advancing cold
front this evening and overnight. The atmosphere is unstable, but
shear is not overly strong. Thus Strong or marginally severe
storms capable of gusty erratic wind, heavy rainfall and hail to
the size of quarters will be possible from southwest Nebraska
northeast through the Sandhills and into north central Nebraska.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

Scattered strong or severe thunderstorms are possible Tuesday
evening. Large hail and wind damage are the primary hazards,
though heavy rainfall is possible as well.

Daily chances for additional thunderstorms are forecast Wednesday
through Saturday. Heavy rainfall will be possible with these
storms.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed this evening from north central
Nebraska southeast into the eastern Panhandle.

&&

Get your weather, hydrological, and climate information at
http://www.weather.gov/northplatte

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 22, 2:53 PM MST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
453 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

NEZ005-094-222230-
Eastern Cherry NE-Western Cherry NE-
453 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL CHERRY COUNTY UNTIL 530
PM CDT/430 PM MDT/...

At 451 PM CDT/351 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong
thunderstorm 12 miles southwest of Merritt Reservoir, or 32 miles
north of Mullen, moving southeast at 10 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 central Cherry
County, including the following locations... Highway 97 crossing the
North Loup River.

This includes Highway 97 between mile markers 90 and 107.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

If on or near Merritt Reservoir, get out of the water and move
indoors or inside a vehicle. Remember, lightning can strike out to
10 miles from the parent thunderstorm. If you can hear thunder, you
are close enough to be struck by lightning. Move to safe shelter
now! Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm.

Persons in campgrounds should consider seeking sturdy shelter until
this storm passes.

&&

LAT...LON 4252 10115 4259 10095 4244 10078 4234 10105
TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 330DEG 10KT 4251 10103

Jacobs
Special weather statement, Jul 22, 3:19 PM MST, 1 hour 4 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
519 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

NEZ005-222300-
Eastern Cherry NE-
519 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN CHERRY COUNTY UNTIL
600 PM CDT...

At 519 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Valentine, moving southeast at 15 mph.

Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.

Locations impacted include...
Valentine and Highway 97 crossing the Niobrara River.

This includes the following highways...
 Highway 20 between mile markers 189 and 209.
 Highway 97 between mile markers 133 and 141.
 Highway 83 between mile markers 202 and 219.
 Highway 12 between mile markers 1 and 6.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

Persons in campgrounds should consider seeking sturdy shelter until
this storm passes.

&&

LAT...LON 4284 10075 4297 10066 4291 10032 4268 10045
TIME...MOT...LOC 2219Z 294DEG 14KT 4290 10062

Jacobs
Special weather statement, Jul 22, 3:33 PM MST, 50 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
533 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

NEZ005-094-222315-
Eastern Cherry NE-Western Cherry NE-
533 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL CHERRY COUNTY UNTIL
615 PM CDT/515 PM MDT/...

At 533 PM CDT/433 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong
thunderstorm 16 miles west of Brownlee, or 21 miles north of Mullen,
moving southeast at 20 mph.

Dime size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.

Locations impacted include...
Highway 97 crossing the North Loup River, Giant Hill, Marsh Flat and
Highway 97 crossing Big Creek.

This includes Highway 97 between mile markers 82 and 92.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

Persons in campgrounds should consider seeking sturdy shelter until
this storm passes.

&&

LAT...LON 4235 10111 4245 10096 4228 10064 4210 10093
TIME...MOT...LOC 2233Z 298DEG 15KT 4234 10094

Jacobs
Special weather statement, Jul 22, 4:04 PM MST, 19 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service North Platte NE
604 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

NEZ023-024-035-036-222345-
Hooker NE-Grant NE-Arthur NE-McPherson NE-
604 PM CDT SUN JUL 22 2018

...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN ARTHUR...
SOUTHEASTERN GRANT...SOUTHWESTERN HOOKER AND NORTHWESTERN MCPHERSON
COUNTIES UNTIL 645 PM CDT/545 PM MDT/...

At 604 PM CDT/504 PM MDT/, Doppler radar was tracking a strong
thunderstorm 19 miles southeast of Whitman, or 21 miles southwest of
Mullen, moving southeast at 15 mph.

Dime size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.

Locations impacted include...
Sand Beach Lake, Flatts, Big Lamunyon Flats, Diamond Bar Lake,
Bucktail, Schnick Lake, East Cody Lake and Calora.

This includes the following highways...
 Highway 92 between mile markers 178 and 190.
 Highway 97 between mile markers 39 and 40.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.

&&

LAT...LON 4181 10147 4192 10127 4167 10094 4146 10142
TIME...MOT...LOC 2304Z 324DEG 15KT 4181 10132

Jacobs
Special weather statement, Jul 22, 4:07 PM MST, 16 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jul 22, 4:09 PM MST, 14 minutes before
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The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Hooker

When
July 22, 4:23 PM MST
Where
Hooker County, 21.23 mi SW of Mullen
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.800, -101.270

Hail, McPherson

When
July 22, 6:05 PM CST
Where
McPherson County, 17.75 mi WSW of Tryon
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.440, -101.280

Hail, Keith

When
July 22, 5:40 PM MST
Where
Keith County, 2.76 mi S of Keystone
Measured
2.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.180, -101.580

Heavy damage reported with some cattle being injured.

Hail, Keith

When
July 22, 5:41 PM MST
Where
Keith County, 2.95 mi NNE of Roscoe
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.170, -101.560

Thunderstorm Wind, Keith

When
July 22, 5:41 PM MST
Where
Keith County, 2.95 mi NNE of Roscoe
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.170, -101.560

No information available.

Hail, Keith

When
July 22, 5:45 PM MST
Where
Keith County, 2.08 mi W of Roscoe
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.130, -101.620

Hail, Keith

When
July 22, 6:03 PM MST
Where
Keith County, 6.99 mi S of Roscoe
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.030, -101.600

Hail, Perkins

When
July 22, 6:15 PM MST
Where
Perkins County, 3.49 mi N of Grant
Measured
1.25 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.900, -101.730

Thunderstorm Wind, Perkins

When
July 22, 6:15 PM MST
Where
Perkins County, 3.49 mi N of Grant
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.900, -101.730

No information available.

Hail, Perkins

When
July 22, 6:23 PM MST
Where
Perkins County, 2.6 mi NE of Grant
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.880, -101.690

Thunderstorm Wind, Perkins

When
July 22, 6:33 PM MST
Where
Perkins County, 0.87 mi SW of Grant
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.840, -101.730

No information available.

Hail, Chase

When
July 22, 6:42 PM MST
Where
Chase County, 6.28 mi ESE of Lamar
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.520, -101.870

Thunderstorm Wind, Sheridan

When
July 24, 11:10 PM MST
Where
Sheridan County, 10.38 mi N of Hay Spgs
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.830, -102.690

No information available.

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, July 2018

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 772722, 772723, 772724, 772725, 772732, 772726, 772727, 772728, 772733, 772729, 772734, 772731, 772735.