This was an active Tuesday afternoon and evening of thunderstorms across much of South Central Nebraska, although all verified severe weather concentrated within counties south of Interstate 80. There were several reports of large hail (up to baseball size), damaging winds (up to around 70 MPH), a few pockets of very heavy rainfall into mainly the 3-5 range, and one brief EF-0 tornado.
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 GID wrote it up.
This was an active Tuesday afternoon and evening of thunderstorms across much of South Central Nebraska, although all verified severe weather concentrated within counties south of Interstate 80. There were several reports of large hail (up to baseball size), damaging winds (up to around 70 MPH), a few pockets of very heavy rainfall into mainly the 3-5 range, and one brief EF-0 tornado. This tornado, which exhibited multi-vortex structure along its short path, was caught on video by a storm chaser near Huntley in eastern Harlan County around 5:45 p.m. CDT. Shortly before dropping the tornado, this high-precipitation (HP) supercell storm also yielded tennis ball to baseball size hail several miles north of Orleans. Other notable hail reports on this day included 2 diameter stones near Franklin and ping pong ball size near Blue Hill. As for damaging winds, the highest measured gusts (unofficial sources) featured 71 MPH near Carleton and 63 MPH near Holbrook. At least minor tree/branch damage was reported in or near Cambridge and Naponee, and power lines were blown down near Republican City. Rainfall-wise, the majority of the 24-county area received at least 1 of mostly-welcomed rainfall. However, there were generally four distinct zones that got drenched with noticeably higher amounts of at least 3-4, and locally more. These included portions of the following counties: much of southern/eastern Thayer; much of northern Furnas and adjacent portions of Gosper/Phelps/Harlan; parts of northern Nuckolls/southern Clay; and parts of northeastern York. A few of the highest official 24-hour totals (NWS coop and CoCoRaHS observers) featured: 5.14 northeast of Chester, 4.52 near Deweese, 3.86 in Edison and 3.80 in Hubbell. There was also an unofficial report of a whopping 7 south of Gilead in far southeast Thayer County. Although there were surely several instances of fairly minor flooding and even brief flash flooding, ground truth reports were rather limited.
Breaking down event evolution/timing, the first strong to severe storms of the afternoon fired up between 3:30-5:00 p.m. CDT on opposite ends of the local area, with one cluster in Thayer County and the other centered over Furnas County. During the next couple hours, intense multicell convection gradually connected the gap between the original two clusters, eventually resulting in one semi-organized band. However, during this same time, the most intense storm of the day took center stage as an embedded HP supercell tracked across much of Harlan and southern Franklin counties, producing very large hail and the aforementioned brief tornado. Between 7 p.m. CDT and nightfall, convection expanded in areal coverage to encompass most all of South Central Nebraska, while the overall severe weather threat diminished. However, around 9 p.m. CDT another cluster of vigorous convection rolled in from the west, yielding a few reports of marginally-severe winds in Furnas County. These were the last severe reports of the evening, with only a large shield of mainly light to moderate rain persisting well past midnight, while gradually ending from west-to-east.
Closing with some meteorological background, this was a well-anticipated round of severe storms and heavy rainfall, as low-amplitude shortwave energy tracked into Nebraska around the southeast periphery of a larger-scale trough/closed low centered over the Northern Rockies. At the surface, a fairly well-defined and generally west-east oriented quasi-stationary front stretched near the Nebraska-Kansas-border, with the majority of South Central Nebraska residing just north of this boundary in an environment characterized by east-northeast breezes, afternoon temperatures in the 80s F and dewpoints in the upper 60s-low 70s F. During the height of severe storm development, the mesoscale environment featured between 30-50 knots of deep-layer wind shear and mixed-layer CAPE of 2000-3000 J/kg.
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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 19, 12:55 PM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Hastings NE
155 PM CDT Tue Jun 19 2018
.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Wednesday)
Issued at 149 PM CDT Tue Jun 19 2018
Attention remains on the potential for severe weather and heavy
rain/flooding this evening and tonight. The weather pattern remains
active with a potent closed upper low edging east of the northern
Rockies with a lead shortwave lifting out of the base of the trough
across CO, which will interact with a frontal boundary across the
plains later today/tonight. The surface boundary this morning was
oriented from southeast CO, northeast to KHYS to K61 to KLNK and the
front has lifted a little farther to the north early this
afternoon.
Short term models suggest a couple areas for storm development, with
the first round of storms initiating along the front across western
KS/southwest Neb with continued development along the boundary
through the evening. While to the west, convection over Wyoming is
expected to sustain and reach our area after dark and move through
during the overnight hours. The environment will be favorable for
strong to severe storms especially focused along the boundary for
our southern zones, as instability averages 2500 j/kg with
effective shear around 30kts. The primary storm threats will be
large hail and damaging winds, however an isolated tornado cannot
be ruled out through the evening.
Heavy rainfall and the potential for flooding is the next concern
from the storms with precipitable water values of 1.5" to 1.75"
which are 150 to 200 percent of normal for this time of year. While
it's been fairly dry for most areas, the precipitation rates and
amounts from the storms is a concern. The Belgrade area picked up
1.5" of rain in just 20 minutes this morning and rainfall rates of 1
to 2 inches an hour may be realized. Given the potential for heavy
rain and flooding, the flash flood watch has been expanded farther
north along the boundary where confidence in heavy rain potential is
higher. Rain amounts across our central zones is a little more
uncertain, in between or on the northern edge of convection in the
evening and on the southern end of the high plains storms tonight.
Showers and thunderstorms may be ongoing/linger into the day
Wednesday or redevelop under the influence of the mid/upper low
pressure system across the plains, but severe weather chances
diminish and focus along the frontal boundary to our east. We've
been talking about the arrival of cooler weather for awhile now, and
temps Wednesday will reflect the post frontal airmass with highs in
the 70s to low 80s.
.LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Tuesday)
Issued at 149 PM CDT Tue Jun 19 2018
Models are not in complete agreement on the progression of the upper
low across the plains on Thursday with the NAM the slowest and
farthest south and west, tracking the system through eastern KS vs
Kansas City area on other models. Regardless, on the back side of
the system, wraparound showers will remain possible through the
day. Thursday will also see a continuation of the cool conditions
with highs mainly 70 to 75 degrees, and as previous shift
mentioned, gusty north winds may make it feel even cooler.
Friday is still shaping up to be dry in between weather systems in
shortwave ridging/rising heights behind the departing upper low.
Temps will recover to some degree, but still below normal in the 70s
to low 80s. The pattern turns active again Friday night and
continues through the weekend and into next week as a series of
shortwave troughs cross the Central Plains. While each day will
not be a rainout, multiple chances for showers and storms exist,
providing the chance for beneficial rains.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 18Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS through 18Z Wednesday)
Issued at 1212 PM CDT Tue Jun 19 2018
Complicated TAF period with low clouds this morning at IFR, which
have recently raised to MVFR. Generally expect MVFR clouds through
the day with chances for showers and storms increasing heading
into the evening and overnight hours. Strong to severe storms are
possible, with hail/wind the primary hazards. Brunt of precip
should move east of the terminals Wednesday morning with low cloud
remaining possible into the daylight hours.
&&
.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...Flash Flood Watch through Wednesday morning for NEZ076-077-
082>087.
KS...Flash Flood Watch through Wednesday morning for KSZ005>007-
017>019.
&&
SHORT TERM...Fay
LONG TERM...Fay
AVIATION...FayHazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Hastings NE 148 PM CDT Tue Jun 19 2018 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 201200- Phillips-Smith-Jewell-Rooks-Osborne-Mitchell-Valley-Greeley-Nance- Sherman-Howard-Merrick-Polk-Dawson-Buffalo-Hall-Hamilton-York- Gosper-Phelps-Kearney-Adams-Clay-Fillmore-Furnas-Harlan-Franklin- Webster-Nuckolls-Thayer- 148 PM CDT Tue Jun 19 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Nebraska and portions of north central Kansas. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and Tonight. Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible today, primary from 4 pm and into the overnight hours. The storms will be capable of producing large hail the size of ping pong balls and damaging winds to 70 mph. In addition, an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, primarily southwest of the tri-cities. Areas of heavy rainfall accompanying the storms may lead to localized flooding. A flash flood watch is in effect for all of north central Kansas and locations south of a line from Cambridge to Clay Center and Geneva, Nebraska. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Except for the daytime of Friday, there are intermittent chances for thunderstorms each day through Monday. Severe weather is unlikely Wednesday through Friday, and it is too early to accurately evaluate the severe risk into the weekend and early next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed late this afternoon and this evening. && More information may be obtained at the following web page: https://www.weather.gov/hastings
The Grand Island radar (KUEX), 113 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:02 UTC.
12 hail, 7 heavy rain, 5 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A storm total rainfall amount of 3.86 inches occurred in Edison and 3.30 inches occurred two miles east-southeast of Cambridge.
A CoCoRahs report of a storm total rainfall amount of 5.14 inches occurred three miles northeast of Chester, and a cooperative observer measured 3.80 inches in Hubbell.
A storm total rainfall amount of 3.54 inches occurred at the AWOS at the Holdrege Airport.
A storm total rainfall amount of 3.70 inches three miles northeast of Stamford, 3.48 inches occurred two miles east of Stamford, 3.25 inches occurred 3 miles north of Alma, 3.02 inches occurred in Orleans.
Storm total rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches were common across the county, including 4.52 inches five miles south southeast of Deweese, and 3.90 inches recorded three miles south of Edgar.
Tennis ball to baseball size hail was reported.
A multiple vortex tornado occurred along a short path. Maximum wind was estimated to be 70 MPH, and no significant damage was reported. The path and tornado characteristics were estimated according to a storm chaser video, reports, and radar information.
Power lines were blown over due to a rear flank downdraft.
A storm total rainfall amount of 3.36 inches occurred five miles north-northwest of Sherman Reservoir, and 3.15 inches occurred two miles west of Loup City.
A storm total rainfall amount of 3.24 inches occurred six miles west-northwest of North Loup.
There was a report of small branches downed in the Naponee area.
The Hubbell Fire Chief reported water over the road near the intersection of Highway 8 and 6200 Road, located two miles east of Chester. There was also on unofficial report of 7 inches of rain five miles south-southeast of Gilead.
A wind gust of 63 MPH was measured by a trained spotter at 9:11 PM CDT 3 miles west of Holbrook. In the Cambridge area, wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH, resulting in several small tree branches being downed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2018Warnings in Nebraska, June 2018
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: 761806, 761838, 761651, 761766, 761809, 761653, 761787, 761655, 761658, 761668, 761680, 761682, 760387, 761684, 761536, 761687, 761832, 761842, 761435, 761436, 761689, 761692, 761694, 761543, 761537, 761539.