The very early morning hours on this Saturday featured a number of severe-criteria wind gusts across primarily the northeast half of South Central Nebraska, thanks to a squall line/linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) racing through from northwest-to-southeast. m.
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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 GID wrote it up.
The very early morning hours on this Saturday featured a number of severe-criteria wind gusts across primarily the northeast half of South Central Nebraska, thanks to a squall line/linear mesoscale convective system (MCS) racing through from northwest-to-southeast. The strongest-known measured wind was 74 MPH at Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island, shortly before 2 a.m. CDT. Other notable measured wind gusts included: 64 MPH at Ord airport, 62 MPH at both Hastings and York airports, and 59 MPH at Kearney airport. Ground-truth damage reports were fairly limited, but a cooperative observer near Shelby reported 7 diameter tree limbs down, and several overturned irrigation pivots in the area. In addition, a power line was downed by a fallen tree in Shelton, and power was also knocked out for a time in Red Cloud. This was almost purely a wind event, with storms producing little-to-no-hail, and the vast majority of severe gusts concentrating east-northeast of a line from western Buffalo County to Webster County.
Timing-wise, the leading edge of the squall line entered the far northern local area (Valley County) shortly after midnight CDT, with outflow winds surging several miles out ahead of the trailing precipitation core. Severe winds reached the Highway 30 corridor around 2 a.m. CDT, and a line from roughly Hastings-York by around 2:30 a.m. CDT. The last evidence of severe weather within the local area consisted of 60 MPH winds at a mesonet station near Nelson at 319 a.m. CDT. Well before reaching South Central Nebraska, the initial severe convection that eventually morphed into this fast-moving squall line developed over south central South Dakota during the late afternoon/early evening of the 8th. In the mid-upper levels, this was a fairly classic setup for nocturnal severe weather. While forcing was not overly-strong, a low-amplitude disturbance tracked across mainly northern NE/southern SD through the night, embedded within a broad, quasi-zonal flow regime. Once the afternoon/early evening storms over southern SD grew upscale into an organized MCS, southeastward propagation into the local area was fostered by a southerly low level jet (evident at 850 millibars) strengthening to 30-40 knots. Around the time convection surged into northern local counties, mesoscale parameters featured around 1000-2000 J/kg most-unstable CAPE, and moderate deep-layer (0-6 km) shear of 30-40 knots.
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 8, 11:20 PM CST, 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hastings NE 1220 AM CDT Sat Jun 9 2018 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday) Issued at 354 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 The main forecast concern is the chances for thunderstorms this evening and overnight. An upper level disturbance will move across the Northern Plains and help to induce thunderstorms this evening. Thunderstorms have already fired in the Black Hills and western Wyoming as of this issuance. The high-resolution guidance has continued to indicate the chance for a MCS to develop from this activity in the High Plains and track southeast across Nebraska. The question now though is, how exactly will this convection evolve? The NAM and GFS seem to be struggling some what, but ultimately develop a MCS and track it east/southeast during the overnight aided by low level moisture transport. These guidance keep the bulk of the QPF north of the forecast area, over northern Nebraska. The higher resolution NAMNest shows a squall line developing and tracking south across the heart of Nebraska, including much of the forecast area. The HRRR indicates the potential for convection developing off the High Plains of the Nebraska Panhandle moving east and merging with the squall line from SD and moving across Nebraska. There are a lot of solutions and as mentioned, which will occur? While the details are a bit hairy, the main take away is that there is a decent chance for thunderstorms to impact central and parts of south central Nebraska. The best chance will be along and north of I-80, but cannot rule out the possibility for the remainder of Nebraska. North central Kansas looks like it will stay mostly dry. A marginal and slight risk encompass the forecast area. Think the best chance will be for severe wind vs. hail during the overnight hours. Timing: 10pm-6am. Saturday and Sunday: The main concern for the weekend is the heat. With the upper ridge square overhead, temperatures will soar. Highs will be in the 90s and even breaching the triple digits in north central Kansas. Sunday will be hotter than Saturday across the area. Heat indices will approach 100. There is a small chance for thunderstorms during the day Saturday as it gets warm enough, but upper level support is minimal. The forecast is dry for the whole weekend, but a Marginal Risk is overhead for Saturday. Cannot rule out a convectively induce brief thunderstorm, but for most the chances are better it will remain dry. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Friday) Issued at 354 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 An upper disturbance will be rotating around the upper trough across the northern Rockies/Plains and kick out a cold front across the area for early Monday. With this trough the upper pattern will become more zonal. Temperatures will begin to moderate back to climatic norms in the low 80s. This frontal passage Monday is expected to be mostly dry. There are scattered precipitation chances through the work-week, but the best chance looks to be Tuesday night through Wednesday as a wave moves across the Northern Plains. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS through 06Z Sunday) Issued at 1218 AM CDT Sat Jun 9 2018 Main concern for this TAF period will come in the first 3-6 hours, as a MCS makes its way southeast through central NE. Still has a ways to go to affect the terminal areas, but timing trends look to bring it in around 07Z. Once this activity passes later tonight, have the rest of the period dry, with VFR conditions. Winds may be variable/gusty with any thunderstorms, but otherwise generally southeasterly winds are expected. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. KS...None. && SHORT TERM...Billings Wright LONG TERM...Billings Wright AVIATION...ADP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Hastings NE 359 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 092100- 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- 359 PM CDT Fri Jun 8 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Nebraska and portions of north central Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. There will be a chance for strong to severe thunderstorms tonight, mainly across central and south central Nebraska. The main hazards will be damaging wind gusts near 70 MPH and hail up the size of half dollars. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. This weekend will be hot by early-June standards. Especially on Sunday afternoon, heat index values could reach 100 degrees in various parts of the outlook area. Between Monday afternoon and Thursday, intermittent thunderstorm chances return to various portions of the outlook area. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed late this evening through tonight, mainly across south central Nebraska. && More information may be obtained at the following web page: https://www.weather.gov/hastings Billings Wright
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Hastings NE 1218 AM CDT SAT JUN 9 2018 NEZ039-040-090600- Valley NE-Greeley NE- 1218 AM CDT SAT JUN 9 2018 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN GREELEY AND VALLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 100 AM CDT... At 1216 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along a line extending from 11 miles southwest of Ewing to Burwell to Victoria Springs State Recreation Area. Movement was southeast at 30 mph. With the initial storm outflow, winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible. Mainly after 1 AM CDT, small hail may also be possible in northern portions of Valley and Greeley counties, along with heavy rainfall. Locations impacted include... Ord, Elyria and Fort Hartsuff State Park. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... These storms may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. && LAT...LON 4153 9886 4145 9921 4174 9921 4174 9841 TIME...MOT...LOC 0516Z 324DEG 27KT 4211 9844 4180 9911 4161 9980 Pfannkuch
The North Platte radar (KLNX), 140 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:31 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak wind gust of 64 MPH was measured at Evelyn Sharp Field (Ord Airport), that occurred along a gust front ahead of an approaching line of thunderstorms from the northwest.
An NeRAIN observer near Dannevirke estimated gusts to around 65 MPH.
Strong wind gusts occurred along a gust front ahead of a line of thunderstorms approaching from the north-northwest. Peak gusts at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport included 74 MPH at 1:54 AM CDT, 61 MPH at 1:53 AM CDT and 59 MPH at 1:49 AM CDT. A nearby mesonet recorded a gust of 66 MPH at 1:59 AM CDT.
Severe wind gusts occurred along a line of outflow well ahead and south of a line of thunderstorms to the north. A power line was down from a fallen tree in the community of Shelton. The Buffalo County Emergency Manager estimated the wind gust at 60 MPH. The emergency manager also reported an accident just south on Interstate 80 that was possibly weather related. A nearby observation at the Kearney Airport recorded a measured wind gust of 59 MPH at 1:59 AM CDT at the same time of the wind damage. There was also a public report of an estimated 60 mph wind gust was reported 3 miles south of Gibbon at the Windmill State Recreation Area.
An estimated wind gust of 60 MPH occurred in Osceola.
A cooperative observer 3 miles northeast of Shelby reported 7 inch diameter tree branches down, plus several pivots around the area knocked over.
A NWS Hastings employee estimated wind gusts to be near 60 MPH.
Wind gusts were estimated at 60 MPH just north of Red Cloud, where the power went out from the strong wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 758646, 764122, 758652, 758658, 758659, 758615, 758665, 759183, 759184, 759185, 759186, 758633, 759187, 759188, 759189, 759190.