Isolated thunderstorms produced large hail and a brief tornado across parts of northwest Nebraska, primarily Sheridan and Cherry Counties, the evening of July 3.
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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 LBF wrote it up.
Isolated thunderstorms produced large hail and a brief tornado across parts of northwest Nebraska, primarily Sheridan and Cherry Counties, the evening of July 3.
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 3, 1:59 PM MST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 359 PM CDT Sat Jul 3 2021 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 246 PM CDT Sat Jul 3 2021 Forecast challenge is pops/severe threat this evening in the west, then heat Sunday as the 4th of July activities get into full swing. A Heat Advisory issued for portions of the north central. Refer to latest Heat Advisory product for details. The radar mosaic shows a few returns across the western Panhandle moving east attm. The stage is set for isolated to scattered thunderstorms to develop with peak heating as lapse rates steepen and a disturbance swing across the plains this evening. There is a slight risk for severe thunderstorm development generally west of a line from Valentine to Mullen and Grant. A boundary that extends southwest across the Panhandle will be the initial focus for thunderstorm development over the eastern panhandle by 3 pm MDT, a few storms may reach severe limits. The Inverted sounding viewed on Bufkit support damaging winds to be the primary impact, although isolated large hail can't be ruled out. LAPS observed data showed narrow strip of higher CAPE values ranging from 2000 J/Kg to around 3059 J/Kg that aligns well with current Severe Wx Outlook. High based thunderstorm development expected into the evening moving eastward. Mesoscale...Thunderstorm activity may begin to wane around and after sunset as daytime heating decreases, however a low level jet at 850 mb may help sustain storm activity into the evening, particularly in north central Nebraska where the boundary will be located after sunset. Storm activity and general confidence in severe weather will still decrease and should be mostly over by midnight. Models are in fair agreement with the boundary to move southeast with temperatures overnight falling into the 60s areawide with a few lows around 70 degrees in northeast Boyd and Holt counties. On Sunday, the 4th it will be a hot one as the heat builds while the upper ridge builds across the west for prevailing northwest flow to become established for the start of the week. The weak surface boundary will be the focus for isolated thunderstorms again as peak heating arrives and lapse rates steepen by late afternoon. A marginal risk for severe storms exists although areal coverage appears low. Temperatures will peak in the mid 90s to around 100 in parts of the north and north central, where dewpoints in the mid 60s to 70 will lead to heat indices around 102 degrees for a few locales along and north of Highway 20 from Wood Lake east to Ewing. Refer to the latest Heat Advisory product for more details. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) Issued at 246 PM CDT Sat Jul 3 2021 Precipitation chances increase Monday night into Tuesday as prevailing northwest becomes established. Timing and areal coverage may change each day with model blend followed. The prevailing ridging in the southwest and southeast CONUS will lead to mainly troughing over the plains for the potential of daily convection. && AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Sunday afternoon) Issued at 1235 PM CDT Sat Jul 3 2021 VFR conditions are expected outside convection through the forecast period. Breezy south winds should subside by mid- afternoon for the terminals, with less than 20 knots expected beyond then. As for convection chances...high-based thunderstorms are forecast to develop to the west and move east into the area by late afternoon into the evening. This convection will be capable of hail in addition to gusty erratic winds and heavy rain. At this time, some uncertainty remains with how far east activity gets but confidence is highest in impacts to VTN so will include in there for now. Heavy rain is likely out of this activity which should lead to the potential for brief MVFR visibilities. As for LBF, weakening convection will approach late this evening though whether actual impacts materialize remain in question so will cover with VCTS for now with updates possible later. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Heat Advisory from noon to 8 PM CDT Sunday for NEZ006>010. && SHORT TERM...Keck LONG TERM...Keck AVIATION...NMJ MESOSCALE...Meltzer
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service North Platte NE 316 PM CDT Sat Jul 3 2021 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-042030- 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- 316 PM CDT Sat Jul 3 2021 /216 PM MDT Sat Jul 3 2021/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north central Nebraska. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. Scattered thunderstorms will move into portions of western Nebraska late this afternoon and through the evening. A few storms may be strong to severe with isolated large hail and damaging wind gusts. The area of greatest concern for this threat is west of a Grant to Mullen to Valentine line. Any thunderstorm will be capable of frequent lightning and locally heavy rainfall before diminishing by Midnight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A Heat Advisory has been issued for portions of north central Nebraska on Sunday where heat index values of around 100 degrees are expected. Please refer to this product for more details. Isolated thunderstorms are possible Sunday for much of western and north central Nebraska. Though widespread severe weather is not expected, a few stronger storms capable of small hail and gusty winds cannot be ruled out. Rain and thunderstorms are likely late Monday into Tuesday as a stronger disturbance moves through the area. At this time the threat for severe weather is low but locally heavy rain will be possible. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS. && Get your weather, hydrological, and climate information at http://www.weather.gov/northplatte
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service North Platte NE 511 PM MDT Sat Jul 3 2021 NEZ004-040000- Sheridan NE- 511 PM MDT Sat Jul 3 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL SHERIDAN COUNTY UNTIL 600 PM MDT... At 511 PM MDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8 miles southeast of Hay Springs, moving east at 15 mph. Penny size hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Rushville, Hay Springs, Billys Lake, Lone Butte, Highway 27 crossing the Niobrara River, Smith Lake State Wildlife Management Area, Highway 250 crossing the Niobrara River, Intersection of Highway 87 and Antelope Road and Walgren Lake State Recreation Area. LAT...LON 4239 10272 4271 10273 4270 10213 4241 10208 TIME...MOT...LOC 2311Z 268DEG 13KT 4257 10261 Buttler
The Rapid City radar (KUDX), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:16 UTC.
1 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A brief landspout tornado developed about 3 miles northeast of Clinton in an open mixed grass prairie. No damage was observed or reported.
Public reported hail ranging from dime size up to golf ball size.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2021Warnings in Nebraska, July 2021
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: 967233, 967234.