A potent upper level low centered over the central Rockies, with deep surface cyclogenesis, produced a line of north to south thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening hours on April 6th. Two weak tornadoes were reported, one over central Lincoln County and the other over western Custer County.
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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.
A potent upper level low centered over the central Rockies, with deep surface cyclogenesis, produced a line of north to south thunderstorms during the afternoon and early evening hours on April 6th. Two weak tornadoes were reported, one over central Lincoln County and the other over western Custer County.
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 May 6, 11:55 AM CST, 58 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 1255 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024 .KEY MESSAGES... - A potent storm system crosses the region today. Strong winds and scattered thunderstorms (a few possibly severe) can be expected. - The severe storm risk will generally be east of Highway 83 from late this morning through the mid-afternoon hours. - Very strong westerly winds and low humidity values west of Highway 83 will lead to elevated fire weather concerns this afternoon. - An unsettled week ahead with gusty northwest winds at times along with scattered showers. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... Issued at 324 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 Potent upper level low pressure is currently centered across northern UT and southern ID. Ahead of this feature, deep surface cyclogenesis is underway across northeast WY. A large reservoir of gulf moisture across the southern plains is being rapidly transported northward on strong southerly low-level flow across the plains. The stage is being set for a round of strong/severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening across the central and southern plains. The surface low across northeast WY will continue to deepen and move into western SD (near Rapid City) by midday. A strong Pacific cold front will arc southeast of low...extending roughly along Hwy 83 across Nebraska. This front will become the focus for thunderstorm development through the afternoon across central and into eastern Nebraska. Surface dew points ahead of the front will generally be in the upper 50s across central and north central Nebraska. With the increase in moisture, low clouds will be a concern in regards to instability. Most hi-res near term models keep the lower clouds in place across our area as the cold front advances through central and north central Nebraska this afternoon. This will likely limit overall instability, but it appears at least weak MLCAPE should materialize just ahead of the advancing front. Forcing will be strong, and expect at least some convective development along the front, roughly along Hwy 183 in the early afternoon. The convection appears it will quickly transition to a linear mode as it moves eastward into south central and eastern Nebraska by late this afternoon. The primary risk for our area looks to be damaging wind gusts and a lesser threat for hail. The better thermodynamic environment should reside across southern/eastern Nebraska along with the higher severe threat. Will have to watch for any clearing leading to more instability, but for now that doesn't appear to be the case for our area. The airmass behind the cold front across western Nebraska will be quite dry as it spreads eastward from WY. As temperatures warm to near 70F and humidity values fall an elevated fire weather threat will develop. The spring green up is underway however, and the threat would be for areas that still have lingering drier vegetation where the green up has been delayed. These conditions will spread farther east Tuesday and encompass much of the region. Again affecting areas with a delayed green up. The other concern will be the potential for high winds across western and especially northwest Nebraska this afternoon into the evening hours. Strong westerly winds will develop behind the cold front. Sounding profiles suggest that there could be some sporadic gusts near 55 mph mid to late afternoon into the early evening hours. More wind Tuesday as a dry, well mixed boundary layer will have overspread the area to the south of deep low pressure across the northern plains. Isolated to widely scattered showers will be possible Tuesday afternoon as cold air aloft rotates southward into the area. Will have top watch as these showers could help mix stronger winds aloft to the surface. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... Issued at 324 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 An unsettled period is expected for the end of the work week. Upper level low pressure will slowly fill and weaken Wednesday across the northern plains. By Thursday it weakens further as it drifts southward into Nebraska before shifting east on Friday. Breezy northwest winds and shower chances will remain both Wednesday and Thursday with the upper low in the area. A reinforcing cold front will drop southeast across the area Friday as a shortwave drops southeast from Canada toward the Great Lakes. The weekend is looking dry with high temperatures likely into the lower 70s by Sunday. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 1252 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024 VFR conditions are likely at both terminals through the forecast period. Main concerns will be the threat for convection and strong winds. For now, convection was developing along a line just east of LBF to just west of TIF. This was progressively pushing northeast away from LBF so no impacts are expected. For VTN, isolated development in vicinity of the terminal cannot be ruled out so have added a mention for a brief period this afternoon before exiting. Thereafter, winds shifting to the west will gust as high as 50 mph, strongest at VTN, and likely last through the evening. As this occurs, mid-level clouds will stream into the area but expectation is for ceilings to be at or above 10kft AGL. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...Taylor LONG TERM...Taylor AVIATION...NMJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service North Platte NE 1153 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-070100- 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- 1153 AM CDT Mon May 6 2024 /1053 AM MDT Mon May 6 2024/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north central Nebraska. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Scattered thunderstorms are likely this afternoon, mainly across areas east of Highway 83. A few storms may become severe with damaging winds. Isolated storms capable of large hail are possible and a tornado or two may form. Strong winds continue today with gusts of 40 to 50 mph. Locally higher gusts are possible across the western Sandhills. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected across southwest Nebraska this afternoon. The concern is humidity around 15 percent and winds gusting to 40 mph. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Elevated fire weather conditions are expected across much of western and north central Nebraska Tuesday afternoon. The concern is humidity below 20 percent and wind gusts to 35 mph. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will likely be needed primarily along and east of Highway 83.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service North Platte NE 1209 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024 NEZ059-061800- Lincoln NE- 1209 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024 ...Brief Landspout Tornadoes Possible... At 1206 PM CDT, conditions are becoming favorable for the development of landspout tornadoes in and close to the highlighted area. However, at this time it is unknown which if any storm would produce a landspout. Any landspouts which develop are expected to pose a limited threat. Locations impacted include... North Platte, Maxwell, North Platte Airport, Keith, and Cottonwood Canyon State Wildlife Management Area. This includes the following highways... Interstate 80 in Nebraska between mile markers 179 and 195. Highway 83 between mile markers 88 and 103. Landspout tornadoes can form with a developing thunderstorm before rain, hail, and even thunder is observed. Landspout tornadoes are not usually associated with a wall cloud and are often difficult to detect with weather radar. && A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 700 PM CDT for southwestern Nebraska. LAT...LON 4074 10046 4074 10070 4138 10076 4137 10042 JWS
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service North Platte NE
1225 PM CDT Mon May 6 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM Landspout 8 N Wellfleet 40.87N 100.71W
05/06/2024 Lincoln NE Public
Photo of landspout received from Public.
&&
ARVThe North Platte radar (KLNX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:55 UTC.
2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Tree damage was minor. A dead tree was uprooted. The tornado placed the tree on the fence to the east.
Video and photographic evidence of a weak tornado. Location is estimated based off of verbal accounts. There was very little WSR-88d reflectivity to go off of.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Nebraska, 2024Warnings in Nebraska, May 2024
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: 1215353, 1215350.