Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska · 2016

EF0 tornado, Tryon, Nebraska, July 6, 2016

Name: EF0 tornado, Tryon, Nebraska, July 6, 2016
Start: 2016-07-07T00:03:00.000Z
End: 2016-07-07T00:07:00.000Z
Location: Tryon, Nebraska

This EF0 tornado ran 0.2 miles across McPherson County on July 6, 2016, touching down at 7:03 PM CDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating: EF0
Date: July 6, 2016
Touchdown: 7:03 PM CDT (00:03 UTC)
Lifted: 7:07 PM CDT (00:07 UTC)
On the ground: 4 minutes
Path length: 0.2 miles (0.3 km)
Path width: 100 yards (91 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
County: McPherson County
Touchdown point: 41.414, -101.318
Lift-off point: 41.414, -101.318
Record number: 1607061803-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Supercells developed across northwest Nebraska during the afternoon, producing hail up to half dollar size and a couple tornadoes in Sheridan County. Additional tornadoes were reported late afternoon and early evening north of Ashby and southeast of Arthur. The storms grew upscale into clusters and segments, producing damaging winds across the Sandhills and southwest Nebraska. One storm produced a funnel cloud over North Platte.

At 1803CST a tornado destroyed a grain bin and flipped 90 feet of center pivot line before lifting at 1807CST. The tornado was rated an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Jul 6, 2:53 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 6, 2:53 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service North Platte NE
253 PM CDT WED JUL 6 2016

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 204 PM CDT Wed Jul 6 2016

Upper air pattern continues a suppressed ridge across the southern
conus with nearly zonal flow across the high plains. A trough/low is
moving east near the Montana/Canadian border. At the surface a low
was analyzed across northeast Wyoming with a warm front/stationary
boundary to the southeast across the panhandle of Nebraska then
curves east across southern Nebraska. A cold front trails from the
low to the southwest. Temps this afternoon under mostly sunny skies
have warmed into the mid 80s to the mid 90s, warmest to the
southwest of the boundary across southwest Nebraska.

&&

.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Thursday)
Issued at 204 PM CDT Wed Jul 6 2016

Complex forecast tonight with a couple of area of concern for
thunderstorms. First is the low as it pushes towards the Black
Hills. Models in good agreement developing a complex near the hills
then tracking the complex to the east southeast. The main
uncertainty is how far to the south will the complex develop. At
this time it looks likely to impact northern Nebraska and the SPC
day 1 outlook update increase part of Nebraska and S Dakota into a
moderate risk for severe weather. With good CAPE and 0-6km bulk
shear of 50kts plus do not see a problem with storms becoming severe
this evening. Winds are a major concern with significant winds gusts
of 80 mph or higher possible.

Another area will be along the stalled boundary over the panhandle
as it drifts east. Models keep the activity more isolated and with
less moisture to work with this seems probable. Both hail and winds
will be concern with these storms.

Radar already showing returns to the north and west and expect this
activity to only grow over the late afternoon hours. Overnight, as
the main focus shifts east, activity should diminish. Models
continue to linger some activity post frontal across northern
Nebraska into tomorrow. Will include low pops however not having a
high confidence of the activity continuing. Would not be surprised
if the morning activity is really just stratus and little shower
activity as the better lift is contained to the north in the Dakotas.

.LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Wednesday)
Issued at 204 PM CDT Wed Jul 6 2016

Models in good agreement in mid and near term and have good
confidence in the forecast. Surface high pressure will build into
western Nebraska over night with clear skies and light and
variable winds on Thursday. Lows in the 50s and 60s. H5 ridge
builds back into western Nebraska on Friday as surface high
pressure moves east and southerly upslope flow begins. Highs in
the 80s. Slight chance pops retained through the evening from
southwest into northern Nebraska either side of a highway 61 line.
Heating of the day forcing at 700mb and weak low level jet to
combine for isolated to widely scattered precipitation. Saturday a
warm front will lift to the northeast over western Nebraska and
temperatures will rise back into the 90s. Isolated thunderstorms
along trough axis through the afternoon over the Nebraska
panhandle and spreading east over night as low level jet develops.
Sunday afternoon chances increase as upper closed low moves into
central Idaho and heights begin to fall over the northern plains.
Good moisture advection in southerly flow. Trough will focus
thunderstorms over the panhandle through the afternoon and moving
east followed by surface cold front Sunday night. Cooler Monday
and Tuesday with thunderstorm chances over eastern portions of the
forecast area as upper low moves northeast from central Idaho into
south central Canada. Highs around 90 on Tuesday.

&&

.AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Thursday afternoon)
Issued at 1249 PM CDT Wed Jul 6 2016

Thunderstorms, some severe, expected to impact the region this
evening and overnight, especially across northern Nebraska and the
KVTN terminal. A complex of storms are expected to fire across the
Black Hills this afternoon then track E/SE into northern Nebraska.
Current timing for impact to KVTN will be 23z into 03z, however
this could be shifted an hour or two. Also could see some
thunderstorms along the dry line over western Nebraska which will
drift eastward. Models are in less agreement with coverage of
storms along the dry line. This would impact the KLBF terminal and
will include a VCTS due to lower confidence.

Activity pushes east overnight with VFR conditions across
southwestern Nebraska. Models develop some stratus in the wake of
the complex across northern Nebraska. Will include in the KVTN
forecast, however this will need to be monitored closely.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
Issued at 204 PM CDT Wed Jul 6 2016

North Platte River at Lewellen dropped a little more this morning to
7.37 feet and have a higher confidence river will remain below the
minor flood stage of 7.5 feet. Still could see a slight rise
depending on evening rainfall, however forecast keeps level at or
below 7.4 feet. Thus the flood advisory was canceled in favor of a
river statement for elevated flows but no flooding.

&&

.LBF Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
None.
&&

SYNOPSIS...Masek
SHORT TERM...Masek
LONG TERM...Power
AVIATION...Masek
HYDROLOGY...Masek

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 6, 3:28 PM CDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
328 PM CDT WED JUL 6 2016

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-072030-
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-
328 PM CDT WED JUL 6 2016 /228 PM MDT WED JUL 6 2016/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

SCATTERED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS
EVENING ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE
RISK IS GREATEST ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM FROM VALENTINE TO
AINSWORTH AND ONEILL WHERE WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH MAY DEVELOP. HAIL
TWO INCHES OR LARGER IN DIAMETER IS POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN
SHERIDAN COUNTY. AN ISOLATED TORNADO MAY FORM BETWEEN VALENTINE
AND GORDON.

EXTREME INSTABILITY WILL PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ELSEWHERE ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA. WIND DAMAGE AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE THREAT IN THIS AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
STORM COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE MOSTLY ISOLATED. THE RISK OF
SEVERE WEATHER IS LOW AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING ACROSS PARTS OF
WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA.

&&

GET YOUR WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION AT
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE (ALL LOWERCASE)

MASEK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 6, 5:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
559 PM CDT WED JUL 06 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0556 PM     TORNADO          10 NNE ELLSWORTH        42.19N 102.21W
07/06/2016                   SHERIDAN           NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            REPORTS OF A LARGE TORNADO CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND ACROSS
            SOUTHEASTERN SHERIDAN COUNTY.

&&

SJACOBS

Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:09 PM CDT, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
609 PM CDT WED JUL 06 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0547 PM     HAIL             10 NNW HAY SPRINGS      42.82N 102.76W
07/06/2016  E0.88 INCH       SHERIDAN           NE   PUBLIC

&&

MOLDAN

Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:32 PM CDT, 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
632 PM CDT WED JUL 06 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0620 PM     TORNADO          9 NNW ASHBY             42.15N 102.00W
07/06/2016                   CHERRY             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MULTIPLE VORTEX TORNADO...SHORTLY BEFORE BECOMING RAIN
            WRAPPED.

&&

MOLDAN

Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:34 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
634 PM CDT WED JUL 06 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0627 PM     TSTM WND GST     7 E MERRITT RESERVOIR D 42.65N 100.73W
07/06/2016  E60 MPH          CHERRY             NE   PUBLIC

&&

MOLDAN

Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:52 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
652 PM CDT WED JUL 06 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0652 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     10 N HYANNIS            42.15N 101.76W
07/06/2016                   CHERRY             NE   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SJACOBS

Local storm report, Jul 6, 6:59 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
659 PM CDT WED JUL 06 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0658 PM     TSTM WND GST     1 SSE VALENTINE         42.86N 100.54W
07/06/2016  M58 MPH          CHERRY             NE   ASOS

&&

CBUTTLER

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), 00:00Z

0.1 hours before the tornado, 68 km from the path. July 7, 2016.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 2862 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -103 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 5013 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1697 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 189 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 298 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.9
Supercell composite: 28.9
0-3 km lapse rate: 7.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE (KLBF), 12:00Z

11.9 hours after it, 68 km from the path. July 7, 2016.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

Mixed-layer CAPE: 702 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -408 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 44 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1643 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 48 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 96 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 129 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.2
0-3 km lapse rate: 2.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Ogallala (OGA), 50 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)	Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 00:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2016 tornado in Nebraska Every tornado in Nebraska since 1950 Warnings in force in Nebraska now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 6, 2016

10 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries	Damage
July 6	1:26 PM CDT	EF1	Ballard, KY	4.4	250		$115,000
July 6	1:39 PM CDT	EF1	Massac, IL	2.8	160	2	$350,000
July 6	3:18 PM MDT	EF0	Sheridan, NE	0.1	10
July 6	3:40 PM MDT	EF0	Fallon, MT	0.3	25
July 6	4:28 PM MDT	EF1	Meade, SD	1.1	100
July 6	4:56 PM MDT	EF0	Sheridan, NE	0.1	10
July 6	5:25 PM MDT	EF1	Cherry, NE	4.6	75		$45,000
July 6	5:30 PM MDT	EF1	Cherry, NE	0.5	50
July 6	6:55 PM MDT	EF0	Arthur, NE	0.1	10
July 6	8:08 PM CDT	EF0	McPherson, NE	0.5	20

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.