Tornadoes · United States · Nebraska · 2025

Unrated tornado, Irwin to Merritt Res, Nebraska, April 27, 2025

From Irwin to Merritt Res, this Unrated tornado ran 0.0 miles across Cherry County on April 27, 2025, touching down at 7:42 PM MDT and reaching 10 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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. Unratedthis tornado

    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
Unrated
Date
April 27, 2025
Touchdown
7:42 PM MDT (01:42 UTC)
Path length
0.0 miles (0.0 km)
Path width
10 yards (9 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Cherry County
Touchdown point
42.141, -101.648
Lift-off point
42.141, -101.648
Record number
2504271942-01

The damage survey

8 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS LBF, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EFU. The highest wind the damage implies is 118 mph.

  • Approximate end location of tornado. Location based on radar, photo, and video evidence. No damage was found.
  • Location based off of radar and photograph/video evidence.
  • Tornado crossed road at this point. Broken power poles in field.
  • Ending location of tornado based off of video evidence and debris on fence.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

An upper level trough of low pressure aloft was situated over the Intermountain West on April 27th. East of this feature, a warm front lifted into western Nebraska and became the focal point for thunderstorm development during the late afternoon hours. Initial thunderstorms developed over western Garden County and tracked northeast into abundant low level moisture, strong low level shear and increased instability where they quickly became severe. Hail up to 3 inches in diameter and eleven tornadoes occurred with the severe storms which continued into the mid evening hours. Activity finally weakened over northern Cherry County by late evening. A couple of tornadoes were rated EF2 with winds estimated up to 132 MPH.

Tornado tracked over open rangeland with no damage reported.

Ground truth and sentinel data confirmed track. No damage indicators were available.

Brief touchdown over open rangeland. No damage was found.

Location based off photographic evidence. No damage indicators were found.

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 Apr 27, 4:58 PM MDT, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Isolated severe thunderstorms possible this evening.
  • Elevated fire weather conditions Monday afternoon, along with thunderstorms possible across north central Nebraska, a few which could be strong.
  • Warmer temperatures expected Wednesday through Sunday.
Area forecast discussion, Apr 27, 4:58 PM MDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service North Platte NE
558 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Isolated severe thunderstorms possible this evening.

- Elevated fire weather conditions Monday afternoon, along with
  thunderstorms possible across north central Nebraska, a few
  which could be strong.

- Warmer temperatures expected Wednesday through Sunday.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Issued at 310 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

Surface low pressure has deepened to near 994mb near Denver at
20Z, with low pressure extending north into southeast Wyoming
and south into southeast Colorado. Southerly winds 15 to 30 mph
across southwest and central Nebraska with dewpoints in the mid
50s to near 60. Stratus remains in place east of Gordon through
North Platte, with clearing to the west. Imperial was at 83 and
Ogallala and Grant 81, with the warmest temperatures at 20Z.

&&

.SHORT TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
Issued at 310 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

Tonight, there is the potential for isolated to scattered
severe thunderstorms this evening. A deep upper trough will
advance toward the Four Corners region early this evening. This
will produce deep cyclogenesis across eastern Colorado into the
southern Nebraska panhandle. Abundant moisture will be in place
across Nebraska. Stratus has cleared out across far southwest
Nebraska and the southeast panhandle. Strong heating underway
across eastern Colorado and western Kansas into far southwest
Nebraska reaching the low 80s. Surface winds are shown be be
backed to a more southeasterly early this evening over the
southeast Panhandle, which will be area where low-level
convergence and a strong differential heating boundary will
develop. This may result in isolated severe storm initiation.
further east, across southwest Nebraska, a stronger capping
inversion for recent stratus may inhibit storm development.
However, while confidence in occurrence of storms as well as
locations may be low, this will likely be an impactful event
should storms develop. Deep layer shear from 40 to 50kts and
surface-based CAPEs from 2000-3000 J/KG are shown across the
southern panhandle and southwest Nebraska early evening. This
will be sufficient for supercells with all modes of severe
weather possible, including large hail, damaging winds and a
tornado or two near any storms with localized backed surface
winds. The latest CAMs also indicate storms in the western
Panhandle moving into the northwest Sandhills mid to late
evening. Storm chances will increase north central Nebraska
after midnight, with the severe threat expected to diminish.

Monday, a pre-frontal surface trough will move through during
the morning, bringing gusty westerly winds to 20 to 35 mph in
the afternoon. An upper trough moving across the Northern
Plains. This will bring chances for showers and thunderstorms
across north central Nebraska. Strong deep layer shear will be
present, and despite dewpoints in the low 40s, a few strong
storms are possible across east of Highway 83 in north central
Nebraska during the afternoon and early evening.

Much drier air with dewpoints falling into the low to mid 30s
will combine with the strong winds to create elevated fire
weather conditions, mainly south of Highways 2 and 91.

Showers will end Monday night as the system moves east as
northerly winds diminish. Lows overnight will fall into the mid
to upper 30s.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
Issued at 310 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

Cooler and dry Tuesday in the mid 60s behind the cold front.
The next opportunity for showers and storms will be Wednesday
afternoon into Wednesday night, as an upper trough moving across
the Northern Plains drives a cold front into and trough the
area. Highs in the low 70s Wednesday cool to the mid and upper
60s Thursday. Warmer in the Wednesday through Sunday, with low
chances for showers and storms Saturday into Sunday, as an upper
trough deepens across the western U.S. bringing southwesterly
flow aloft to the region.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 558 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

There will isolated to scattered thunderstorms through the late
evening hours, mainly across north central Nebraska. LLWS at
KLBF 03Z through 06Z with VFR ceilings late evening. Could see a
period of -TSRA pass between 06Z-09Z. Southerly winds gusting
to 27KT this evening will shift to the west and be light by 09Z.
Westerly winds will strengthen by 18Z, gusting to around 25KT
during the afternoon.

At KVTN, Mainly VFR ceilings tonight. have a prevailing -TSRA
05Z-08Z with showers and thunderstorms increasing in coverage
across north central Nebraska. Southerly winds gusting to 27KT
this evening will shift to the west and be light by 08Z.
Westerly winds will strengthen by 18Z, gusting to around 30KT
during the afternoon.

 &&

.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

SYNOPSIS...Roberg
SHORT TERM...Roberg
LONG TERM...Roberg
AVIATION...Roberg
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 27, 2:27 PM MDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service North Platte NE
327 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-282030-
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-
327 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025 /227 PM MDT Sun Apr 27 2025/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north
central Nebraska.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms are possible by late
afternoon lasting into the evening across western and north central
Nebraska. The main hazard will be large hail, with a secondary
hazard of damaging winds, a tornado can't be ruled out.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday.

Elevated fire weather conditions return on Monday afternoon across
the area due to gusty westerly winds and low relative humidity.

There is also the potential for an isolated severe thunderstorm
across far north central Nebraska Monday afternoon into early
evening.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 27, 6:46 PM MDT, 56 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service North Platte NE
746 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

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

0742 PM     Tornado          9 NW Whitman            42.15N 101.64W
04/27/2025                   Cherry             NE   Storm Chaser

            Chaser report of tornado via social media.

&&

CR
Local storm report, Apr 27, 6:51 PM MDT, 51 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service North Platte NE
751 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

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

0738 PM     Hail             9 S Hyannis             41.87N 101.77W
04/27/2025  E1.50 Inch       Grant              NE   Public

            Report from mPING: Ping Pong Ball (1.50
            in.).

&&
Local storm report, Apr 27, 6:55 PM MDT, 47 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service North Platte NE
755 PM CDT Sun Apr 27 2025

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

0744 PM     Tornado          1 SE Ashby              42.02N 101.93W
04/27/2025                   Grant              NE   Public

&&
Local storm report, Apr 27, 7:16 PM MDT, 26 minutes before
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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), 12:00Z

10.3 hours after it, 142 km from the path. April 28, 2025.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 2025-04-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -81224, lifted condensation level 1586 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
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.
HodographHodograph, N. Platte/Lee Bi, NE at 12:00Z on 2025-04-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -87 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 61 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-81224 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1586 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-87 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-42 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Gordon (GRN), 86 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

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

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

The radar

The North Platte radar (KLNX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:42 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 trackEvery 2025 tornado in NebraskaEvery tornado in Nebraska since 1950Warnings in force in Nebraska nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 27, 2025

12 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 275:38 PM MDTUnratedGarden, NE2.110
April 275:44 PM MDTUnratedGarden, NE0.110
April 275:56 PM MDTEF2Grant, NE19.12,250$750,000
April 277:04 PM MDTUnratedCherry, NE1.210
April 277:12 PM MDTUnratedCherry, NE5.510
April 277:50 PM MDTUnratedCherry, NE0.010
April 278:53 PM MDTUnratedCherry, NE4.910
April 279:17 PM MDTEF1Cherry, NE6.610
April 279:27 PM MDTEF2Cherry, NE0.020
April 279:27 PM MDTEF2Cherry, NE11.4880
April 2712:31 AM CDTEF1Todd, SD13.82556$1.0 million
April 2712:56 AM CDTEF0Todd, SD0.140

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.