Very windy across Nebraska while slightly cooling
We’ll begin with a summary of Wednesday’s severe weather event across western and central Nebraska before the forecast for Thursday and beyond.
Summary of severe weather event – May 14th, 2025
Wednesday’s severe weather event prompted a lot of severe thunderstorm warnings, four tornado warnings and even some dust storm warnings.
A ton of high wind gusts were reported in areas of western and southwest Nebraska. Notable hail reports came in around North Platte and toward Burwell.
The highest wind gusts were reported over 80 mph near Pleasant Valley (toward the Colorado border in Chase County) and Grant, Nebraska (Perkins County) in the southwest corner of the state.
Hail reports were up to tennis ball size (2.50″) near Burwell and North Platte. Numerous reports of golf ball size hail (1.75″) were also reported with just a few mentioned in the graphic below.
Some landspouts and weak tornadoes prompted warnings in southwest Nebraska as well Wednesday evening. We believe Nebraska State Patrol captured what looks to be a landspout from a couple different angles south of Sutherland, Nebraska.
The difference between a landspout and a tornado:
- Landspout: form from a ground circulation (colliding winds at the surface) on up to the thunderstorm where there is converging air (bottom-top)
- Tornado: form from supercell thunderstorms stretching down from the base to the ground (top-bottom)
Thursday’s forecast into the weekend
As a low moves out and east today, higher winds and slightly cooler temperatures will be ushered in for today and this weekend. Dry conditions will last until rain chances Sunday into early next week.
Westerly winds in Lincoln will be gusting up around 35-45 mph especially by 11 a.m. Thursday morning and into the afternoon hours.
Gusts elsewhere will be peaking around 50 mph or so in much of northern Nebraska through the day. Very windy conditions come back for Friday as well.
A Wind Advisory is in effect for eastern Nebraska until 8 p.m. Thursday night for wind gusts up to 50 mph.
More rain will swing through northern Nebraska the first part of Thursday before spot showers, isolated storms pop up the second part of the day.
Those will be very hit and miss.
Temperatures will be slightly cooler statewide Thursday.
We continue these more seasonal temperatures for Friday and the upcoming weekend.
Rain chances return with possible showers and thunderstorms by Sunday into early next week.
The better-looking day for rain at this point appears to be Monday. Potential for severe weather in Nebraska returns Sunday toward southwest Nebraska then into southeast Nebraska by Monday early next week.
Meteorologist Jessica Blum
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