LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Monday, March 22nd through Friday, March 26th is Severe Weather Awareness Week across Nebraska and throughout this week the 10/11 NOW Weather team will be highlighting different severe weather topics each day to help keep you prepared for the stormy weather to come as we head into severe weather season for Nebraska. For Monday, we look back at the severe weather season that was in 2020 and talk about some basic severe weather terminology.
From tornadoes, to damaging winds, to large hail, and to heavy rains, nearly everyone across the state of Nebraska was impacted by severe weather in 2020. In many ways though, it was a very interesting year for severe weather as the season started off very slowly, picked up dramatically into the summer months, before it finished very quietly in the late summer and early fall. In total, the entire state of Nebraska saw a combined 875 tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings, and flash flood warnings in 2020. The break down of those warnings is really what made 2020 very interesting.
In total, the year saw an above average number of severe thunderstorm warnings with 811 warnings across the state, but as you can see from the image below, the months of March, April, and May saw a very low number of warnings as the season started out very quietly before the weather turned very active for June, July, and August. In total, that number was down from what it was in 2019 and just slightly above the average of 753 warnings.
In terms of tornado warnings, the entire year of 2020 saw a WELL below average number of warnings. In fact, according to data from Daryl Herzmann of the ISU Mesonet, the entire state only saw 29 tornado warnings issues from the local NWS offices, which is tied for the lowest on record since 1986.
In terms of actual number of observed tornadoes, 21 tornadoes were confirmed by the local NWS offices across the state - well below the average of 51 tornadoes for Nebraska. There were 2 tornadoes in May, 8 in June, 6 in July, and 5 in August. Of those, the strongest tornado was rated as an EF-2, which occurred near Marsland in Dawes County in the Panhandle on July 2nd. 12 of the 21 tornadoes were rated as EF-0 and the remaining 8 were assigned as EF-U, or EF-Unknown as surveys weren’t able to determine the estimated wind speeds. The first tornado of the year was on May 22nd near Barneston in Gage County, the last was on August 14th near Saronville in Clay County. Thankfully there were no injuries or deaths reported to tornadoes or severe weather in 2020.
Other highlights from the 2020 severe weather season include a 3.25″ sized hail stone - the largest reported hail stone in 2020 - which fell on August 15th, 2020 near Hemingford in Box Butte County in the Nebraska Panhandle. As far as wind, the highest estimated wind gust was 100 MPH on July 10th near Milburn in Custer County. The highest measured wind gust was 94 MPH on July 8th from the Sidney Airport in Cheyenne County in the Panhandle.
As far as severe weather terminology, the biggest question and most confusion we often see is the difference between a watch and a warning. In very general terms, a watch means that severe weather is possible. The ingredients are there for severe weather and the weather should be monitored closely through the watch time. One important thing to keep in mind, just because a watch is issued does not mean that everyone within the watch area or even anyone will see severe weather. The ingredients are there, but sometimes Mother Nature just won’t produce severe storms for any number of reasons. A warning means that severe weather is occurring! Whether it’s a tornado, severe thunderstorm, or flash flood, when a warning is issued, this is the time to put your severe weather safety plan into practice. A great way to think about this is to think about...cupcakes! Yes, it does seem a bit silly, but it does illustrate the point quite nicely. In a “cupcake watch”, the ingredients for cakes are present and on the table. It does not mean that there will be a cupcake - but there could be! In a “cupcake warning”, there are cupcakes actually occurring!
Another distinction that will sometimes cause confusion is the difference between a tornado and a funnel cloud. A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air from a cloud that is in contact with the ground. That is an important distinction, because if it is not in contact with the ground, it is considered to be a funnel cloud. It is important to be cautious though because sometimes you will not be able to see the tornado on the ground until it picks up dirt or debris.
Flash flooding is something that the state is no stranger too, especially after the floods in 2019. There was good news on this subject in 2020 as the number of Flash Flood Warnings that were issued dropped from 143 in 2019 to just 35 in 2020. A flash flood is defined as a rapid rise in water that occurs with little to no warning. Many times in Nebraska it is caused by intense heavy rain from thunderstorms, but things like dam and levee failures can also lead to flash flooding.
Lastly, severe thunderstorms - what are they? Well, there are three criteria for a thunderstorm to be considered “severe”. Quarter (1.00″ in diameter) or larger sized hail, 58 MPH or higher wind gusts, or a tornado. If one of those three conditions are met, it is considered a “severe thunderstorm”.
Severe Weather Awareness Week will continue on Tuesday with the topic of tornadoes.
Copyright 2021 KOLN. All rights reserved.
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March 22, 2021 at 10:00PM
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Severe Weather Awareness Week: 2020 Review and Severe Weather Terminology - 1011now
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