Funnel Cloud — Pierce, Nebraska

2024-05-31 · near Mc Lean, Pierce, Nebraska

Event narrative

The office received a public report of a funnel cloud that had been observed for 5 minutes before dissipating.

Wider weather episode

Upper-level troughing was noted over the northern Rockies via upper-air analysis the morning of the 30th. This disturbance slowly tracked east across the northern Plains. Associated with this upper-level disturbance, a weakening cold front dove southeast across the northern Plains, stalling out across eastern Nebraska and northwest Iowa by the morning of the 31st. Along and ahead of this front, scattered showers and thunderstorms developed across eastern Nebraska the afternoon of the 30th. While largely remaining below severe limits, a downburst did result in damage to a warehouse in Lincoln that afternoon. More widespread thunderstorms developed along the stalled frontal boundary the afternoon of the 31st, with numerous reports of funnel clouds across northeast Nebraska. Due to the heavy rain and slow-moving nature of these storms, there were a couple instances of flash flooding as well. These flash floods were north of US Highway 30 and west of US Highway 77.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.3500, -97.3700)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1181308. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.