Hail — Otoe, Nebraska

2025-03-29 · near Paul, Otoe, Nebraska

Event narrative

Trained spotter report of pea sized hail with intermittent quarter (1) sized hail.

Wider weather episode

On the evening of March 29, 2025, a shortwave trough pivoting across the region initiated the development of a surface low, which in turn draped a cold front across central and eastern Nebraska. Ahead of the front, a low-level jet transported a narrow corridor of Gulf moisture into the area. Despite relatively weak low- to mid-level forcing, a few elevated thunderstorms managed to develop along the frontal boundary. These storms tapped into 30 to 35 knots of 0'6 km shear and modest instability, with MUCAPE values ranging from 1000 to 1500 J/kg. As a result, hail up to 1 inch in diameter was reported by a trained spotter in Otoe County during the evening. The storms then continued eastward into Iowa through the overnight hours.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (40.5500, -95.8100)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1245142. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.