High Wind in Phelps, Nebraska

Sustained speeds near 40 MPH and wind gusts exceeding 50 MPH were common throughout the day. Peak measured wind gusts included the following; 62 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles east of Holdrege; 60 and 58 MPH, measured by the Holdrege Airport AWOS; 58 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles north-northeast of Atlanta.

In response to a powerful upper-level trough barreling into the Central Plains, digging further south and deepening in the process, an area of low pressure at the surface also strengthened as it shifted east across Kansas and eventually into Illinois by the end of the day on the 15th. The accompanying surface cold front and resulting strong pressure gradient allowed legitimate High Wind criteria conditions to overtake the entire forecast area, with sustained winds commonly 35-45 MPH with gusts 55-65 MPH, and even a few localized 70+ MPH gusts. The brunt of the highest wind gusts occurred mainly during the 10AM-4PM CDT timeframe, with reports more scattered in nature outside of that period. Across south central Nebraska, some of the highest gusts included the following: 74 MPH, measured by a mesonet station located two miles west of Doniphan; 71 MPH, measured by the Hastings Airport ASOS; 67, measured by mesonet stations located three miles north-northeast of Kearney as well as seven miles west-southwest of Ragan; 66 MPH, measured by the Grand Island Central Nebraska Regional Airport ASOS.