Thunderstorm Wind in Knox County, Nebraska

Personal weather station measured wind gust of 60 mph.

During the evening of June 29, 2026, into the early morning hours of June 30, severe thunderstorms moved across northern and eastern Nebraska, producing hail, damaging wind gusts, and a brief tornado. Storms developed along a cold front within a highly unstable air mass characterized by MLCAPE values exceeding 3,500 J/kg, DCAPE values over 1,500 J/kg, and steep lapse rates.

Two distinct rounds of severe weather impacted the area. The first round targeted far northeast Nebraska'primarily Knox and Cedar counties'between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM CST. This initial round was dominated by a supercell that produced measured wind gusts up to 60 mph and hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter.

A second round of storms developed in east-central Nebraska later in the evening and tracked northeastward. This activity quickly consolidated into a severe convective cluster that produced damaging winds, hail, and a brief tornado as it passed through Boone, Madison, Stanton, and Wayne counties. The complex intensified rapidly upon entering Madison County and the Norfolk area, producing widespread wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph. A personal weather station 2 miles southeast of Hadar recorded a peak gust of 101 mph, which destroyed a well-anchored carport. Multiple hail reports between 1.00 and 2.00 inches in diameter were also received. A brief, EF-0 tornado was also confirmed in Stanton County, with maximum estimated wind speeds of 85 mph. The system continued northeast into the overnight hours, producing severe wind gusts into northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota.