July 6, 2010 Western Nebraska Panhandle Severe Weather

A significant convective and flooding event occurred during the late afternoon and evening of July 6, 2010.

A cold front was positioned along Interstate 80 from just north of Sidney, Nebraska to Laramie, Wyoming.  Thunderstorms developed just to the north and along this front.  A cold pool aloft increased the potential for bow echoes and very heavy rainfall from far eastern Wyoming into the western Nebraska Panhandle. Recently, areas south of the Pine Ridge received 2 to 4 inches of rain. Additional rainfall would raise flood awareness and model quantitative precipitation forecast values were in the 0.75 to 1.25 inch range south of the Platte River Valley.  As little as half an inch of rain could create flash flooding due to the very wet antecedent conditions.

Cloud Plume near Sidney, NE

Credit: Unknown