This Saturday afternoon and evening featured the year's final round of strong to severe thunderstorms in South Central Nebraska, primarily impacting counties along and east of Highway 281 between 330 PM and 9 PM CST near a slow-moving cold front. These storms prompted issuance of the first November severe thunderstorm warnings within the local 24-county area since 2005. Despite the rather widespread coverage of storms, which mainly took the form of line segments and multicell clusters, most of them produced only very small hail and sub-severe wind gusts. The handful of severe-criteria reports were highlighted by half dollar to golf ball size hail in eastern Howard County and a measured 64 MPH wind gust near Red Cloud.
The initial rounds of strong to severe storms developed and intensified between 330 PM and 630 PM, concentrated along a narrow axis extending from the Franklin and Red Cloud areas, north-northeast through the Hastings, Grand Island and Fullerton areas. During these early stages of the event, one storm briefly intensified and became quasi-discrete as it tracked through eastern Howard County, producing large hail. Generally between 630 PM and 9 PM, most of the quasi-linear activity concentrated east of a Red Cloud-Aurora-Genoa line, before gradually departing the local area to the east. Rainfall totals from these storms were mainly less than one inch, with one of the higher exceptions including 1.35 near Gresham in York County. On the synoptic scale aloft, this event was driven by increased forcing along the eastern fringes of a deep, expansive trough dominating the entire western half of the nation. At the surface, a warm front initially surged northward into most of South Central Nebraska during the day, resulting in daily record high temperatures in the upper-70s at places such as Grand Island and Hastings. Surface dewpoints also climbed into the 50s along and ahead of this boundary during the afternoon before it began sliding southeast as a cold front. Late afternoon/early evening mesoscale severe weather parameters featured up to around 1000 J/kg mixed-layer CAPE and strong 0-6 kilometer deep layer wind shear of at least 50-70 knots. Low level shear was also quite strong, making the environment at least marginally supportive of tornadoes. However, this threat was likely mitigated by the predominantly linear storm mode.

Hail in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 10-NOV-12 16:40:00 to 10-NOV-12 16:40:00 (CST-6)
Location: ST LIBORY
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Hail in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 10-NOV-12 16:53:00 to 10-NOV-12 16:53:00 (CST-6)
Location: CUSHING
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

Extensive roof and siding damage was reported.

Hail in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 10-NOV-12 18:27:00 to 10-NOV-12 18:27:00 (CST-6)
Location: AURORA
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Nickel size hail was accompanied by 50 mph winds.

Hail in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 10-NOV-12 19:10:00 to 10-NOV-12 19:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: STOCKHAM
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Thunderstorm Wind in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 10-NOV-12 19:09:00 to 10-NOV-12 19:09:00 (CST-6)
Location: RED CLOUD
Magnitude: 56.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet