This Sunday afternoon and evening was one of the more prolific severe weather events in the spring of 2013, in terms of the number of reports. This event was part of the same large-scale system that produced a few severe thunderstorms the previous day. A digging upper-level trough was over the western United States, while low pressure continued to organize over South Dakota, becoming vertically-stacked by evening. The associated cold front progressed through South Central Nebraska, helping to initiate the thunderstorms. Prior to thunderstorm development, a subtle short-wave trough moved through, introducing cooler and drier air aloft and increasing potential instability. The exit region of an 85 knot upper-level jet streak nosed into Oklahoma, coupling with the cold front to create deep, large-scale lift.
Surface temperatures peaked in the low to mid 70s, while dewpoints were in the 60s ahead of the front and in the 50s behind.  MLCAPE was not overly impressive, with 1000-1500 J/kg ahead of the front and 500-1000 J/kg post-frontal.  Deep layer shear was sufficient for supercells. With no cap in place, scattered thunderstorms began forming between 2 and 3 pm CDT, from Grand Island north and west. The storms increased in coverage as the afternoon progressed. While some remained discrete, the shear number of storms gradually led to several short multicell line segments. By 4 pm CDT, additional storms formed further south along the Highway 281 corridor. Before the storms exited into southeastern Nebraska, one large, solid squall line had formed, but numerous embedded, discrete cells were still discernible.
With upper-level low pressure just north of the area and the associated cold temperatures aloft, the storms were largely hail producers. Quarter to golf ball size hail reports were numerous. The most severe storm of the event tracked east-northeast across Buffalo County and into Hall County. However, it dropped the largest hail and was the most intense over Buffalo County. Near Gibbon, baseball size hail occurred. This storm probably produced similar size hail along the more rural portions of its track, between Kearney and Gibbon, but the lack of population resulted in no other similar reports. The assistant fire chief in Gibbon reported that a law enforcement officer was dispatched to mile marker 279 on Interstate 80, or about 7 miles east of Kearney, where vehicles had broken windshields. Another storm produced a short-track, weak EF1 tornado near Wolbach in southern Greeley County. Most of the severe weather occurred within and around the Tri-Cities of Kearney, Grand Island and Hastings.

Hail in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 16:27:00 to 19-MAY-13 16:27:00 (CST-6)
Location: GRAND IS
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 16:28:00 to 19-MAY-13 16:28:00 (CST-6)
Location: HASTINGS
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

Hail in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 16:36:00 to 19-MAY-13 16:36:00 (CST-6)
Location: HASTINGS
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 16:46:00 to 19-MAY-13 16:46:00 (CST-6)
Location: FULLERTON
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

Hail in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 14:30:00 to 19-MAY-13 14:50:00 (CST-6)
Location: GIBBON
Magnitude: 2.00 
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: SHAVE Project

Hail ranging in size from half dollars to hen eggs was reported.

Hail in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:00:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: SHELTON
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: SHAVE Project

Tornado in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:51:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:53:00 (CST-6)
Location: WOLBACH
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 40.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

This tornado touched down a few miles northeast of Wolbach and was on the ground for approximately 2 minutes.  With an estimated top wind speed of 90 mph, damage from this tornado included a destroyed mobile home and outbuilding and broken tree limbs of 5 to 8 inches in diameter.

Hail in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 19:02:00 to 19-MAY-13 19:02:00 (CST-6)
Location: HEBRON
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Hail in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 14:20:00 to 19-MAY-13 14:20:00 (CST-6)
Location: KEARNEY
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 14:36:00 to 19-MAY-13 14:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: COZAD
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Hail in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 14:46:00 to 19-MAY-13 14:46:00 (CST-6)
Location: GIBBON
Magnitude: 2.75 
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Hail in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 14:59:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:13:00 (CST-6)
Location: LEXINGTON
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Hail in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:00:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: GIBBON
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:25:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:25:00 (CST-6)
Location: WOOD RIVER
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:35:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:35:00 (CST-6)
Location: WOOD RIVER
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Hail in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:44:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:44:00 (CST-6)
Location: ST LIBORY
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Hail in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:46:00 to 19-MAY-13 15:46:00 (CST-6)
Location: WOOD RIVER
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Hail in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 15:58:00 to 19-MAY-13 16:11:00 (CST-6)
Location: ALDA
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 19-MAY-13 16:27:00 to 19-MAY-13 16:36:00 (CST-6)
Location: HASTINGS
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 25.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee