High winds, some directly associated with thunderstorms and some not, occurred during the evening hours on this Thursday. Between 4 and 5 PM CST, isolated thunderstorms began developing over southwest Nebraska and northwest Kansas. The first strong thunderstorm formed near McCook. This storm moved northeast, crossing Dawson County between 5:30 and 6:15 PM CST where it produced nickel size hail near Cozad. As this storm continued northeast, numerous other storms developed around it, between North Platte and O'Neill. One of these storms briefly became severe, producing one inch hail over Valley County around 7 PM CST. While this was occurring, several thunderstorms over northwest Kansas had combined into a multicell cluster. The leading edge of this cluster reached the southern borders of Furnas and Harlan Counties around 7:45 PM CST. The reflectivity was not as impressive as the storms further north. However, this cluster was producing severe winds. It continued moving northeast across Harlan, Franklin, and Kearney Counties through 9 PM. Thereafter, it dissipated just leaving remnant stratiform rain. This cluster produced severe wind gusts at every weather station it passed, with the highest measured gusts including 72 and 80 mph near Oxford. This cluster apparently generated an outflow boundary that surged northward. Severe outflow winds occurred far removed from it, while it was on-going, and even up to an hour after it dissipated. These winds affected much of Gosper, Phelps, and Buffalo Counties, as well as portions of Dawson, Hall and Hamilton Counties, and they occurred with no lightning, no thunder, and no rain in most locations. Winds gusts between 60 and 74 mph were common, and they lasted a little less than an hour at any individual location. Gusts at the Kearney airport were at least 58 mph from 8:35 through 9:15 PM CST. Some tree limbs were snapped off in a few locations. A couple barns were damaged as well. Radar provided no obvious evidence of an outflow boundary, but observations showed a minor wind shift from southeast to south-southwest, along with a rapid pressure increase of 4 to 5 mb.
Deep low pressure (992 mb) was forming over eastern Colorado on this day. The associated warm front lifted north into Nebraska, and all of this thunderstorm activity developed near this front or within the northern fringe of the warm sector. In the upper-levels, the Westerlies were amplified with a deep trough making its way east through the Western U.S., with a ridge over the Mississippi Valley. A closed low was in the process of forming over New Mexico and Colorado. Around the time the thunderstorms developed, temperatures were in the lower to middle 80s, and dewpoints were in the upper 40s and lower 50s. Combined with an elevated mixed layer, this resulted in MLCAPE of 1500 to 2000 J/kg. Deep layer shear was around 50 kts.

Hail in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 17:50:00 to 23-MAR-17 17:50:00 (CST-6)
Location: COZAD
Magnitude: 0.88 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Hail in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 19:05:00 to 23-MAR-17 19:05:00 (CST-6)
Location: ARCADIA
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Thunderstorm Wind in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 19:52:00 to 23-MAR-17 19:52:00 (CST-6)
Location: OXFORD
Magnitude: 55.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:00:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: OXFORD
Magnitude: 70.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:04:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:04:00 (CST-6)
Location: OXFORD
Magnitude: 63.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:08:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:08:00 (CST-6)
Location: ELWOOD
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:15:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:15:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOLDREGE ARPT
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Thunderstorm Wind in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:21:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:21:00 (CST-6)
Location: LOOMIS
Magnitude: 60.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:22:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:22:00 (CST-6)
Location: FUNK
Magnitude: 56.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:30:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: ODESSA
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:30:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: GIBBON
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:55:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:55:00 (CST-6)
Location: (EAR)KEARNEY ARPT
Magnitude: 58.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

Thunderstorm Wind in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:00:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: OVERTON
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:02:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:02:00 (CST-6)
Location: JOHNSON RES
Magnitude: 64.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:16:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:16:00 (CST-6)
Location: (GRI)GRAND IS RGNL A
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Thunderstorm Wind in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:28:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:28:00 (CST-6)
Location: CHAPMAN
Magnitude: 58.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:31:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:31:00 (CST-6)
Location: MURPHY
Magnitude: 55.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

Thunderstorm Wind in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:33:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:33:00 (CST-6)
Location: (GRI)GRAND IS RGNL A
Magnitude: 61.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Thunderstorm Wind in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:42:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: MARQUETTE
Magnitude: 52.00 EG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Fire Department/Rescue

Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 21:48:00 to 23-MAR-17 21:48:00 (CST-6)
Location: (GRI)GRAND IS RGNL A
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Hail in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:25:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:25:00 (CST-6)
Location: ORD
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Thunderstorm Wind in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:20:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:22:00 (CST-6)
Location: ARAPAHOE
Magnitude: 61.00 EG
Property damage: 20.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Minor shingle and roof damage was reported in Arapahoe, as well as a few large tree branches being downed. Area power poles were damaged and a hay barn was damaged. Wind gust estimated from other area reports.

Thunderstorm Wind in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-17 20:55:00 to 23-MAR-17 20:55:00 (CST-6)
Location: GLENWOOD PARK
Magnitude: 56.00 EG
Property damage: 20.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Wind gusts estimated to be around 65 MPH resulted in damage approximately 5 miles east of Riverdale on 115th Road. A portion of the road was blocked for a time after a pole barn was blown over.