It was an unforgettable Independence Day for rural residents of far east central Hall and far southwestern Merrick counties, as a climatologically-rare, very early morning EF1-rated tornado abruptly emerged from the cover of darkness and carved out a nearly 10 mile southwest-to-northeast path over a span of 19 minutes, damaging over a half dozen homes, destroying several outbuildings, snapping a number of power poles and damaging trees and crops (fortunately no injuries were reported). This was a high-end EF1 tornado with an estimated peak wind of 110 MPH, touching down at 12:51 a.m. CDT only a short distance south-southeast of the Grand Island city limits (near the intersection of South Locust St. and Schimmer Drive). It continued for nearly four miles within Hall County before crossing over into Merrick County near the intersection of Gunbarrel and Stolley Park Roads. Within Merrick County, the tornado persisted for nearly six more miles before lifting approximately five miles southwest of Chapman at 1:10 a.m. CDT (near the intersection of 5th and D Roads). By South Central Nebraska standards, this was a unique/unusual tornado event in at least two particular ways (not to mention that it took place on a prominent national holiday). For starters, this late night/very early morning tornado was a local rarity, with only around 3 percent of all Nebraska tornadoes between 1950-2020 having occurred between midnight and sunrise. Secondly, the storm mode and meteorological environment were quite out of the ordinary for the region, as this tornado was spawned by a low-topped supercell firmly embedded within a broad area of stratiform rain...more typical of what might occur in a tropical environment in the southeastern United States (see below for more mesoscale details).
Examining the bigger picture of convective evolution leading up to and following the Hall-Merrick County tornado, the evening of Sunday July 3rd started off with a more traditional round of strong to perhaps marginally-severe storms within South Central Nebraska. Primarily between 7:30-9:30 p.m. CDT, isolated to scattered storms that initially developed to the west/south of the area within southwest Nebraska/northern Kansas spread north-northeastward into several local counties mainly south of a line from Gothenburg-Hastings, prompting a couple of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings that included portions of Dawson, Franklin, Webster, Kearney and Adams counties. However, there were no verifying severe-criteria reports, and only one slightly sub-severe, mesonet-measured 50 MPH wind gust in Beaver City. Between 9:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. CDT, the intensity of storm cores weakened, but convection expanded in coverage across much of the 24-county area, featuring pockets of moderate to heavy rain and spotty wind gusts up to 50 MPH. By 12:30 a.m. CDT on the 4th, the overall-strongest storms/heaviest rain cores were focused over counties along the Highway 281 corridor, while the back end of the convective complex had already departed several southwestern local counties. During the next hour, the aforementioned low-topped supercell near the southern end of the larger-scale stratiform rain shield abruptly intensified and produced the Hall-Merrick County tornado, with briefly-intense radar rotational signatures (including a distinct debris ball on the Correlation Coefficient product) steadily weakening as the storm approached central Merrick County. Finally, between 1:30-3:30 a.m. CDT, the overall-weak convective complex steadily vacated the remainder of South Central Nebraska off to the east-northeast, with only a few lingering showers/weak storms hanging on through night's end. As it turned out, aside from the very limited area directly impacted by the EF1 tornado, the vast majority of South Central Nebraska simply had a rainy/stormy night with widespread and much-needed rainfall. The majority of (but not all) of the 24-county area picked up at least 0.25-0.75, with more limited 1-2 totals and even some very spotty 2-3+ amounts in northern Valley/Greely counties (including 3.25 in Spalding per an NeRAIN observer).
Wrapping up with a closer look at the meteorological/mesoscale background of this event, forcing aloft was seasonably-modest, featuring broad west-southwest flow aloft over NE...well downstream from a large scale trough centered over the Pacific Northwest coast. However, an embedded small-scale disturbance (potentially convectively-enhanced with time) was a player in the evening convective development as it lifted east-northeast from southwestern into central NE. At the surface, the late afternoon-evening of the 3rd featured steady south-southeasterly breezes of 10-20 MPH across the local area, maintaining a moisture-rich airmass featuring dewpoints well into the low-mid 70s F. As the initial scattered strong storms spread into the local area early in the evening, the mesoscale environment featured healthy mixed-layer CAPE of 2000-3000 J/kg, but only 25-30 knots of deep layer shear (limiting storm organization). Between nightfall and the occurrence of the Hall-Merrick County tornado a few hours later, instability values waned slightly (as is diurnally-typical). However, thanks to an increasing southerly low level jet (evidenced by 40+ knots at 850 millibars) and also a subtle enhancement of west-southwesterly mid level flow associated with the low amplitude wave/vort max tracking into central NE, especially low level shear parameters ramped up to concerning levels during the 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. CDT time frame, with 0-1 kilometer bulk shear reaching 30-40 knots and 0-1 km storm-relative helicity spiking to 300-400 m2/s2, forcing an associated uptick in composite indices such as Significant Tornado Parameter (STP). Most of the time, late night convection in South Central Nebraska becomes at least slightly elevated and unable to fully tap into such strong low level shear and resultant tornadic potential, but this event proved that rare exceptions and mesoscale accidents can occur, aided by the presence of a moisture-rich low level profile (12 a.m. CDT dewpoint of 73 F at Grand Island airport) and a low lifting condensation level (LCL) no more than 750 meters (fostering low storm bases).

Tornado in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 03-JUL-22 23:51:00 to 03-JUL-22 23:56:00 (CST-6)
Location: GRAND IS
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 100.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

This EF1 tornado tracked nearly 10 miles through rural portions of far east central Hall and far southwestern Merrick counties during the very early morning hours of Monday, July 4th. The maximum wind speed was estimated to be 110 MPH, based on the combination of damage to trees, some buildings and homes, and power poles. The tornado was estimated to be 200 yards wide at its widest point.
This tornado first touched down at 12:51 a.m. CDT in a rural area four miles south of downtown Grand Island (near the intersection of South Locust St. and Schimmer Drive) and quickly gained strength, continuing for nearly four miles within Hall County before crossing over into Merrick County near the intersection of Gunbarrel and Stolley Park Roads. Along its total path, it damaged over a half-dozen homes, including blown out windows, shingle and siding damage, and at least one home had part of its roof decking torn off (fortunately no injuries were reported). Other outbuildings and grain bins were damaged or destroyed, including a barn in Merrick County that was over 100 years old. Several power poles were snapped, along with trees and damage to crops. The damage pattern evident in corn fields had a distinct herringbone pattern...consistent with a tornadic wind field.
This tornado formed in a trailing area of stratiform rainfall not usually conducive for tornadic development. The combination of a very moist, unstable airmass and very favorable wind shear for the time of day were key in the formation of the low-topped supercell which spawned the tornado.

Tornado in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 03-JUL-22 23:56:00 to 04-JUL-22 00:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: CHAPMAN
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 100.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

This EF1 tornado tracked nearly 10 miles through rural portions of far east central Hall and far southwestern Merrick counties during the very early morning hours of Monday, July 4th. The maximum wind speed was estimated to be 110 MPH, based on the combination of damage to trees, some buildings and homes, and power poles. The tornado was estimated to be 200 yards wide at its widest point.
This tornado first touched down in a rural area four miles south of downtown Grand Island and quickly gained strength. It entered Merrick County around 12:56 a.m. CDT near the intersection of Gunbarrel and Stolley Park Roads, persisting for nearly six more miles before lifting at 1:10 a.m. CDT approximately five miles southwest of Chapman (near the intersection of 5th and D Roads). Along its total path, it damaged over a half-dozen homes, including blown out windows, shingle and siding damage, and at least one home had part of its roof decking torn off (fortunately no injuries were reported). Other outbuildings and grain bins were damaged or destroyed, including a barn in Merrick County that was over 100 years old. Several power poles were snapped, along with trees and damage to crops. The damage pattern evident in corn fields had a distinct herringbone pattern...consistent with a tornadic wind field.
This tornado formed in a trailing area of stratiform rainfall not usually conducive for tornadic development. The combination of a very moist, unstable airmass and very favorable wind shear for the time of day were key in the formation of the low-topped supercell which spawned the tornado.