Cold front leads to strong to severe thunderstorms for portions of south central Nebraska during the evening of May 17th. The first thunderstorms of this event developed over southwest Furnas County between 4PM and 5PM CDT. The initial concern was the potential for landspouts, and at least two were reported in the area of Wilsonville and Beaver City. As is often the case with landspouts, these were very brief touchdowns, and no damage indicators could be found, so they were given an EFU, or unknown, rating. This initial setup for landspouts was fairly typical for this region in which steep low level lapse rates coincided with weak deep layer wind shear, weak low level convergence, and a weak surface front that provides abundant ambient surface vorticity. Eventually, between 5PM and 7PM, thunderstorms ���unzipped���, or developed further northeast in Kearney County, along the advancing cold front, which lead to upscale growth into a couple intense thunderstorm clusters. Large hail was the primary hazard with this activity, and for the most part ranged from quarter to golf ball size. However, up to 3 inch in diameter hail was reported in Harlan County. The thunderstorm clusters moved east and southeast, and eventually weakened and/or shifted in northern Kansas around 8PM CDT.
Another separate broken line of thunderstorms developed further north, from around Kearney to Columbus, between 9PM and 10PM. This activity persisted for a couple of hours before weakening. Once again, large hail was the primary threat, with penny to half dollar size hail reported in portions of Hall and Hamilton Counties.

Tornado in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 16:14:00 to 17-MAY-22 16:14:00 (CST-6)
Location: HENDLEY
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A brief landspout tornado touched down in a rural area approximately 8 miles south-southwest of Beaver City. No damage occurred.

Hail in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 17:16:00 to 17-MAY-22 17:30:00 (CST-6)
Location: RAGAN
Magnitude: 3.00 
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 500.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail ranging anywhere in size from ping pong balls up to three inches in diameter was reported in this area.

Hail in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 16:45:00 to 17-MAY-22 16:45:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOLDREGE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Social Media

Hail in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 16:47:00 to 17-MAY-22 16:55:00 (CST-6)
Location: HOLLINGER
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Hail in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 20:25:00 to 17-MAY-22 20:25:00 (CST-6)
Location: PHILLIPS
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

Hail in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 17:14:00 to 17-MAY-22 17:36:00 (CST-6)
Location: RAGAN
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 100.00K
Crop damage: 500.00K
Reported by: Storm Chaser

Hail ranging in size from quarters to golf balls was reported in the area.

Hail in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 20:59:00 to 17-MAY-22 20:59:00 (CST-6)
Location: HAMPTON
Magnitude: 1.00 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Hail in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 20:35:00 to 17-MAY-22 20:41:00 (CST-6)
Location: GRAND IS
Magnitude: 1.25 
Property damage: 500.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Quarter to half dollar size hail was reported on the west and north sides of Grand Island.

Tornado in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 16:10:00 to 17-MAY-22 16:10:00 (CST-6)
Location: WILSONVILLE
Tornado F-scale: EFU
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A brief landspout tornado touched down in a rural area a few miles north-northwest of Wilsonville. No damage occurred.

Hail in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-MAY-22 18:16:00 to 17-MAY-22 18:42:00 (CST-6)
Location: EDISON
Magnitude: 1.50 
Property damage: 150.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Hail between quarter and ping pong ball size was reported in Edison.