Supercells Gear Up for Very Large Hail in Nebraska-Colorado-Kansas Tri-State — SevereWX

Thunderstorms are poised to ignite within the next 1-2 hours across the Nebraska-Colorado-Kansas tri-state area, setting the stage for supercells packing very large hail.

The Storm Prediction Center's Mesoscale Discussion 1229 highlights deepening cumulus fields near a surface low and troughs, fueled by incoming upper-level lift from Wyoming. Surface temps climbing into the low 80s are eroding lingering inhibition in a warm sector with dewpoints in the 50s-60s. Expect initiation around 3-4 PM CDT (20Z), possibly sooner along the Nebraska-Colorado line.

Once underway, storms should organize into splitting supercells thanks to straight hodographs and 1500-2000 J/kg MLCAPE. This setup screams large hail—forecasts call for 1.50-2.50 inch stones (golf ball to tennis ball size), with peak winds of 65-80 mph and tornadoes up to 90 mph possible.

Areas at risk include western Nebraska (around North Platte to Imperial), northeast Colorado (Sterling to brushes with Cheyenne), and northwest Kansas (near Goodland). Watch issuance looks probable at 80% odds within the next few hours.

This comes amid broader Heartland severe potential, but discrete cells here could deliver isolated high impacts before any clustering.

Stay prepared: Monitor radar closely, have a severe weather plan, and know your safe spot. Check SPC updates at spc.noaa.gov.