PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
320 PM CDT MON JUN 23 2003

...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTS SURVEYS OF STORM DAMAGE...

SEVERE WEATHER RAVAGED CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS 
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING MONDAY. THE HARDEST HIT 
AREAS INCLUDED THE NEBRASKA COUNTIES OF THAYER AND HAMILTON 
AND THE KANSAS COUNTIES OF JEWELL...PHILLIPS AND SMITH. THE 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN HASTINGS DEPLOYED 
THE WARNING AND COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST TO THAYER COUNTY AND TWO 
WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEES TO HAMILTON COUNTY. 

...HAMILTON COUNTY HAILSTONE...

AT 705 PM CDT SUNDAY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS 
RECEIVED REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL IN AURORA...HAMILTON COUNTY NEBRASKA.
INITIAL REPORTS STATED THAT THE HAIL HAD PENETRATED THE ROOF OF A 
HOME, LEAVING HOLES IN THE STRUCTURE LARGE ENOUGH TO CRAWL THROUGH. 

THE STONES WERE SAVED AND PLACED IN A FREEZER AT THE RESIDENCE AND 
TWO NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEES WERE SENT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE
AND RECORD THE SIZE. ADDITIONAL STONES WERE 
OBSERVED AND COLLECTED BY RESIDENTS OF AURORA. PICTURES OF THE 
LARGER STONE WILL BE POSTED ON THE HASTINGS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
WEBSITE.

THE HAILSTONE MEASURED 6.5 INCHES IN DIAMETER WITH A CIRCUMFERENCE 
OF 17.3 INCHES AND WEIGHED 1.33 POUNDS. 

THIS COMPARES TO THE POTTER NEBRASKA HAILSTONE ON JULY 12, 1928. THE 
POTTER NEBRASKA HAILSTONE WAS 5.4 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND WEIGHED 
APPROXIMATELY 1.5 POUNDS.

...LARGEST HAILSTONE ON RECORD...

PRIOR TO TODAY...THE LARGEST HAILSTONE ON RECORD OCCURRED IN 
COFFEYVILLE KANSAS ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1970.  THIS STONE MEASURED 5.7 
INCHES IN DIAMETER...17.5 INCHES IN CIRCUMFERENCE AND WEIGHED 1.67 
POUNDS. 

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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
ISSUED BY NWS OMAHA/VALLEY NE  
1100 AM CDT THU JUN 26 2003
  
...ANOTHER VERY LARGE HAIL STONE MEASURED FROM AURORA NEBRASKA...

INFORMATION BECAME AVAILABLE YESTERDAY OF ANOTHER LARGE HAIL
STONE THAT FEEL EVENING OF SUNDAY JUNE 22 IN THE COMMUNITY OF
AURORA NEBRASKA.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HASTINGS SENT A
SURVEY TEAM TO DETERMINE THE SIZE OF THIS STONE. 

THE TEAM FOUND THAT THIS STONE MEASURED SEVEN INCHES/7.0/ IN
DIAMETER AND EIGHTEEN AND THREE QUARTER INCHES/18.75/ IN
CIRCUMFERENCE.

THIS AGAIN BRINGS UP THE QUESTION...DID ANY OF THE HAIL STONES EXCEED
THE RECORD EVENT.  THE NATIONAL CLIMATE DATA CENTER/NCDC/ WILL BE
MAKING THIS DETERMINATION.  INFORMATION ABOUT THE HAIL IN AURORA
HAS BEEN SENT THE NCDC.  THEY WILL BE MAKING THE DETERMINATION SOON.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HAIL STORM...YOU MAY VISIT OUR WEB
SITE AT WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GID

STEVEN KISNER
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST