TL;DR
A brief landspout tornado was reported 20 miles north of Mullen, Nebraska on Thursday evening, July 30, 2026. The tornado was part of a widespread severe weather day that produced 1 tornado report, 2 hail reports, and 79 wind reports across 11 states from the Northern Plains to the Southeast.
What Happened Thursday Evening
The National Weather Service office in North Platte (LBF) received a report of a brief landspout tornado at 2133 UTC (4:33 pm CDT) approximately 20 miles north of Mullen in Cherry County, Nebraska. The tornado touched down in the Nebraska Sandhills, a sparsely populated region of grass-stabilized sand dunes in the north-central part of the state.
No EF rating has been assigned at the time of this report. Landspout tornadoes are typically weak, short-lived tornadoes that form along boundaries or beneath developing thunderstorms without the classic supercell structure that produces most violent tornadoes.
The tornado was the only one reported in the United States on July 30, though severe weather was widespread across the country.
A Widespread Severe Weather Day
While tornado activity was limited to Nebraska, Thursday brought severe weather to a broad swath of the nation. The Storm Prediction Center logged 82 total severe weather reports across 11 states: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
Damaging winds dominated the severe weather reports, with 79 wind events documented. The strongest measured gust reached 80 mph at a location 13 miles northwest of Brownlee, Nebraska at 2158 UTC, reported by the North Platte NWS office. That same area recorded multiple gusts between 70 and 80 mph within a six-minute window, suggesting a strong downburst or microburst.
In North Dakota, a personal weather station 2 miles east of Casselton measured a 76 mph gust at 1838 UTC. The public reported damage to corn and small tree limbs down near the city. Grand Forks also saw tree damage, with a 3-4 inch branch broken off on the southeast side of the city and a downed tree at Kings Walk Golf Course on the south end.
Florida's Panhandle experienced numerous wind reports through the afternoon and evening, with trees and power lines down across multiple counties. An ambient weather station 3 miles south of Portland recorded a 71 mph gust at 1854 UTC. Walton, Washington, and Leon counties all reported downed trees and power outages.
Hail Reports
Only 2 hail reports were logged Thursday, both in the Northern Plains. At 2200 UTC, a location 8 miles south-southeast of Ralph, South Dakota received mostly pea-size hail with a few quarter-size stones. Later, at 2340 UTC, Stapleton, Nebraska reported hail ranging from quarter to ping pong ball size (1.50 inches).
The relatively low hail count is notable given the 79 wind reports — a signal that Thursday's storms were largely outflow-dominant, with strong downdrafts and spreading cold pools rather than sustained rotating updrafts.
The Meteorological Setup
Thursday's severe weather unfolded in multiple distinct regions under different atmospheric drivers. Across the Northern Plains, a combination of daytime heating, modest instability, and weak mid-level flow supported pulse thunderstorms capable of producing brief tornadoes, isolated hail, and localized wind damage.
In the middle Mississippi Valley and Ozarks — the focus of Friday's Slight Risk — early-day elevated convection complicated the severe weather potential. A cold front was advancing southeastward across the region, with moderate destabilization expected across the Ozarks as clouds cleared through the afternoon.
Along the Colorado Front Range and Raton Mesa, storms developed near high terrain through mid to late afternoon and spread southeastward toward lower elevations. Steep low to mid-level lapse rates supported isolated severe gusts and hail.
Landspout Tornadoes: A High Plains Phenomenon
Landspout tornadoes are most common across the High Plains during the summer months, when strong surface heating and weak upper-level winds create an environment favorable for non-supercell tornadoes. Unlike the classic supercell tornadoes that form under rotating mesocyclones, landspouts develop along converging boundaries — often outflow boundaries from earlier storms or subtle terrain features — where rapidly rising air can stretch and tilt existing vertical vorticity.
The Nebraska Sandhills, where Thursday's landspout occurred, is a region where these tornadoes are occasionally observed. The area's sparse population means many landspouts likely go unreported. Most are brief and weak, causing little to no damage, though they can still pose a threat to anyone caught outdoors.
Landspouts are difficult to predict with the same lead time as supercell tornadoes. They can form rapidly and dissipate just as quickly, often without a tornado warning. Spotters and storm chasers play a critical role in documenting these events.
Looking Ahead
Friday's severe weather focus shifts eastward. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk for the middle Mississippi Valley and Ozarks, where a cold front and enhanced upper-level winds will support the potential for supercells capable of hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. The highest tornado potential will be across the region, though damaging winds are expected to be the most prevalent severe hazard as storms spread southeastward through late afternoon and evening.
Isolated severe storms are also possible across the central to southern High Plains Friday afternoon through early evening.
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