Northwest Nebraska & Panhandle
A few cities include: North Platte, Scottsbluff and Valentine.
Local tornado season: Peaks during the month of June.
Terrain: Mostly hilly with many ponds and some forests.
Road network: Good in parts of the panhandle, limited elsewhere.
Radar coverage: Good in northwestern Nebraska, poor in the panhandle.
Tornadoes in northwestern Nebraska and the panhandle can be unique in appearance. They are often associated with high cloud bases and low precipitation supercells. With that said, it is not an area that frequently experiences tornado outbreaks. Either way, this area is known for producing some very photogenic storms.
As is common across the Central Plains, large to very large hail can occur here with supercell thunderstorms. Damaging winds can also be a concern. It is common for squall lines to begin taking shape over western/northwestern Nebraska, before shifting east/southeast across the state.
Terrain
The roughest storm chasing terrain in Nebraska is found in northwestern parts of the state. The Sand Hills cover a large portion of northwestern into north-central Nebraska. This proves to be a challenging area to storm chase. Northern Nebraska is also home to many small lakes and ponds. These can sometimes be a nuisance when trying to navigate toward a storm. It is not uncommon for some of these areas to flood over without a suitable detour nearby.
Northern portions of the Nebraska panhandle feature some densely forested areas. The terrain becomes a bit more favorable into the southern portion of the panhandle, where rolling prairies can be found.
Road network
Northwestern Nebraska and parts of the Nebraska panhandle have a very limited road network. North-south oriented primary roads do exist, but they may end rather abruptly. East-west oriented roads can be even harder to find, often spaced 30-50 miles apart. Secondary roads are far and few between. Some roads even have sand as a surface. Such roads are better off avoided without an off-road vehicle or a lot of courage.
Other potential issues arise in the Sand Hills, aside from terrain and road networks. The area is very desolate, as long stretches have no gas stations or cell service. Keep this in mind if chasing locally and having a weather radio with you is a good idea.
Most of the region is void of major freeways. Interstate-80 does run along the southern fringes of this chase zone. I-80 connects the Nebraska panhandle with Wyoming. I-76 starts in Nebraska, but crosses into Colorado after only two miles, in the general direction of Denver.
Radar coverage
KLNX covers most of northwestern Nebraska, but radar data becomes limited in north-central portions of the state. Most of the panhandle is in an ugly radar hole, as only KCYS extends a small amount of coverage into the southwestern corner of the panhandle. KUDX covers a small area in the northwestern part of the panhandle, but this radar coverage is offset by forests and limited road networks there.
In summary, northwestern Nebraska and the panhandle area can be a high-risk, high-reward area to chase. Often hilly terrain, inconsistent road networks and limited radar coverage can be frustrating for storm chasers. Nonetheless, a tendency for photogenic storms and low precipitation supercells may be worth a gamble for the enthusiastic storm chaser.
Notes
Refer to the Central/Southern Nebraska and Mid-Missouri Valley chase zones for other areas to storm chase in Nebraska.