Cold in Nebraska, December 23 to 24, 1996

Name: Cold in Nebraska, December 23 to 24, 1996
Start: 1996-12-23T04:00
End: 1996-12-24T07:00
Location: Nebraska

December 23 to 24, 1996 · NWS OAX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Strong northwest winds combined with cold temperatures to produce wind chills in the 35 to 50 below zero range.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS OAX wrote it up.

Strong northwest winds combined with cold temperatures to produce wind chills in the 35 to 50 below zero range.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Knox

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.637, -97.892 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Cedar

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Cedar forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.599, -97.252 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Thurston

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Thurston forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.158, -96.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Antelope

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Antelope forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.177, -98.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pierce

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Pierce forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.264, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Wayne

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.209, -97.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Boone

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.707, -98.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Madison

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.917, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Stanton

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Stanton forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.917, -97.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Cuming

When: December 23, 4:00 AM CST to December 24, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Cuming forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.916, -96.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5581907, 5581908, 5581909, 5581910, 5581911, 5581912, 5581913, 5581914, 5581915, 5581916.