Cold in Nebraska, February 1 to 4, 1996

Name: Cold in Nebraska, February 1 to 4, 1996
Start: 1996-02-01T20:00
End: 1996-02-04T11:00
Location: Nebraska

February 1 to 4, 1996 · NWS OAX · 39 events in 39 counties and zones

Arctic high pressure dominated the weather over much of the central United States. Sub-zero temperatures were reported at Omaha for 63 consecutive hours from early February 1st through February 4th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 39 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: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 39

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.

Arctic high pressure dominated the weather over much of the central United States. Sub-zero temperatures were reported at Omaha for 63 consecutive hours from early February 1st through February 4th. While area hospitals reported treating several people for frostbite, one frostbite victim was detailed in a newspaper article. The peak of the cold wave occurred during the morning of February 2nd with a low temperature of 23 degrees below zero at Omaha. Many locations reported lows from 20 to 25 degrees below zero that morning.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Cold/Wind Chill, Keya Paha

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Keya Paha forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.879, -99.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Boyd

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Boyd forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.900, -98.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Brown

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Brown forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.430, -99.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Rock

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.421, -99.450 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Holt

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Holt forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.456, -98.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Knox

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.209, -97.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Blaine

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.913, -99.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Loup

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Loup forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.914, -99.454 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Garfield

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.914, -98.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Wheeler

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Wheeler forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.915, -98.528 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Boone

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 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: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Cuming forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.916, -96.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Burt

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Burt forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.852, -96.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Platte

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Platte forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.571, -97.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Colfax

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Colfax forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.574, -97.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dodge

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.578, -96.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Washington

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.531, -96.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Butler

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.226, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Saunders

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Saunders forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.226, -96.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Douglas

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates: 41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sarpy

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Sarpy forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.113, -96.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Seward

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Seward forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.872, -97.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Lancaster

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Lancaster forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.784, -96.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Cass

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.910, -96.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Otoe

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Otoe forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.649, -96.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Saline

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.524, -97.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Jefferson

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.176, -97.143 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Gage

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Gage forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.262, -96.689 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Johnson

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.393, -96.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Nemaha

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Nemaha forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.388, -95.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pawnee

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Pawnee forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.132, -96.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Richardson

When: February 1, 8:00 PM CST to February 4, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Richardson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.125, -95.717 (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, February 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: 5538801, 5538802, 5538803, 5538804, 5538805, 5538806, 5538807, 5538808, 5538809, 5538810, 5538811, 5538812, 5538813, 5538814, 5538815, 5538816, 5538817, 5538818, 5538819, 5538820, 5538821, 5538822, 5538823, 5538824, 5538825, 5538826, 5538827, 5538828, 5538829, 5538830, 5538831, 5538832, 5538833, 5538834, 5538835, 5538836, 5538837, 5538838, 5538839.