Nebraska, 1996

Blizzard in Nebraska, January 16 to 18, 1996

January 16 to 18, 1996 · NWS CYS · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Strong winds, snow and cold temperatures combined to produce blizzard conditions. During that time, winds gusted to as high as 55 MPH, creating wind chill temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 CYS wrote it up.

Strong winds, snow and cold temperatures combined to produce blizzard conditions. During that time, winds gusted to as high as 55 MPH, creating wind chill temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero. Two to six inches of snow fell over the panhandle through the evening of the 17th. The wind and snow created very low visibilities in blowing snow. Some schools were cancelled on the 17th.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Sioux

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Sioux forecast zone

Blizzard, Dawes

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Dawes forecast zone
Coordinates
42.720, -103.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Box Butte

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Box Butte forecast zone
Coordinates
42.220, -103.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Scotts Bluff

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Scotts Bluff forecast zone
Coordinates
41.851, -103.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Banner

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Banner forecast zone
Coordinates
41.546, -103.710 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Morrill

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Morrill forecast zone
Coordinates
41.716, -103.010 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kimball

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Kimball forecast zone
Coordinates
41.198, -103.715 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Cheyenne

When
January 16, 10:00 PM MST to January 18, 7:00 PM MST
Where
Cheyenne forecast zone
Coordinates
41.220, -102.995 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, January 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: 5537047, 5537048, 5537049, 5537050, 5537051, 5537052, 5537053, 5537054.