Nebraska, 1996

Blizzard in Nebraska, January 17 to 18, 1996

January 17 to 18, 1996 · NWS OAX · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Deep low pressure moving east across Kansas combined with Arctic high pressure diving southeast to produce blizzard conditions over North Central Nebraska. While most areas received 3 to 5 inches of new snow, parts of Brown County reported 6 to 8 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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.

Deep low pressure moving east across Kansas combined with Arctic high pressure diving southeast to produce blizzard conditions over North Central Nebraska. While most areas received 3 to 5 inches of new snow, parts of Brown County reported 6 to 8 inches. The new snow and northwest winds gusting to 60 mph created near-zero visibilities and snow drifts up to 8 feet. Highways and local roads were impassable. The strong winds and single digit temperatures combined to produce extreme wind chills of 45 to 60 degrees below zero. All schools and most businesses were closed the 18th. Numerous local power outages occurred; lasting an average of 2 to 3 hours. Only minor livestock losses were reported, which included a few hogs in Holt County.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Keya Paha

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Keya Paha forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
42.879, -99.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Boyd

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Boyd forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
42.900, -98.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Brown

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Brown forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
42.430, -99.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Rock

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Rock forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
42.421, -99.450 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Holt

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Holt forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
42.456, -98.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Blaine

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Blaine forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
41.913, -99.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Loup

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Loup forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
41.914, -99.454 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Garfield

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Garfield forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
41.914, -98.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Wheeler

When
January 17, 3:00 PM CST to January 18, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Wheeler forecast zone
Property damage
$1,000
Coordinates
41.915, -98.528 (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: 5535700, 5535701, 5535702, 5535703, 5535704, 5535705, 5535706, 5535707, 5535708.