Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 26, 1996

Name: Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 26, 1996
Start: 1996-01-26T08:00
End: 1996-01-26T20:00
Location: Nebraska

January 26, 1996 · NWS OAX · 30 events in 30 counties and zones

An intense winter storm produced near blizzard conditions and left 3 to 10 inches of snow in its wake. A general 5 to 6 inch band of snow fell from Lincoln and Auburn northeast to Omaha and Tekamah.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 30 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: 30

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.

An intense winter storm produced near blizzard conditions and left 3 to 10 inches of snow in its wake. A general 5 to 6 inch band of snow fell from Lincoln and Auburn northeast to Omaha and Tekamah. Heavier amounts of 7 to 10 inches were reported in Papillion and continued into western Iowa. In addition to the snow, strong winds from 30 to 40 mph reduced visibilities to less than one mile for over 12 hours in Lincoln and Omaha areas. Wind chills ranged from 30 to 40 degrees below zero. Numerous schools were closed and several businesses closed by late afternoon.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

30 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Knox

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.637, -97.892 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cedar

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Cedar forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.599, -97.252 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Thurston

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Thurston forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.158, -96.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Antelope

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Antelope forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.177, -98.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pierce

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.264, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wayne

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates: 42.209, -97.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Boone

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.707, -98.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Madison

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.917, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stanton

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Stanton forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.917, -97.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cuming

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Cuming forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.916, -96.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Burt

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Burt forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.852, -96.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Platte

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Platte forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.571, -97.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Colfax

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Colfax forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.574, -97.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dodge

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.578, -96.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washington

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.531, -96.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butler

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.226, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saunders

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Saunders forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.226, -96.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sarpy

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Sarpy forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.113, -96.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Seward

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Seward forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.872, -97.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lancaster

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Lancaster forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.784, -96.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cass

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.910, -96.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Otoe

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Otoe forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.649, -96.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saline

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Saline forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.524, -97.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.176, -97.143 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gage

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Gage forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.262, -96.689 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Johnson

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.393, -96.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nemaha

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Nemaha forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.388, -95.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pawnee

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Pawnee forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.132, -96.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Richardson

When: January 26, 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Richardson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.125, -95.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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, 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: 5535743, 5535931, 5535932, 5535933, 5535934, 5535935, 5535936, 5535937, 5535938, 5535939, 5535940, 5535941, 5535942, 5535943, 5535944, 5535945, 5535946, 5535947, 5535948, 5535949, 5535950, 5535951, 5535952, 5535953, 5535954, 5535955, 5535956, 5535957, 5535958, 5535959.