Nebraska, 1996

Blizzard in Nebraska, March 24, 1996

March 24, 1996 · NWS GLD · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Strong winds, cold temperatures, and snow caused visibility to fall below 1/4 mile for several hours. Traffic accidents with minor injuries occurred.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 GLD wrote it up.

Strong winds, cold temperatures, and snow caused visibility to fall below 1/4 mile for several hours. Traffic accidents with minor injuries occurred. Actual snow amounts were only 3 inches or less but drifts to three feet were common.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Hitchcock

When
March 24, 7:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Hitchcock forecast zone
Coordinates
40.176, -101.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Red Willow

When
March 24, 7:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Red Willow forecast zone
Coordinates
40.176, -100.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dundy

When
March 24, 7:00 AM MST to 7:00 PM MST
Where
Dundy forecast zone
Coordinates
40.176, -101.688 (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, March 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: 5540903, 5540904, 5540234.