Nebraska, 1997

Blizzard in Nebraska, April 4 to 6, 1997

April 4 to 6, 1997 · NWS CYS · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Strong winds combined with snow amounts of generally 8 to 12 inches to create widespread blizzard conditions in the Nebraska panhandle. Closed and impassable roads became the norm from the evening of April 4 through April 6 due to blowing and drifting snow.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$5.0 million
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 combined with snow amounts of generally 8 to 12 inches to create widespread blizzard conditions in the Nebraska panhandle. Closed and impassable roads became the norm from the evening of April 4 through April 6 due to blowing and drifting snow. Many automobile accidents occurred as a result of the treacherous conditions, and many power lines were downed due to the weight of snow. Many livestock were killed by the snow and accompanying cold temperatures because the storm occurred in the calving season. The highest snow amount was 12 inches in the Wildcat Hills region of Banner County, and the strongest wind recorded was 68 MPH at Sidney at 900 PM April 5.

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
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Sioux forecast zone

Blizzard, Dawes

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Dawes forecast zone
Coordinates
42.720, -103.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Box Butte

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 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
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Scotts Bluff forecast zone
Coordinates
41.851, -103.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Banner

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Banner forecast zone
Property damage
$5.0 million
Coordinates
41.546, -103.710 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Morrill

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Morrill forecast zone
Coordinates
41.716, -103.010 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Kimball

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 PM MST
Where
Kimball forecast zone
Coordinates
41.198, -103.715 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Cheyenne

When
April 4, 5:00 PM MST to April 6, 12:00 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 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, April 1997

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: 5592495, 5592496, 5592497, 5592498, 5592499, 5592500, 5592501, 5592502.