Winter Weather, Box Butte
- When
- December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 10:00 PM MST
- Where
- Box Butte County, Countywide
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 42.220, -103.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather in Nebraska, December 8 to 9, 1997
Snowpacked and icy roads contributed to many vehicular accidents, one of which killed a 73-year-old man and his 59-year-old wife on Highway 71 when a semitrailer truck lost control, crossed the center line and struck their car head-on. Both vehicles caught fire and were totaled.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 2
- Property damage
- $60,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
Snowpacked and icy roads contributed to many vehicular accidents, one of which killed a 73-year-old man and his 59-year-old wife on Highway 71 when a semitrailer truck lost control, crossed the center line and struck their car head-on. Both vehicles caught fire and were totaled. The numerous other accidents involved property damage and some minor injuries but no additional fatalities.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Weather, Cheyenne
- When
- December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 10:00 PM MST
- Where
- Cheyenne County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 41.220, -102.995 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Kimball
- When
- December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 10:00 PM MST
- Where
- Kimball County, Countywide
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $40,000
- Coordinates
- 41.198, -103.715 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Morrill
- When
- December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 10:00 PM MST
- Where
- Morrill County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 41.716, -103.010 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Scotts Bluff
- When
- December 8, 1:00 AM MST to December 9, 10:00 PM MST
- Where
- Scotts Bluff County, Countywide
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 41.851, -103.708 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Kimball | 1997-12-08 | 73 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Winter Weather, Kimball | 1997-12-08 | 59 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
What these are
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 8 to 11, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 8 to 10, 1997
- Tornado in California, December 8, 1997
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 8 to 9, 1997
- Winter Storm in Missouri, December 8, 1997
- Winter Weather in Illinois, December 8, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 8 to 9, 1997
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 8 to 10, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, December 8, 1997
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 8 to 9, 1997
- Winter Weather in South Carolina, December 8 to 9, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, December 8, 1997
More
Every storm in Nebraska in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, December 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: 5626422, 5626423, 5626424, 5626425, 5626426.