Cold in Nebraska, January 12, 1997

Name: Cold in Nebraska, January 12, 1997
Start: 1997-01-12T01:00
End: 1997-01-12T12:00
Location: Nebraska

January 12, 1997 · NWS OAX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Strong northwest winds combined with cold temperatures to generate wind chills of 40 to 50 below zero.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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: 10

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.

Strong northwest winds combined with cold temperatures to generate wind chills of 40 to 50 below zero.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Boone

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.707, -98.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Platte

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Platte forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.571, -97.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Colfax

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Colfax forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.574, -97.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dodge

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.578, -96.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Washington

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.531, -96.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Butler

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.226, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Saunders

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Saunders forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.226, -96.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Douglas

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sarpy

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Sarpy forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.113, -96.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Burt

When: January 12, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where: Burt forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.852, -96.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, January 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: 5587776, 5587777, 5587778, 5587779, 5587780, 5587781, 5587782, 5587783, 5587784, 5587785.