Cold in Nebraska, January 15 to 16, 1997

Name: Cold in Nebraska, January 15 to 16, 1997
Start: 1997-01-15T04:00
End: 1997-01-16T12:00
Location: Nebraska

January 15 to 16, 1997 · NWS GID · 24 events in 24 counties and zones

Bitterly cold wind chills returned to South Central Nebraska again aboard strong north winds. Temperatures dropped sharply into the single digits.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 24 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: 24

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 GID wrote it up.

Bitterly cold wind chills returned to South Central Nebraska again aboard strong north winds. Temperatures dropped sharply into the single digits. In turn, wind chill factors ranged from 35 to 50 below zero for much of a two day period. The strong winds may have played a role in a one vehichle accident near on Interstate 80 near Aurora. No injuries were reported.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

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

Cold/Wind Chill, Valley

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Valley forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Greeley

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Greeley forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Nance

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Nance forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.397, -97.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Sherman

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.221, -98.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Howard

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Howard forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.220, -98.517 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Merrick

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Merrick forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.170, -98.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Polk

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Coordinates: 41.187, -97.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Dawson

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.870, -99.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Buffalo

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Buffalo forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.855, -99.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Hall

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.873, -98.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Hamilton

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.874, -98.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, York

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: York forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.873, -97.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Gosper

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Gosper forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.515, -99.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Phelps

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.511, -99.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Kearney

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Kearney forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.507, -98.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Adams

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.525, -98.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Clay

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.524, -98.051 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Fillmore

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Fillmore forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.525, -97.596 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Furnas

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Furnas forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.177, -99.912 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Harlan

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Harlan forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.177, -99.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Franklin

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.953 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Webster

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Nuckolls

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Nuckolls forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Thayer

When: January 15, 4:00 AM CST to January 16, 12:00 PM CST
Where: Thayer forecast zone
Coordinates: 40.176, -97.595 (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: 5584729, 5584730, 5584731, 5584732, 5584733, 5584734, 5584735, 5584736, 5584737, 5584738, 5584739, 5584740, 5584741, 5584742, 5584743, 5584744, 5584745, 5584746, 5584747, 5584748, 5584749, 5584750, 5584751, 5584752.