Nebraska, 1998

Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 7 to 8, 1998

March 7 to 8, 1998 · NWS OAX · 26 events in 26 counties and zones

A major winter storm moved through the central plains and created near blizzard conditions over portions of eastern Nebraska. Heavy snow combined with strong northerly winds of 40-45 mph created considerable blowing snow with 6-15 foot snow drifts common.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 26 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
$26,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
26

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.

A major winter storm moved through the central plains and created near blizzard conditions over portions of eastern Nebraska. Heavy snow combined with strong northerly winds of 40-45 mph created considerable blowing snow with 6-15 foot snow drifts common. The heaviest snow fell in an area from Gage county northeast through the south and southeast portion of the Omaha metropolitan area where 11-16 inches of snow fell. Lesser amounts occurred further to the north with 4-6 inches at Norfolk. Schools and businesses were closed for a few days as the strong winds continued to cause blowing snow making the task of cleaning up very difficult.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

26 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Boone

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Coordinates
41.707, -98.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Burt

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Burt forecast zone
Coordinates
41.852, -96.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Butler

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Butler forecast zone
Coordinates
41.226, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cass

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Coordinates
40.910, -96.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Colfax

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Colfax forecast zone
Coordinates
41.574, -97.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cuming

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Cuming forecast zone
Coordinates
41.916, -96.787 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dodge

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Dodge forecast zone
Coordinates
41.578, -96.654 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Douglas forecast zone
Property damage
$15,000
Coordinates
41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Gage

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Gage forecast zone
Coordinates
40.262, -96.689 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jefferson

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Coordinates
40.176, -97.143 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Johnson

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Johnson forecast zone
Coordinates
40.393, -96.265 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lancaster

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Lancaster forecast zone
Coordinates
40.784, -96.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Madison

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Coordinates
41.917, -97.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nemaha

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Nemaha forecast zone
Coordinates
40.388, -95.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Otoe

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Otoe forecast zone
Coordinates
40.649, -96.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Pawnee

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Pawnee forecast zone
Coordinates
40.132, -96.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Platte

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Platte forecast zone
Coordinates
41.571, -97.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Richardson

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Richardson forecast zone
Coordinates
40.125, -95.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saline

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Saline forecast zone
Property damage
$2,000
Coordinates
40.524, -97.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sarpy

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Sarpy forecast zone
Property damage
$9,000
Coordinates
41.113, -96.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saunders

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Saunders forecast zone
Coordinates
41.226, -96.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Seward

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Seward forecast zone
Coordinates
40.872, -97.139 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Stanton

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Stanton forecast zone
Coordinates
41.917, -97.194 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Thurston

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Thurston forecast zone
Coordinates
42.158, -96.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Washington

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Coordinates
41.531, -96.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wayne

When
March 7, 4:00 PM CST to March 8, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Coordinates
42.209, -97.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, March 1998

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: 5633957, 5633958, 5633959, 5633960, 5633961, 5633962, 5633963, 5633964, 5633965, 5633966, 5633967, 5633968, 5633969, 5633970, 5633971, 5633972, 5633973, 5633974, 5633975, 5633976, 5633977, 5633978, 5633979, 5633980, 5633981, 5633982.