Cold in Nebraska, January 2 to 4, 1999

A prolonged surge of Arctic air plunged south across eastern Nebraska on January 2 and continued through midday January 4. Temperatures slowly fell through the period, eventually ending up 5 below to 15 below zero during the morning hours January 4. These cold temperatures were accompanied by north winds of 25 to 40 mph which produced dangerously low wind chills of 35 to 50 below zero throughout much of the period. Some of the colder wind chills included...49 below in Fremont at 1000 am 1/3/99, 48 below at Norfolk at 900 am 1/4/99, 47 below at Omaha at 400 am 1/4/99, 47 below at Columbus at 500 am 1/3/99 and 40 below at Lincoln at 600 am 1/3/99. In addition to the extreme cold, a 24 to 48 hour snow event occurred from 1/1/99 into the evening hours 1/3/99 dropping 2 to 6 inches of snow on much of the area. When combined with the strong winds, blowing and drifting of the freshly fallen snow occasionally reduced visibilities to 1/2 mile or less, mainly from the afternoon of 1/2/99 into the early evening hours of 1/3/99. The blowing snow also closed some east to west roads, mainly in rural areas.