Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 10 to 11, 2000

A winter storm hit southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa Sunday evening 12/10/00 and continued into early Monday afternoon, although blowing and drifting snow persisted into Monday evening. An arctic cold front pushed through southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa Sunday afternoon dropping temperatures into the single digits. The front stalled over Kansas as low pressure developed along it and tracked into the mid Mississippi Valley by Monday afternoon. The developing system dropped heavy snow over much of east central Nebraska and southwest Iowa. The snowfall was accompanied by northeast winds gusting to 25 mph Sunday evening, and over 30 mph by late Monday morning. Besides lowering visibilities to less than 1 mile in snow and blowing snow, the strong winds also lowered wind chill values to 30 to 45 below zero. Most schools across the area were canceled Monday and many rural schools started 2 hours late Tuesday 12/12/00.Heavier snow amounts included 10 inches in Gretna, 8 to 10 inches in the Lincoln and Blair areas, 8 inches in Omaha and Seward, Nebraska and Shenandoah and Little Sioux, Iowa, 7 inches near Dunbar, and 6 to 7 inches at Auburn, Fremont, Utica, Friend, Sterling and Plymouth, Nebraska and Harlan and Red Oak, Iowa.