Winter Storm in Nebraska, December 16, 2000

A surge of arctic air on very strong northwest winds combined with snow showers, blowing snow and dangerously cold wind chills producing near blizzard conditions across much of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa Saturday 12/16/00. The strong winds moved into northeast Nebraska shortly after midnight and reached southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa between 4 and 6 am cst. Although most new snow amounts were only an inch or two, the snow showers combined with blowing snow to produce white-out conditions for short time periods, especially in open areas, and frequently reduced the visibility to less than 1 mile. There were numerous reports of semi-trucks and cars that had slid off of roads into ditches...because of slick roads, strong winds or both. Many roads, mostly country, also drifted shut. Sustained winds were 25 to 35 mph with frequent gusts of 45 to 50 mph into late Saturday afternoon. As temperatures fell into the single digits, the winds produced wind chill values of 40 to 50 below zero over much of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. A period of light freezing drizzle or sleet fell Friday over parts of the area which created a thin crust of ice on the snow that was already on the ground, probably keeping conditions across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa from reaching and sustaining blizzard criteria much of Saturday.Stronger wind gusts included 61 mph at Gretna, 56 mph at Norfolk, 51 mph at the NWS office in Valley, 48 mph in Columbus, 47 mph at Fremont, Offutt Afb, Tekamah and Omaha Eppley, 46 mph at Harlan, Iowa and 44 mph in Beatrice. Wind Chill values got as low as 50 below at Harlan, Iowa during the afternoon, and were as cold as 47 or 48 below zero at Omaha, Norfolk, Columbus and Offutt Afb. Much of the afternoon saw wind chill values of 35 to 45 below zero.