Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 21 to 22, 2001

Name: Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 21 to 22, 2001
Start: 2001-04-21T22:00
End: 2001-04-22T23:00
Location: Nebraska

April 21 to 22, 2001 · NWS LBF · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

9 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: 9

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 21, 1:28 PM CST, 8 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 1:28 PM CST, 8 hours 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
228 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2001

...CHALLENGE TO BE WINTER STORM...AND TEMPS ON SUNDAY...

MODELS INITIALIZED UPPER TROUGH IN WESTERN CONUS WITH SOUTHWEST FLOW
OVER CENTRAL STATES...FLAT RIDGING IN EAST. AT THE SURFACE...LOW
PRESSURE FROM HUDSON BAY TO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...WITH COLD FRONT
SOUTH TO TEXAS PANHANDLE REGION. SOLUTIONS SIMILAR THROUGH 60
HOURS...AMPLIFICATION OF DOWNSTREAM RIDGE TO SLOW EASTWARD
PROGRESSION OF UPPER LOW...CAUSING SYSTEM TO BECOME NEGATIVELY
TILTED. UPPER SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST OF AREA BY 48 HOURS. AT THE
SURFACE...SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN POSITIONING OF LEESIDE
CYCLOGENESIS...WITH AVN A BIT FURTHER NORTH...ETA SHOWING TYPICAL
SOUTHERN BIAS. HOWEVER...THE TWO MODELS ARE BECOMING BETTER
ALIGNED...AND WILL SIMPLY WORK WITH A COMPROMISE...PERHAPS FAVORING
ETA SOLUTION WITH ITS BETTER RESOLUTION IN BOUNDARY LAYER. BOTH
MODELS LIFT WARM FRONT NORTHWARD...AHEAD OF SURFACE LOW...INTO
NORTHERN KANSAS TO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA...BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AS UPPER
SYSTEM PROGRESSES...SURFACE FEATURES FINALLY EJECT ONTO PLAINS AND
TRACK NORTHEAST. ENTIRE CWA TO BE NORTHWEST OF WARM FRONT...WITH
UPSLOPE EASTERLY FLOW INITIALLY...THEN COLD WRAP AROUND AFTER SYSTEM
EJECTS.

TONIGHT...WITH STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW RESULTING FROM CYCLOGENESIS IN
EAST CENTRAL COLORADO...WARM FRONT TO OUR SOUTH...RAIN POSSIBLE OVER
ENTIRE CWA. WITH A STABLE COLD AIRMASS IN PLACE OVER ENTIRE CWA...
WITH LIFTED INDICES GREATER THAN 10C...AND MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES LESS
THAN 6.5 C/KM...WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORMS OUT OF FORECAST. OTHER
CONCERN IS STATE OF PRECIP...FROZEN OR LIQUID. ALTHOUGH THICKNESS
VALUES SUGGEST ALL LIQUID THROUGH 12Z...COLD AIR IN LOWER LAYERS WILL
BE ENHANCED BY DYNAMIC FORCING AND EVAPORATIVE COOLING. WILL KEEP ALL
LIQUID FAR SOUTH...BECOMING SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT NORTHWEST. STRONG
ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE...BOUNDARY LAYER UPSLOPE FLOW...COUPLED WITH
ADVECTION OF 6 TO 8 G/KG SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES WILL WARRANT WINTER
STORM WARNING FOR NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND SUNDAY...WHERE ORIGINAL WATCH
WAS IN EFFECT. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL RANGE FROM MID 20S
NORTHWEST...TO AROUND 40 SOUTHEAST.

SUNDAY...SURFACE LOW SITUATED OVER EAST CENTRAL COLORADO THROUGH
18Z...BEFORE EJECTING ONTO PLAINS. WINDS TO CONTINUE BACKING TO
NORTHEAST...CONTINUING TO PROVIDE UPSLOPE FLOW...AND ENHANCING COLD
AIR ADVECTION. COLD AIR IN PLACE TO GO ALL SNOW FOR PRECIP TYPE...
WITH PERHAPS AN EARLY DAY MIX SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM BROKEN
BOW TO IMPERIAL AND IN FAR NORTHEAST. WITH 925 MB WINDS PROGGED TO 25
KTS...WILL GO WINDY FOR ENTIRE CWA. UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUES ALONG WITH
ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE. 2-D FRONTOGENESIS WOULD SUGGEST BEST SNOW TO
OCCUR OVER NORTHWEST INTO WEST CENTRAL CWA. HOWEVER...WITH PLENTY OF
MOISTURE ADVECTION AND CONTINUED LIFT ALONG WITH WINDY CONDITIONS...
WILL ISSUE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY NIGHT BUTTING UP AGAINST WARNING...NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM
ROCK COUNTY...TO NORTH PLATTE...TO IMPERIAL. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON
SUNDAY WELL BELOW GUIDANCE NUMBERS...IN THE 30S NORTHWEST...TO 45 TO
50 SOUTH AND FAR EAST...WITH FALLING AFTERNOON TEMPS.

SUNDAY NIGHT...UPPER LOW OVER NORTHEAST CWA...WITH SURFACE LOW INTO
EASTERN NEBRASKA. STRONG NORTH WINDS TO CONTINUE...STRONGEST IN
NORTHEAST. WRAP AROUND TO AFFECT NORTHEAST ZONES AS SUBSIDENCE AND
DRYING OCCUR IN WESTERN AREAS. WILL CARRY POPS FOR ENTIRE CWA...
ENDING WEST EARLY...THEN DECREASING CLOUDINESS. WITH CLEARING
SKIES...LIGHT WINDS...TEMPS TO BOTTOM OUT OVER FRESH SNOW COVER. WILL
DROP LOWS NORTHWEST IN THE 20 TO 25 RANGE...25 TO 30 SOUTH...AROUND
30 EAST.

MONDAY...AS UPPER TROUGH PUSHES EAST...RIDGING TO BUILD IN WITH
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER CWA. WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES...AND H8
TEMPS INTO THE 2C TO 8C RANGE...HIGHS INTO THE 50S SOUTHWEST...TO 40S
NORTH AND EAST.

MONDAY NIGHT...WEAK BACK DOOR COLD FRONT TO DROP THROUGH REGION...
BRINGING SOME CLOUDS TO CWA. THIS WILL HELP TO MODERATE LOWS A BIT...
AND WILL GO PARTLY OR MOSTLY CLOUDY...LOWS IN THE 25 TO 30 RANGE
NORTHWEST...TO MID 30S SOUTHEAST.

EXTENDED...NORTHWEST FLOW TO CONTINUE ON TUESDAY AND UPPER RIDGE SLOW
TO PUSH EAST...WILL KEEP FORECAST DRY...HIGHS INTO THE 50S TO LOWER
60S. RIDGE BUILDS IN WEDNESDAY...WITH PLENTY OF SUN AND WARMING 850
TEMPS WILL SEE LOWS IN THE 30S...HIGHS IN THE 60S. MRF AMPLIFIES
RIDGE OVER CENTRAL CONUS THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. DRY FORECAST WITH
TEMPS WARMING INTO THE 70S TO NEAR 80.

.LBF...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT ZONES
       004-005-022>024-035
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT ZONES
       006-008-009-025-026-036-037-056>059.

M. MUTCHLER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 21, 5:20 PM CST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE, NE
620 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....
<
0735 PM    3 E MASON CITY            NE   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/01   CUSTER

CDC

Local storm report, Apr 21, 5:45 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE, NE
645 PM CDT SAT APR 21 2001

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0520 PM    6 E HAMLET                NE   .75 INCH HAIL
04/20/01   HAYES

CDC

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Sheridan

When: April 21, 10:00 PM CST to April 22, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 42.505, -102.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A strong cyclone came out of southeast Colorado and across Kansas and through eastern Nebraska into Iowa. Heavy precipitation accompanied the system statewide. The wintry weather in the Panhandle and the Northwest included a mix of sleet and snow. Sleet accumulated to a couple of inches in many areas. As much as 2 inches of ice was reported near Merritt Reservoir in eastern Cherry County. Power was out in McPherson County. In most areas, 6 to 8 inches of snow accumulated. There was one report of 10 inches near Thedford in Thomas County. All of the highways were closed in the Panhandle by 330 pm CST Sunday April 22. During the heaviest snow, which was from just after midnight April 22 into the afternoon, visibilities were reduced to near zero at times.

Winter Storm, Garden

When: April 21, 10:00 PM CST to April 22, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Garden forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates: 41.619, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cherry

When: April 21, 10:00 PM CST to April 22, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Cherry forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 42.545, -101.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Grant

When: April 21, 11:00 PM CST to April 22, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.915, -101.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hooker

When: April 22, 1:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Hooker forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.916, -101.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Arthur

When: April 22, 1:00 AM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where: Arthur forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.569, -101.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, McPherson

When: April 22, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.568, -101.060 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Keith

When: April 22, 6:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Keith forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.199, -101.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Thomas

When: April 22, 7:00 PM CST to 11:00 PM CST
Where: Thomas forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 41.914, -100.556 (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

Every storm in Nebraska in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, April 2001

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: 5236995, 5236996, 5236997, 5237001, 5237002, 5237003, 5236998, 5237000, 5236999.