Nebraska, 2001

Ice Storm in Nebraska, February 23 to 25, 2001

February 23 to 25, 2001 · NWS GLD · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Ice storm across far southwest Nebraska made conditions hazardous from the afternoon of the 23rd to the 25th. 5 inches thick from the storm.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 GLD wrote it up.

Ice storm across far southwest Nebraska made conditions hazardous from the afternoon of the 23rd to the 25th. There was damage to many power lines due to ice over 1.5 inches thick from the storm. Power was out in many towns as utility poles were down due to the ice and wind.

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 23, 9:48 AM MST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 9:48 AM MST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GOODLAND KS
948 AM MST FRI FEB 23 2001

MESSY MORNING OVER THE FA.  HAVE REPORTS OF ICING...UP TO 1/8 INCH...
AT MCCOOK...COLBY...AND 20 N HILL CITY.  TEMPERATURE WILL BE AT OR
BELOW 32F THROUGH 21Z...SO WILL HOIST A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY
NORTH AND EAST OF A QUINTER TO COLBY TO TRENTON NEBRASKA LINE.

OTHER PROBLEM IS PERSISTENT DENSE FOG.  CONDITIONS WILL SLOWLY
IMPROVE THROUGH 21Z...BUT THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY WILL BE EXTENDED
FOR THE COLORADO COUNTIES AND KANSAS COUNTIES WEST OF AN ATWOOD TO
COLBY TO RUSSELL SPRINGS LINE...INCLUDING THE LEOTI AND TRIBUNE
AREAS.  HAVE RECEIVED SEVERAL REPORTS OF VISIBILITIES IN THE 150 TO
300 YARD RANGE.

.GLD...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM CST NORTH AND EAST OF A LINE
       FROM QUINTER KANSAS TO COLBY KANSAS TO STRATTON NEBRASKA LINE.
    ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM CST (2 PM MST) FOR EAST CENTRAL
       COLORADO AND NORTHWEST KANSAS WEST OF A LINE FROM ATWOOD TO
       COLBY TO LEOTI.

ENTWISTLE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Dundy

When
February 23, 12:00 PM MST to February 25, 12:00 AM MST
Where
Dundy forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.176, -101.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Hitchcock

When
February 23, 1:00 PM CST to February 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Hitchcock forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.176, -101.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Red Willow

When
February 23, 1:00 PM CST to February 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Red Willow forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.176, -100.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, February 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: 5232133, 5232134, 5232135.