High Wind in Nebraska, October 23, 2001

Name: High Wind in Nebraska, October 23, 2001
Start: 2001-10-23T15:06
End: 2001-10-23T17:10
Location: Nebraska

October 23, 2001 · NWS LBF · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 18 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: $20,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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 LBF wrote it up.

Strong west to northwest winds behind a powerful cold front combined with collapsing showers and thunderstorms to produce wind gusts to near 65 MPH. The winds remained strong for 1 to 2 hours before slowly subsiding. The winds produced a 20 minute power outage in Valentine. The winds also peeled two-thirds of the roof off the Rock County courthouse in Bassett. A large tree was also uprooted in Bassett as the strong winds moved through.

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 Oct 23, 1:32 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 23, 1:32 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
232 PM CDT TUE OCT 23 2001

...MAIN CHALLENGE TO BE WINDS...

MODELS INITIALIZED SIMILAR WITH BROAD SHALLOW TROUGH OVER CENTRAL
CONUS WITH SEVERAL WAVES TRANSITIONING TROUGH. AT THE SURFACE...LOW
PRESSURE CENTERS OVER GREAT LAKES...WITH TROUGH INTO SOUTHERN
PLAINS...AND NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM NORTHWEST. UPPER SOLUTION
SIMILAR WITH DEVELOPMENT OF UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN PLAINS BY 24
HRS...AND SUBSEQUENT RIDGING IN WESTERN CONUS AS LOW DEEPENS AND
SHIFTS SLOWLY EASTWARD. AT THE SURFACE...NORTHWEST CONUS LOW DROPS
INTO MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TONIGHT...WITH FIRST BLAST OF COOLER AIR.
ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO FOLLOW BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY...WITH PACIFIC HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING IN BEYOND 36 HRS. MODELS ARE VERY SIMILAR WITH
HANDLING OF COLD AIRMASS AND WINDS...THUS WILL RESORT TO BLENDED
SOLUTION.

TONIGHT...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE WINDS THIS EVENING...WITH RELAXING
PRESSURE GRADIENT BY 06Z OVER ENTIRE CWA. WILL CONTINUE WIND ADVISORY
THIS EVENING...BUT WILL EXPAND TO INCLUDE ENTIRE CWA. TO AVOID
CONFUSING CUSTOMERS WITH TWO WIND ADVISORIES...WILL CARRY ADVISORY
THROUGH TOMORROW DESPITE SOME DECREASE IN WINDS OVERNIGHT AS COLD
FRONT AND RAPID PRESSURE INCREASE TO BE SOUTH OF CWA. WILL CONTINUE
TO MENTION A FEW EVENING SHOWERS...THEN MOSTLY CLEAR. WILL KEEP SOME
MIXING WINDS...KEEPING LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S WEST...TO UPPER
30S EAST.

WEDNESDAY...WEST TO NORTHWEST DOWNSLOPING WINDS TO START THE DAY...
HELPING TO WARM TEMPS INTO THE MID TO UPPER 50S. COLD ARCTIC AIR TO
BEGIN TO MAKE ITS WAY INTO NORTHEAST CWA BY 18Z...WITH H85 TEMPS
DROPPING TO NEAR -3 C. WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES EARLY...MIXING SHOULD
PERSIST...AND WITH H85 WINDS PROGGED TO 45 KTS OVER MOST OF CWA BY
18Z...WIND ADVISORY FOR ENTIRE CWA. WITH WEAK WARM AIR ADVECTION IN
WEST...WARMEST THERE INTO THE UPPER 50S. FURTHER EAST...COLD AIR TO
KEEP HIGHS INTO THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S. WITH STRONG COLD AIR...
AND STEEPENING LAPSE RATES...WILL CONTINUE WORDING OF SPRINKLES IN
NORTH AND EAST.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT...PRESSURE GRADIENT TO CONTINUE TO PRESENT A
CHALLENGE WITH THE WINDS. AT THIS TIME WILL GO BREEZY NORTHEAST...10
TO 20 MPH IN THE WEST...WITH DIMINISHING WINDS OVERNIGHT. WITH
NORTHWEST FLOW...CHANNELIZED VORTICITY...AND DRY ATMOSPHERE...WILL GO
WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AND DIMINISHING
WINDS...COLDEST TEMPS IN SOUTHWEST IN TO THE LOWER 20S...A BIT WARMER
NORTHEAST AS MIXING WINDS TO CONTINUE THROUGH 12Z...LOWS IN THE MID
TO UPPER 20S.

THURSDAY...AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS FROM WEST...HEIGHTS RISE AND SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO REGION. BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...RIDGE AXIS
FROM NORTHEAST WYOMING TO NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...ALLOWING NORTHWEST
WINDS TO DIMINISH. WITH H85 TEMPS FROM -1C NORTHEAST TO 5C
SOUTHWEST...HIGHS INTO THE UPPER 50S TO AROUND 60 SOUTHWEST...TO
AROUND 50 FAR NORTHEAST.

THURSDAY NIGHT...UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES TO AMPLIFY...WITH 1035MB HIGH
OVER WESTERN CWA BY 12Z FRIDAY MORNING. WITH DECOUPLING AND
RADIATIONAL COOLING...LOWS INTO THE UPPER TEENS WEST...TO LOWER 20S
EAST.

FRIDAY...NORTHWEST WINDS AND COLD AIR STILL IN PLACE OVER FAR
NORTHEAST CWA...WITH HIGHS INTO THE UPPER 40S TO LOWER 50S...FURTHER
WEST WILL SEE SOME RETURN FLOW AS RIDGE AXIS PUSHES EAST AND HEIGHTS
RISE...SHOULD PUSH TEMPS INTO THE 50S...PERHAPS NEAR 60S FAR WEST.
SKIES TO REMAIN SUNNY AS MOISTURE SHUNTED WELL TO NORTH AND EAST.

EXTENDED...UPPER RIDGE TO MOVE OVER CWA THROUGH THE WEEKEND...KEEPING
US DRY AND WARMER. LOWS IN THE 20S...HIGHS IN THE 60S. EVEN WITH
RETURN OF MORE ZONAL FLOW BY MONDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND
CONTINUED MILD CONDITIONS INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.

THANKS CYS...GLD FOR COORDINATION.

.LBF...WIND ADVISORY THIS EVENING THROUGH TOMORROW
       NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071

M. MUTCHLER

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Oct 23, 10:46 AM CST, 4 hours 20 minutes before

NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-232045-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1146 AM CDT TUE OCT 23 2001

...STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT...

A STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPING THROUGH THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS AFTERNOON
WILL BRING STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS.  WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT.  MOST OF THE
SHOWERS WILL PRODUCE ONLY SPRINKLES WITH THEIR PASSAGE...BUT WILL
HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS. MOST AREAS WILL
HAVE WINDS IN THE 25 TO 35 MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH...BUT
ISOLATED AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE BRIEF WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH.

THE GREATEST THREAT FOR HIGH WINDS WILL BE BETWEEN 2 PM AND 6 PM FOR
NORTHWEST NEBRASKA...AND BETWEEN 3 PM AND 7 PM FOR SOUTHWEST
NEBRASKA.  NORTH CENTRAL PORTIONS OF NEBRASKA CAN ALSO EXPECT HIGH
WIND GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  SHOWERS AND WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH SOME AFTER SUNSET ACROSS THE AREA.

THE WEATHER SITUATION WEDNESDAY WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED...AS
WEDNESDAY MAY BE JUST AS WINDY...IF NOT MORE SO...THAN TODAY.

SLM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Cherry

When: October 23, 3:06 PM CST
Where: Cherry forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 42.545, -101.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sheridan

When: October 23, 3:19 PM CST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 42.505, -102.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Brown

When: October 23, 3:44 PM CST
Where: Brown forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 42.430, -99.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Garden

When: October 23, 3:44 PM CST
Where: Garden forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.619, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grant

When: October 23, 3:49 PM CST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.915, -101.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Keya Paha

When: October 23, 3:49 PM CST
Where: Keya Paha forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 42.879, -99.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Arthur

When: October 23, 4:04 PM CST
Where: Arthur forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.569, -101.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Boyd

When: October 23, 4:04 PM CST
Where: Boyd forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 42.900, -98.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hooker

When: October 23, 4:04 PM CST
Where: Hooker forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.916, -101.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Rock

When: October 23, 4:05 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 42.421, -99.450 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Blaine

When: October 23, 4:19 PM CST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.913, -99.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Holt

When: October 23, 4:19 PM CST
Where: Holt forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 42.456, -98.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Thomas

When: October 23, 4:19 PM CST
Where: Thomas forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.914, -100.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Deuel

When: October 23, 4:37 PM CST
Where: Deuel forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.112, -102.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Loup

When: October 23, 4:39 PM CST
Where: Loup forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.914, -99.454 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, McPherson

When: October 23, 4:39 PM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 41.568, -101.060 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Keith

When: October 23, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Keith forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 41.199, -101.661 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Perkins

When: October 23, 5:10 PM CST
Where: Perkins forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 40.851, -101.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, October 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: 5270431, 5270497, 5270430, 5270487, 5270488, 5270492, 5270427, 5270429, 5270490, 5270496, 5270428, 5270489, 5270498, 5270486, 5270493, 5270494, 5270491, 5270495.