Winter Storm, Mills
- When
- January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Mills forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.034, -95.621 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Iowa, January 3 to 4, 2004
Although periods of moderate snow fell across far southeast Nebraska and extreme southwest Iowa during the afternoon of the 3rd, the steadier, more widespread and accumulating snow moved into the region during the late evening hours on the 3rd. Snowfall of between 5 and 6 inches fell across the entire area, with some amounts a little higher.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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 OAX wrote it up.
Although periods of moderate snow fell across far southeast Nebraska and extreme southwest Iowa during the afternoon of the 3rd, the steadier, more widespread and accumulating snow moved into the region during the late evening hours on the 3rd. The snow continued into the mid afternoon hours on the 4th, shrinking to a band along Interstate-80 from Lincoln to Omaha before finally ending.Snowfall of between 5 and 6 inches fell across the entire area, with some amounts a little higher. The higher totals included 8 inches in Oakland and Glenwood Iowa and 7 inches in La Platte, Gretna and the NWS in Valley, all in Nebraska.
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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 3, 9:59 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 9:59 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 955 PM SAT JAN 3 2004 .UPDATE... FORCING DUE TO 850-700 FRONTOGENESIS HAS CAUSED A LTL INCREASE IN BANDED SNOW APPROACHING WRN CWA AS OF 0345Z AS ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE FEEDS MOISTURE INTO REGION. EXPECT SNOW AREA TO SHIFT/REDEVELOP EWD THRU 15Z SUNDAY AND MADE NO CHANGES TO PREV HEADLINES. ALTHOUGH NOT TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE THAT HEAVIEST BAND MAY ACTUALLY JUST SET UP N OF WHERE WARNING IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE BASED ON ETA H7 TRACK. WITH DRY ARCTIC AIR FEEDING INTO FAR NRN ZONES DID TRIM SNOW AMOUNTS BACK A LTL N. && .PREV DISCUSSION... SNOW AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY IS THE MAIN FORECAST CONCERN...WITH TEMPERATURES TO FOLLOW A SECONDARY CONCERN. STRONG VORT MAX WAS ROUNDING WESTERN TROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...AND IS POISED TO ENTER THE PLAINS TONIGHT. 130-150KT 300MB JET WAS ALSO NOTED ON UPPER AIR ANALYSIS AND PROGGED BY MODELS TO AFFECT THE AREA OVERNIGHT. SURFACE COLD FRONT WAS WELL TO THE SOUTH...BUT 850 BOUNDARY AND LOW WILL TRACK JUST SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. THOUGH SURFACE AIR IS DRY...MORNING SOUNDINGS AND UPPER AIR CHARTS SHOWED PLENTY OF MOISTURE OFF THE SURFACE. PRECIPITABLE WATER IS PROGGED TO BE ABOUT A HALF TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OVERNIGHT. PLENTY OF FRONTOGENESIS NOTED IN THE 850-700MB LAYER AHEAD OF STORM SYSTEM...BUT WAS ONLY MAXIMIZED IN THE CWA FROM 06-12Z SUNDAY. MODEL SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES ARE RANGING FROM 2 TO 4 FROM THE GFS...WHILE ETA WAS IN THE 5 TO 6 RANGE. GIVEN AVAILABLE MOISTURE FROM UPPER AIR ANALYSIS...HAVE OPTED TO FOLLOW THE ETA FOR SNOW AMOUNTS. LATEST MESOETA HAD SOMEWHAT COME AROUND TO ITS PREVIOUS 06Z RUN AS FAR AS SNOW AMOUNTS ARE CONCERNED...PAINTING A STRIPE OF 6+ INCHES FROM SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA ACROSS SOUTHERN IOWA. THIS AREA IS ALSO JUST NORTH OF BEST ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE IN 06-12Z TIME FRAME. THUS HAVE ISSUED WINTER STORM WARNING BASED ON SNOW AMOUNTS UP TO 8 INCHES IN THIS AREA...WITH AN ADVISORY FOR POINTS NORTH WHERE AMOUNTS SHOULD STAY JUST UNDER 6 INCHES. HAVE BASED ALL WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ON STRICTLY SNOW AMOUNTS AS ANY MIXED PRECIP WILL STAY SOUTH OF THE AREA BASED ON FORECAST SOUNDINGS...AND WINDS WITH THIS SYSTEM SHOULD STAY WELL BELOW SPEEDS TO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING. TEMPERATURES OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS HAVE BEEN TRIMMED DUE TO EXPECTED SNOW COVER. COLDEST NIGHT COULD BE SUNDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE QUICKLY SETTLES INTO THE REGION. MODELS SUGGEST MONDAY NIGHT AS THE COLDEST...BUT WARM ADVECTION ON BACK SIDE OF HIGH SHOULD PRODUCE BLANKET OF CLOUDS TO KEEP TEMPS FROM DROPPING WELL BELOW ZERO. A SLOW WARMUP IS STILL EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK. NEXT CHANCES FOR SNOW WILL COME WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS A CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM AND WARM ADVECTION SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA. ANOTHER CHANCE SATURDAY WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT INVADES THE PLAINS. && .OAX...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .NE...WINTER STORM WARNING SOUTHEAST OF BEATRICE TO WEEPING WATER LINE TONIGHT TO NOON SUNDAY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY SOUTH OF ALBION TO NORFOLK TO WAYNE LINE TONIGHT TO NOON SUNDAY. .IA...WINTER STORM WARNING SOUTH OF GLENWOOD TO RED OAK LINE TONIGHT THROUGH NOON SUNDAY. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY SOUTH OF ONAWA HARLAN LINE. && DERGAN/CHERMOK
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 3, 5:54 PM CST, 5 hours 6 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 554 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2004 IAZ079-080-090-091-NEZ067-068-089>093-041200- CASS-FREMONT IA-GAGE-JOHNSON-MILLS IA-MONTGOMERY IA-NEMAHA-OTOE- PAGE IA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON- 554 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR FAR SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY ALTHOUGH A PERIOD OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING... THE HEAVIER SNOW WILL NOT LIKELY DEVELOP UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT. OCCASIONAL HEAVY SNOW CAN THEN BE EXPECTED THROUGH NOON SUNDAY BEFORE IT DECREASES TO FLURRIES. TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 5 TO 8 INCHES IS LIKELY AND A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH NOON SUNDAY. THE WINTRY WEATHER IS THE RESULT OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE PLAINS TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE LOW PRESSURE TO DEVELOP ON A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT HAS PUSHED INTO OKLAHOMA. THIS LOW IS FORECAST TO TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI LATER SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO BE MUCH COLDER MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH LOWS FORECAST TO FALL INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTERS SHOULD RELAY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGINNING LATER TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY MORNING. IAZ043-055-056-069-NEZ015-018-030>034-042>045-050>053-065-066-078- 088-041200- BOONE-BURT-BUTLER-COLFAX-CUMING-DODGE-DOUGLAS-HARRISON IA-JEFFERSON- LANCASTER-MADISON-MONONA IA-PLATTE-POTTAWATTAMIE IA-SALINE-SARPY- SAUNDERS-SEWARD-SHELBY IA-STANTON-THURSTON-WASHINGTON-WAYNE- 554 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND WESTERN IOWA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY ALTHOUGH FLURRIES OR A PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE REGION THIS EVENING...THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL CLOSER TO MIDNIGHT. MODERATE OR EVEN HEAVY SNOW IS THEN LIKELY THROUGH NOON SUNDAY BEFORE THE SNOW DECREASES TO FLURRIES OR ENDS. TOTAL SNOWFALL SHOULD BE 3 TO 6 INCHES...AND A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT THROUGH NOON SUNDAY. THE HEAVIER AMOUNTS WILL BE FROM AROUND LINCOLN THROUGH OMAHA AND COUNCIL BLUFFS...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS FROM COLUMBUS AND NORFOLK THROUGH ONAWA IOWA. THE WINTRY WEATHER IS THE RESULT OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE PLAINS TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE LOW PRESSURE TO DEVELOP ON A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT HAS PUSHED INTO OKLAHOMA. THIS LOW IS FORECAST TO TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI LATER SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THIS STORM SUNDAY NIGHT. THESE COLDER READINGS SHOULD LINGER INTO MIDWEEK WITH LOWS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS OR POSSIBLY EVEN BELOW ZERO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THIS EVENING. HOWEVER... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE READY TO RELAY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LATE TONIGHT AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY MORNING. NEZ011-012-016-017-041200- ANTELOPE-CEDAR-KNOX-PIERCE- 554 PM CST SAT JAN 3 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY FLURRIES OR A PERIOD OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE REGION THIS EVENING AND ESPECIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE SNOW SHOULD DECREASE TO FLURRIES SUNDAY AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOWFALL WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM A DUSTING TO AN INCH OR SO NEAR THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER...TO 1 TO 3 INCHES FROM NELIGH TO PIERCE AND LAUREL. THE WINTRY WEATHER IS THE RESULT OF AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE THAT WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE PLAINS TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE LOW PRESSURE TO DEVELOP ON A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT HAS PUSHED INTO OKLAHOMA. THIS LOW IS FORECAST TO TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI LATER SUNDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVEN COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE IN BEHIND THIS STORM MONDAY THROUGH THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LOWS ARE FORECAST TO FALL TO ZERO OR COLDER MONDAY AND TUESDAY AND POSSIBLY EVEN WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. HOWEVER... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE READY TO RELAY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SUNDAY MORNING. CHERMOK
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Fremont
- When
- January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Fremont forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 40.746, -95.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Montgomery
- When
- January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.030, -95.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Page
- When
- January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Page forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 40.739, -95.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Pottawattamie
- When
- January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
- Where
- Pottawattamie forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.337, -95.542 (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
- Winter Storm in Kansas, January 3 to 4, 2004
- Flood in Ohio, January 3 to 4, 2004
- High Wind in Washington, January 3, 2004
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 3 to 4, 2004
- Flooding in Indiana, January 3 to 18, 2004
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 3 to 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in Colorado, January 3, 2004
- Frost and Freeze in California, January 3 to 6, 2004
- Winter Storm in Montana, January 3 to 4, 2004
- Winter Storm in Colorado, January 3, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, January 3, 2004
- Heavy Snow in Washington, January 3 to 4, 2004
More
Every storm in Iowa in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2004
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: 5381245, 5381246, 5381247, 5381248, 5381327.