Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 4 to 5, 2004

Name: Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 4 to 5, 2004
Start: 2004-02-04T03:00
End: 2004-02-05T06:00
Location: Nebraska

February 4 to 5, 2004 · NWS GID · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

A major winter storm dumped heavy snow across most of south-central Nebraska. The snow began early on the 4th and continued through about dawn on the 5th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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: 1
Injuries: 4
Property damage: $230,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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 GID wrote it up.

A major winter storm dumped heavy snow across most of south-central Nebraska. The snow began early on the 4th and continued through about dawn on the 5th. Heavy snow fell in two separate bursts, with the second burst producing snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. The heaviest snow fell along the U.S. Highway 281 corridor where 8 to 12 inches was common. Specifically, Grand Island and Greeley checked in with 12 inches, Cairo recorded 11 inches and Hastings had 10 inches. Farther east, Osceola measured 11 inches and Superior around 9 inches. To the west, Kearney and Minden both had 6 to 7 inches of new snow. Nearly every school in the region was closed on the 5th. Fortunately, there was little wind initially with the snowfall and conditions were conducive to plowing roads and clearing sidewalks. There were a few accidents, especially along the interstate. One man was killed after the Blazer, in which he was a passenger in, spun out of control on the icy roadway. The snow also brought beneficial moisture to the region.

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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 3, 2:44 PM CST, 12 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 2:44 PM CST, 12 hours 16 minutes before

SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA/NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
244 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...A MAJOR STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE
OUT OF THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES TONIGHT...THEN INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS
ON WEDNESDAY. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WIDESPREAD
SNOW ACROSS THE AREA. SNOW WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING IN THE SOUTHWEST
PART OF THE CWA...SPREADING TO THE NORTHEAST DURING THE NIGHT. SNOW
WILL CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH
THIS STORM SYSTEM IS THE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. QPF AMOUNTS INCREASED
SOME AND THE AMOUNT OF MOISTURE ADVECTING INTO THE AREA ON
ISENTROPIC SURFACES SUPPORT AN INCREASE IN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. WILL
START A WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT FOR SOUTHWEST PART
OF CWA. FURNAS...HARLAN...FRANKLIN...PHILLIPS...SMITH...OSBORNE AND
ROOKS COUNTIES. THE REST OF THE CWA WILL THEN HAVE A WARNING
STARTING 12Z. WINDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY ADDING TO
THE COMPLICATIONS. THIS SNOW WILL BE A LITTLE MORE WET AND HEAVY
THAN THE PAST SNOWS...SO ONCE THE SNOW STICKS TO THE GROUND...IT
SHOULD STAY.

.LONG TERM...ATTENTION REMAINS ON SNOWSTORM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY.  SNOW FALLING IS NOT EVEN A QUESTION AT THIS POINT...AND
NOW ITS MORE A MATTER OF AMOUNTS AND WHERE HEAVY SNOWBAND WILL
RESIDE.  GFS TRENDING TRENDING STRONGER AND FURTHER NORTH WITH
UPPER LOW...MORE IN LINE WITH PREVIOUS ETA SOLUTION.  UPPER LOW
MOVES OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES LATE WEDNESDAY.  ISENTROPIC LIFT
CONTINUES EARLY IN THE EVENING...THEN AS SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST AND
DEEPENS...DEFORMATION ZONE SNOWFALL SETS UP ACROSS OUR CWA WITH
SNOW...HEAVY AT TIMES...CONTINUING OVERNIGHT.  MIXING RATIOS AVERAGE
2 TO 3 G/KG THROUGHOUT THE EVENT WITH 4 G/KG ADVECTING INTO THE AREA.

MESOETA NEGATIVE EPV FIELDS INDICATE INSTABILITY ACROSS NORTHERN
KANSAS AND SOUTHERN NEBRASKA WEDNESDAY EVENING PRESENTING POSSIBILITY
OF CSI SNOW BANDING.  UPPER DYNAMICS...LARGE SCALE PROLONGED LIFT AND
ABUNDANT MOISTURE WILL ALL LEAD TO A SIGNIFICANT SNOW EVENT FOR OUR
AREA. UPPER LOW SITS ACROSS NORTHERN KS/SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA INTO
THURSDAY WITH WRAP AROUND SNOWFALL PERSISTING INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE
LONG DURATION EVENT WILL LEAD TO HIGH SNOWFALL AMOUNTS...OVERALL
RANGING FROM 6 TO 8 INCHES IN NORTHWEST COUNTIES TO 10 TO 12 IN THE
SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST ZONES...AGAIN PROMPTING ISSUANCE OF WINTER STORM
WARNING. SOUTHWEST ZONES WILL REMAIN IN THE WARNING UNTIL THURSDAY
MORNING WITH REMAINDER OF ZONES IN THE WARNING UNTIL NOON.  SOME OF
THE LOW LEVEL JET H85 WINDS OF 30 TO 45KTS WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY
EVENING WILL MIX TO THE SURFACE WITH WINDS OF 15-20 MPH WITH SOME
HIGHER GUSTS CAUSING BLOWING SNOW.

WRAPAROUND SNOWFALL GRADUALLY TAPERS OFF FROM THE WEST ON
THURSDAY. IN SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE SYSTEM BY FRIDAY...H85 WINDS
PROGGED IN THE 30-40KT RANGE CAUSING ADDITIONAL PROBLEMS GIVEN
EXPECTED SNOWFALL AROUND.

BY THE WEEKEND WE TRANSITION TO NORTHWEST FLOW WITH GFS ADVERTISING
ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TO DIVE SOUTH TOWARD THE SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE
SATURDAY.  WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR TRENDS ON THIS WITH OVERALL
TRACK AND POTENTIAL SNOWFALL EXPECTED TO OUR SOUTH ATTM.  THE
LATEST GFS IS MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH THIS THAN PREVIOUS RUNS WHICH
DEEPEN THE LOW OVER THE ROCKIES WITH SYSTEM ARRIVING EARLY NEXT
WEEK.  OVERALL NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE TO EXTENDED OTHER
THAN TO INTRODUCE SNOW CHANCES ON MONDAY.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...WINTER STORM WARNING MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY FOR
FURNAS...HARLAN...FRANKLIN.
NE...WINTER STORM WARNING 6 AM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 12 PM THURSDAY FOR
WEBSTER...NUCKOLLS...THAYER...FILLMORE...CLAY...ADAMS...KEARNEY...
PHELPS...GOSPER...DAWSON...BUFFALO...HALL...HAMILTON...YORK...POLK...
MERRICK...NANCE...HOWARD...SHERMAN...VALLEY...GREELEY
KS...WINTER STORM WARNING MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY FOR
PHILLIPS...ROOKS...SMITH...OSBORNE
KS...WINTER STORM WARNING 6 AM WEDNESDAY UNTIL 12 PM THURSDAY FOR
JEWELL...MITCHELL

&&

FAY/JCB

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 3, 2:55 PM CST, 12 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
255 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004

KSZ005-006-017-018-NEZ082>084-041200-
FRANKLIN-FURNAS-HARLAN-OSBORNE-PHILLIPS-ROOKS-SMITH-
255 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

...A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

A WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN POSTED. SNOW IS LIKELY TO
BEGIN ACROSS AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 AND TO THE WEST OF
HIGHWAY 281 BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTHWEST OF A LINE
FROM ARAPAHOE TO OSBORNE MAY SEE 2 TO 4 INCHES BEFORE DAWN
WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL MARK THE BEGINNING OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A
STEADY AND PROLONGED SNOW EVENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

...WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY
MORNING...

SNOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WITH PERIODS OF
HEAVY SNOW LATE IN THE DAY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  AN
ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 6 INCHES IS POSSIBLE BEFORE SUNSET.
IN ADDITION...SOUTH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING.  SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
INTO THURSDAY.  TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM
10 TO 13 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

EMERGENCY PLANNING IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND PROPER PRECAUTIONS
SHOULD BE IN PLACE BEFORE THIS NEXT STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE
REGION. THIS IS A VERY POTENT STORM. DISPATCHERS AND EMERGENCY
MANAGERS MAY BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SNOWFALL REPORTS.

KSZ007-019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-085>087-041200-
ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLAY-DAWSON-FILLMORE-GOSPER-GREELEY-HALL-HAMILTON-
HOWARD-JEWELL-KEARNEY-MERRICK-MITCHELL-NANCE-NUCKOLLS-PHELPS-POLK-
SHERMAN-THAYER-VALLEY-WEBSTER-YORK-
255 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND
PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

...A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING WEDNESDAY
MORNING...

SNOW IS LIKELY TO BEGIN ACROSS AREAS TO THE NORTH OF INTERSTATE
80 AND TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 281 BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WILL
MARK THE BEGINNING OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE A STEADY AND PROLONGED SNOW
EVENT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH MID
DAY THURSDAY...

SNOW WILL CONTINUE...AND INTENSIFY THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WITH
PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW LATE IN THE DAY WEDNESDAY...WEDNESDAY
NIGHT AND INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.  SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF
3 TO 7 INCHES ARE ANTICIPATED BY 6 PM WEDNESDAY EVENING.  IN
ADDITION...SOUTH WINDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO
THURSDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL FROM THIS STORM WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM 7
TO 11 INCHES ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

THIS IS A VERY POTENT STORM. EMERGENCY PLANNING IS STRONGLY
ENCOURAGED AND PROPER PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE IN PLACE BEFORE THIS
NEXT STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION. DISPATCHERS AND EMERGENCY
MANAGERS MAY BE ASKED TO PROVIDE SNOWFALL REPORTS.

LEWIS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Adams

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.525, -98.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Buffalo

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Buffalo forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.855, -99.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clay

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.524, -98.051 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fillmore

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Fillmore forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.525, -97.596 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Franklin

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.953 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Greeley

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Greeley forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hall

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.873, -98.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hamilton

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.874, -98.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Harlan

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Harlan forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.177, -99.405 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Howard

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Howard forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.220, -98.517 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Kearney

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Kearney forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.507, -98.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Merrick

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Merrick forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.170, -98.038 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nance

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Nance forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.397, -97.992 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nuckolls

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Nuckolls forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Phelps

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.511, -99.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Polk

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.187, -97.568 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sherman

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.221, -98.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Thayer

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Thayer forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -97.595 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Valley

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Valley forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Webster

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, York

When: February 4, 3:00 AM CST to February 5, 6:00 AM CST
Where: York forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 40.873, -97.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Winter Storm, Hall	2004-02-04	25	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, February 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: 5386754, 5386755, 5386756, 5386757, 5386758, 5386759, 5386760, 5386761, 5386762, 5386763, 5386764, 5386765, 5386766, 5386767, 5386768, 5386769, 5386770, 5386771, 5386772, 5386852, 5386853.