Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 3 to 4, 2004

Name: Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 3 to 4, 2004
Start: 2004-01-03T23:00
End: 2004-01-04T14:00
Location: Nebraska

January 3 to 4, 2004 · NWS OAX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

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; 10 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: 10

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.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Butler

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.226, -97.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Cass

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Cass forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.910, -96.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Douglas

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lancaster

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Lancaster forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.784, -96.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nemaha

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Nemaha forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.388, -95.850 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Otoe

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Otoe forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.649, -96.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Richardson

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Richardson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.125, -95.717 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Sarpy

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Sarpy forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.113, -96.112 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Saunders

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Saunders forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.226, -96.637 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Seward

When: January 3, 11:00 PM CST to January 4, 2:00 PM CST
Where: Seward forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.872, -97.139 (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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, 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: 5381235, 5381236, 5381237, 5381238, 5381239, 5381240, 5381241, 5381242, 5381243, 5381244.