Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 6, 2005

Name: Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 6, 2005
Start: 2005-02-06T10:00
End: 2005-02-06T15:00
Location: Nebraska

February 6, 2005 · NWS GID · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Rain quickly changed to snow behind a cold front and resulted in a narrow band of heavy, wet snow. The snow area was about 25 miles wide.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 7

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.

Rain quickly changed to snow behind a cold front and resulted in a narrow band of heavy, wet snow. The snow area was about 25 miles wide. It stretched from between York and Geneva, to Lawrence and then to far eastern Franklin county. Many locations within the band reported 6 to 8 inches of snow. Lawrence reported 8 inches of snow. Snowfall rates were up to 2 inches an hour at times.

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 6, 8:40 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 6, 8:40 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
840 AM CST SUN FEB 6 2005

.UPDATED...EXTENDED WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FURTHER SOUTHEAST AND
SOUTHWEST...AND STARTED THINGS SOONER. KEPT THE NOON TIME STARTING
IN SOUTHEAST ZONES...ALTHOUGH THE MIX WILL START SOONER. CHANGE OF
TO SNOW IS PRECEDED BY SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN MOST AREAS BUT THAT
IS ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME. HARD TO DETERMINE JUST WHO MIGHT GET THE
MOST SNOW...AS UPPER LOW IS STRONGER AND QUICKER. HAVE CONTINUED
THE GENERAL TO 2 TO 5 INCHES. RAIN AMOUNTS IMPRESSIVE SOUTHEAST
ZONES WITH ALREADY OVER ONE INCH. LOWER TEMPERATURES AND ADJUSTED
MANY OTHER VARIABLES.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...TWO MAIN CONCERNS FOR THIS FORECAST PERIOD. FIRST
WILL BE THE WEATHER TODAY. COLD FRONT CURRENTLY IN THE CENTRAL PART
OF THE FORECAST AREA. TEMPERATURES TO THE NORTH HAVE PROBABLY
REACHED HIGHS FOR THE DAY. TO THE SOUTH TEMPERATURES WILL FALL THIS
MORNING BUT SHOULD LEVEL OFF THIS AFTERNOON. MODELS INDICATE THAT
THE RAIN SHOULD CHANGE TO SNOW BY MID MORNING FOR THE CENTRAL PART
OF THE FORECAST AREA WHILE THE SOUTHEAST WILL CHANGE OVER DURING THE
AFTERNOON. A FRONTOGENETIC ZONE SETS UP ACROSS THE AREA FOR A TIME
TODAY AND EXPECT THAT THERE COULD BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF HEAVIER SNOW.
HAVE ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA
BECAUSE THERE IS A POTENTIAL THAT 2 TO 5 INCHES COULD DROP SOMEWHERE
WITH THE FRONTOGENESIS. SNOW WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING AND SHOULD
TAPER OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT.

THE NEXT PERIOD OF INTEREST WILL BE THE NEXT SYSTEM THAT MOVES INTO
THE AREA LATE MONDAY. HAVE BACKED OFF THE START OF THE SNOW FOR THE
NEXT SYSTEM A FEW HOURS. THE MAIN ENERGY AND TROUGH DO NOT MAKE IT
INTO THE AREA UNTIL TUESDAY. THIS SHOULD BE ALL SNOW SINCE THE
COLDER AIR HAS A CHANCE TO WORK INTO THE AREA BEFORE THE
PRECIPITATION GETS STARTED.

LEFT THE OUTER PERIODS ALONE.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO MIDNIGHT FOR SOUTHEAST OF A GREELEY
TO ELWOOD LINE.
KS...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ALL COUNTIES TIL MIDNIGHT.

&&

JCB/MORITZ

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 6, 7:55 AM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
755 AM CST SUN FEB 6 2005

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ041-047>049-061>064-073>077-082>087-071200-
ADAMS NE-BUFFALO NE-CLAY NE-FILLMORE NE-FRANKLIN NE-FURNAS NE-
HALL NE-HAMILTON NE-HARLAN NE-HOWARD NE-JEWELL KS-KEARNEY NE-
MERRICK NE-MITCHELL KS-NANCE NE-NUCKOLLS NE-OSBORNE KS-PHELPS NE-
PHILLIPS KS-POLK NE-ROOKS KS-SMITH KS-THAYER NE-WEBSTER NE-YORK NE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GRAND ISLAND...HASTINGS...HOLDREGE...
KEARNEY...PHILLIPSBURG AND YORK
755 AM CST SUN FEB 6 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SNOW WILL CONTINUE FOR THE REMAINDER OF TODAY NORTH OF A LINE FROM
YORK NEBRASKA TO PHILLIPSBURG KANSAS.  AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF THAT
LINE WILL HAVE RAIN CHANGE TO FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET BEFORE TURNING
TO ALL SNOW BY EARLY AFTERNOON.  THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST
INTO THE EVENING BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES AFTER MIDNIGHT.  TOTAL
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.  SEE THE LATEST
WINTER WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADVISORIES POSTED FOR
THE AREA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GID  (ALL LOWER CASE)

NEZ039-040-046-060-072-071200-
DAWSON NE-GOSPER NE-GREELEY NE-SHERMAN NE-VALLEY NE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LEXINGTON
755 AM CST SUN FEB 6 2005

CORRECTED WORDING

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY INTO TONIGHT.  TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1
TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SNOW FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT.
LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GID  (ALL LOWER CASE)

KING

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Adams

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.525, -98.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Fillmore

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Fillmore forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.525, -97.596 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Franklin

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.953 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Nuckolls

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Nuckolls forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.047 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Webster

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.176, -98.500 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, York

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: York forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.873, -97.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clay

When: February 6, 10:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where: Clay forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 40.524, -98.051 (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 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, February 2005

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: 5439061, 5439062, 5439063, 5439064, 5439065, 5439066, 5439067.