High Wind in Nebraska, February 16 to 17, 2007

Name: High Wind in Nebraska, February 16 to 17, 2007
Start: 2007-02-16T18:00
End: 2007-02-17T00:00
Location: Nebraska

February 16 to 17, 2007 · NWS GID · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A winter storm moving to the south of the region brought very strong winds to south-central Nebraska. Accompanying the winds was some snow, especially east of Grand Island.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: 4

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 winter storm moving to the south of the region brought very strong winds to south-central Nebraska. Accompanying the winds was some snow, especially east of Grand Island. The mixture of snow and wind caused very poor visibilities for a few hours. The worst visibilities were reported along US Highway 81 between Hebron and Columbus. Visibilities in this corridor were near zero at times in open country. The highest wind gusts, 59 mph, were at Ord and Grand Island. A 58 mph wind gust was reported at Aurora and Hastings reported a sustained wind over 40 mph between 9 and 10 pm. No major damage was caused by the winds.

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 16, 3:02 PM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 16, 3:02 PM CST, 2 hours 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
302 PM CST FRI FEB 16 2007

.SHORT TERM...LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY ALONG WITH 12Z UPPER AIR
DATA REVEAL A DEEP UPPER TROUGH SITTING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS WHILE
AN UPSTREAM RIDGE IS SEEN OVER THE WEST.  BETWEEN THESE SYSTEMS A
FAST 100+ KT NORTHWEST FLOW REGIME IS SEEN DOMINATING FROM THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS WITH SEVERAL SMALL BUT POTENT
CLIPPER SYSTEMS SEEN EMBEDDED WITHIN THIS FLOW PATTERN.  THE MOST
NOTABLE SYSTEM IS SEEN CURRENTLY RIDING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS THIS AFTERNOON.  RECENT OBJECTIVE
SURFACE ANALYSIS REVEALS A DEEP SURFACE CYCLONE RIDING SOUTHEAST
ACROSS EASTERN SD.  EXTENDING SOUTH FROM THIS LOW IS A WARM FRONT
THAT HAS NOW CLEARED ALL OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS INTO SOUTH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA BUT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING A BAND OF LIGHT TO
MODERATE FREEZING RAIN THIS PAST MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON.
HOWEVER...A STRONG COLD FRONT IS ALSO SEEN EXTENDING WEST FROM THIS
LOW WITH 6 TO 8 MB PRESSURE RISES AND ASSOCIATED STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS BEHIND THIS FRONT.

AN ACTIVE WEATHER NIGHT IS SHAPING UP FOR THE FORECAST AREA AS THE
AFOREMENTIONED SURFACE LOW AND UPPER CLIPPER SYSTEM SLIDE SOUTHEAST
THROUGH THE PLAINS.  THE FIRST PROBLEM THIS WILL BRING TO THE AREA
IS STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT AS COLD AIR
ADVECTION IS SHOWN TO STEEPEN LOW-LEVEL LAPSE RATES ENOUGH TO ALLOW
MIXING OF STRONGER WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE.  WITH 850MB WIND
SPEEDS SHOWN TO BE IN EXCESS OF 40 TO 50 KTS OVER THE ENTIRE
AREA...WIND ADVISORY CONDITIONS LOOK VERY LIKELY THROUGH MOST OF THE
NIGHT.  THE OTHER PROBLEM FOR THE NIGHT INVOLVES A DECENT CHANCE FOR
SNOW OVER CENTRAL NEBRASKA AS STRONG DEFORMATION FROM THE UPPER WAVE
PRODUCES A HEALTHY BAND OF MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS AND RESULTANT
SNOW.  ALTHOUGH THE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FAIRLY
QUICK...APPEARS UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE NORTH OF A
GREELEY TO YORK LINE BY MIDNIGHT.

THE UPPER WAVE THEN SLIDES SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY WITH
SUBSIDENCE BEHIND THE WAVE GRADUALLY PREVAILING ACROSS THE AREA.
THIS WILL ALLOW CLOUD COVER TO SLOWLY FADE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS
THE AREA.  HOWEVER...ANOTHER COLD AND WINDY DAY WILL BE ON TAP AS
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH REMAIN POSSIBLE WELL INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS WHILE TEMPERATURES COOL BACK A FEW DEGREES.  WILL
AIM FOR HIGHS IN THE 30S TO NEAR 40.  HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD
INTO THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT WITH LIGHT WINDS AND A CLEAR SKY
DOMINATING.

.LONG TERM...12Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. ASIDE FROM SOME POSSIBLE
PRECIPITATION MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...MAIN FOCUS IN THE EXTENDED
IS ON WARMING TEMPERATURES.

THE MEAN SYNOPTIC PATTERN OF UPPER RIDGING TO THE WEST AND TROUGHING
TO THE EAST THAT HAS KEPT COLD CONDITIONS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION
FOR QUITE SOME TIME FINALLY BREAKS DOWN...LEADING TO AN OVERALL
WARMER PATTERN THROUGH THE PERIOD. A FLATTENING UPPER RIDGE MIGRATES
OVER THE PLAINS ON SUNDAY...WHILE RETURN FLOW AND LOW-LEVEL WAA
ENSUES AT LOW LEVELS. STAYED A LITTLE BELOW GUIDANCE TEMPS FOR HIGHS
GIVEN 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW STILL ON THE GROUND ACROSS MOST OF THE
CWA...BUT STILL THINK TEMPS SHOULD MAKE IT INTO THE 40S WITHOUT MUCH
PROBLEM. THE WARMING TREND CONTINUES ON MONDAY UNDER A SOUTHWEST
FLOW ALOFT AHEAD OF A SOUTHERN STREAM LOW DIGGING THROUGH THE DESERT
SOUTHWEST...WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO CLIMB A FEW DEGREES WARMER THAN
ON SUNDAY.

THINGS THEN BECOME A LITTLE MORE ACTIVE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY.
THE BULK OF THE ENERGY WITH THE SOUTHERN STREAM LOW PASSES TO THE
SOUTH OF THE AREA...HOWEVER A PROGRESSIVE NORTHERN STREAM WAVE
PHASES WITH THE SOUTHERN LOW AND PUSHES A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE
CWFA MONDAY NIGHT. INTRODUCED SOME PRECIP CHANCES MONDAY NIGHT AND
TUESDAY AS DIV Q FIELDS SHOW A DECENT SHOT OF FORCING MOVING ACROSS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE WAVE. PRECIP TYPE IS A QUESTION...AS LATEST
RUN OF THE GFS IS MUCH STRONGER WITH THE FRONTAL SURGE...WHILE THE
ECMWF REMAINS RATHER WARM. TRENDED TEMPS DOWN ON TUESDAY...BUT
LIKELY NOT ENOUGH IF THINGS CONTINUE TO TREND TOWARD THE COOLER 12Z
GFS. KEPT PRECIP TYPE AS SNOW MONDAY NIGHT AND THEN RAIN/SNOW ON
TUESDAY GIVEN UNCERTAINTY WITH TEMPS AND STRENGTH OF FRONT AT THIS
POINT...AND WILL NEED TO REFINE AS DETAILS BECOME BETTER DEFINED.
BEHIND THE WAVE AND BRIEF COOL DOWN ON TUESDAY...TEMPS BEGIN TO
CLIMB ONCE AGAIN WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AS BROAD LOW-AMPLITUDE
RIDGING SPREADS OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS WHILE LOW-LEVEL SOUTHERLY
WINDS CONTINUE TO PUMP WARM AIR NORTHWARD. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 40S TO
50S STILL LOOK ON TRACK FOR MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR
     NEZ041-048-049-062>064-074>077-083>087.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM CST SATURDAY FOR NEZ039-040-046-047-060-
     061-072-073-082.

KS...WIND ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR
     KSZ005>007-017>019.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 16, 1:10 PM CST, 4 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
110 PM CST FRI FEB 16 2007

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087-
171200-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-
SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-
GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN-
WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
110 PM CST FRI FEB 16 2007

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50
MPH STARTING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO TONIGHT. THESE
WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO EASE BELOW WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA LATE
TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE:
   HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS  (ALL LOWERCASE)

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 16, 2:39 PM CST, 3 hours 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
239 PM CST FRI FEB 16 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0936 AM     FREEZING RAIN    LEXINGTON               40.78N 99.74W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       DAWSON             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS AUTO ACCIDENTS OCCURING IN DAWSON COUNTY DUE TO
            FREEZING RAIN.

1007 AM     FREEZING RAIN    ELWOOD                  40.59N 99.86W
02/16/2007  E0.10 INCH       GOSPER             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            AROUND A TENTH INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION ON ROADS AND
            SIDEWALKS IN TOWN.

1012 AM     FREEZING RAIN    HOLDREGE                40.44N 99.38W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       PHELPS             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS AUTO ACCIDENTS DUE TO FREEZING RAIN.

1017 AM     FREEZING RAIN    GRAND ISLAND            40.92N 98.37W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       HALL               NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            A FEW AUTO ACCIDENTS DUE TO FREEZING RAIN.

1019 AM     FREEZING RAIN    PHILLIPSBURG            39.75N 99.32W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       PHILLIPS           KS   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            REPORTS OF AUTO ACCIDENTS ACROSS PARTS OF PHILLIPS COUNTY
            DUE TO FREEZING RAIN.

1037 AM     FREEZING RAIN    KEARNEY                 40.70N 99.08W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       BUFFALO            NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS AUTO ACCIDENTS ALONG INTERSTATE 80 AND IN THE
            KEARNEY AREA DUE TO FREEZING RAIN.

1045 AM     FREEZING RAIN    MINDEN                  40.50N 98.95W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       KEARNEY            NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL ACCIDENTS ON HIGHWAY 34 AND HIGHWAY 6 DUE TO ICE
            ON ROADS. AUTOS REPORTED IN THE DITCH.

1115 AM     FREEZING RAIN    HEBRON                  40.17N 97.59W
02/16/2007  U0.00 INCH       THAYER             NE   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            REPORTS OF NUMEROUS AUTOS SLIDING OF THE ROAD DUE TO
            FREEZING RAIN.

1137 AM     FREEZING RAIN    SMITH CENTER            39.78N 98.78W
02/16/2007  M0.10 INCH       SMITH              KS   CO-OP OBSERVER

            COOP OBSERVER REPORTS A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE FROM
            FREEZING RAIN ON SIDEWALKS AND ROADS.

&&

LEW

Local storm report, Feb 16, 5:06 PM CST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
506 PM CST FRI FEB 16 2007

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0416 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST ORD                     41.60N 98.93W
02/16/2007  M52 MPH          VALLEY             NE   ASOS

            MEASURED BY THE AUTOMATED OBSERVING SYSTEM AT THE AIRPORT

&&

NWS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Valley

When: February 16, 6:00 PM CST to February 17, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Valley forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hall

When: February 16, 7:00 PM CST to February 17, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Hall forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.873, -98.502 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Adams

When: February 16, 7:00 PM CST to February 17, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Measured: 37 kt (43 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 40.525, -98.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hamilton

When: February 16, 7:00 PM CST to February 17, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 40.874, -98.023 (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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, February 2007

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: 18162, 18163, 18164, 18165.