Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Nebraska, April 10, 2008

Name: Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Nebraska, April 10, 2008
Start: 2008-04-10T11:00
End: 2008-04-10T21:00
Location: Nebraska

April 10, 2008 · NWS GID · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

S. through Kansas and into Iowa.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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: 8

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 potent early spring winter storm impacted the area on April 10th as a large upper level storm system moved from the southwestern U.S. through Kansas and into Iowa. This system pulled in plenty of moisture, and enough warm air, that the event started out as all rain. Colder air built in across northwestern areas as this system moved to the east, changing the precipitation over to snow. Across Dawson and Valley counties, 6 to 7 inches of snow was reported. Further southeast, including areas into Phelps, Buffalo, and Howard counties, 2 to 5 inches was reported. There were not significant impacts from this storm, but some area schools did postpone or cancel classes and other events.

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 Apr 10, 5:59 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 5:59 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
659 AM CDT THU APR 10 2008

.AVIATION...12Z KGRI TAF. WILL START OUT WITH IFR CONDITIONS AND
SHOULD BECOME IFR BY TONIGHT. RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW BY TONIGHT.
WIND WILL INCREASE FROM THE NORTHWEST TO 20 TO 30 MPH.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 405 AM CDT THU APR 10 2008/

DISCUSSION...NO DOUBT WHERE THE WEATHER STORY FOR THE NEXT FEW
PERIOD LIES...AS SATELLITE IMAGERY AND AND UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS
FROM LAST NIGHT SHOW A STRONG STORM SYSTEM SPINNING NEAR THE FOUR
CORNERS REGION...BEING HELPED BY A 140+KT JET. AT THE SURFACE...AN
AREA OF LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO DEVELOP IN THE SW KANSAS
AREA...BRINGING DIRECT EASTERLY WINDS TO THE CWA...WHICH ALONG
WITH THE OVERCAST SKIES HAS HELPED TO KEEP TEMPERATURES IN THE
UPPER 30S TO LOWER 40S. RAIN SHOWERS HAVE INCREASED IN COVERAGE
OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS...WITH A MAJORITY OF THE CWA SEEING LIGHT
RAIN SHOWERS OR DRIZZLE.

FORECAST IS MESSY STARTING THIS MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...AS
THIS STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES MOVING EAST.  MODELS ARE IN VERY GOOD
AGREEMENT WITH THE EVOLUTION OF THE SYSTEM...WITH IT BECOMING MUCH
MORE ORGANIZED AND VERTICALLY STACKED TODAY.  THE PATH TURNS MORE
NORTHEASTERLY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS...SETTING IT IN VERY
CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CWA BY 00Z TONIGHT. THE CWA REMAINS ON THE
NORTHERN/WESTERN SIDE OF THE SYSTEM AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST...WITH
PLENTY OF WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WORKING IN AS WELL AS COLDER AIR.
WINDS ALSO A CONCERN...AS THE SURFACE LOW GETS PRETTY WOUND UP
THROUGH THE DAY...LEADING TO A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE
AREA. EXPECTING WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION THROUGHOUT ALL DAY ACROSS
THE CWA...WITH A FEW ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ACROSS
SOUTHERN AREAS AS MODELS CONTINUE TO HINT AT A BIT OF ELEVATED
INSTABILITY. KEPT PRECIP TYPE AS ALL LIQUID THROUGH THIS
MORNING...BUT AFTER NOON COLDER AIR WORKING IN TO NORTHERN AND
WESTERN AREAS WILL START TO ALLOW FOR MORE SNOW TO MIX IN. WHILE
QUIET CONFIDENT IN CHANCES FOR PRECIP AND THAT MOST AREAS WILL SEE
SOME SNOW...PINNING DOWN EXACT AMOUNTS IS DIFFICULT. EXPECTING
THERE TO BE A SHARP GRADIENT IN SNOWFALL...BUT QUESTION IS WHERE
EXACTLY WILL THAT RAIN/SNOW LINE SET UP. FEEL THAT INHERITED
SNOWFALL FORECAST HAD EXCELLENT HANDLE ON THINGS...AND MADE ONLY
MINOR TWEAKS. STILL EXPECTING 3 TO 6 INCHES ALONG AND NORTH OF A
FULLERTON...MINDEN...TO ALMA LINE...WHERE MODELS SHOW THE BEST
COMBO OF MOISTURE AND MID LEVEL FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING. EXPECTING
1 TO 3 INCHES SOUTH OF THAT LINE TO THE NE/KS BORDER. THIS
FORECAST ALSO HINGES ON HOW FAST THE CHANGE OVER TO SNOW OCCURS.
FEEL THAT THOUGH PERIOD OF HIGHEST QPF WILL BE THIS
AFTERNOON...BEST CHANCES FOR HIGHER SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL COME
LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. DECIDED TO ISSUE A SNOW/BLOWING
ADVISORY FOR APPROX THE NORTHWESTERN HALF OF THE CWA STARTING LATE
THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...WHERE THE EXPECTED
HEAVIEST SNOWFALL COLLIDE WITH THE WINDS. WHILE THE ENTIRE CWA
WILL SEE STRONG WINDS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING AND HAVE AREAS WITH
BLOWING SNOW...THIS NORTHWESTERN AREA WILL SEE MORE WIDESPREAD
PROBLEMS WITH REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITIES. DAY SHIFT WILL HAVE TO
MONITOR TEMPERATURE TRENDS...AS A QUICKER ENTRANCE OF COLDER
TEMPS/SNOW WILL LEAD TO HIGHER SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS.

CONTINUED PRECIPITATION CHANCES...THOUGH GRADUALLY TAPERING
OFF...THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS THIS STORM SYSTEM MOVES OFF INTO THE
GREAT LAKES REGION.  THE CENTRAL PLAINS REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE
OF THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ON FRIDAY...AND ALONG WITH COOLER SURFACE
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN AT THE SURFACE...AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES
STAY WELL BELOW NORMAL...STAYING IN THE MID/UPPER 30S ACROSS THE
NORTH...WITH MID 40S SOUTH. EXPECTING DRY CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY
AS NORTHERLY FLOW SETS UP ALOFT AND CONTINUED IMPACT FROM THE
SURFACE HIGH...AND WILL SEE A SLIGHT REBOUND IN HIGHS...REACHING
INTO THE LOW/MID 40S NORTH TO NEAR 50 SOUTH.

MADE NO CHANGES TO SATURDAY NIGHT AND BEYOND.  CONDITIONS CONTINUE
TO LOOK QUIET THROUGH MID WEEK...AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS INTO
THE PLAINS. TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO MORE PLEASANT...REACHING INTO
THE 60S TO NEAR 70 DEGREES FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK.

AVIATION...06Z KGRI TAF. IFR CONDITIONS. PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE
FAIRLY CONSISTENT AND EVENTUALLY TURN TO SNOW BY THURSDAY EVENING.
CONDITIONS WILL GENERALLY WORSEN WITH TIME. WIND WILL INCREASE
AND BECOME MORE NORTH TO NORTHWEST IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

&&

.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 1 PM
     CDT FRIDAY FOR NEZ039>041-046>048-060>062-072>074-082-083.

KS...NONE.
&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 9:38 AM CST, 1 hour 22 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1038 AM CDT THU APR 10 2008

NEZ040-041-046>048-061-062-072>074-082-083-111200-
GREELEY-NANCE-SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-BUFFALO-HALL-GOSPER-PHELPS-
KEARNEY-FURNAS-HARLAN-
1038 AM CDT THU APR 10 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON. PLEASE
REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT INTO FRIDAY.
PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAIN AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS.

&&

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

KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ049-063-064-075>077-084>087-111200-
PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-POLK-HAMILTON-YORK-
ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FRANKLIN-WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER-
1038 AM CDT THU APR 10 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND
PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...SOUTH OF A LINE FROM POLK TO
FRANKLIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE...WITH THE HIGHEST
TOTALS EXPECTED IN NEBRASKA. NORTH WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH
COMBINED WITH THE SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END FRIDAY NIGHT. ANY ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE LESS THAN ONE HALF OF AN INCH.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAIN AND SNOW AMOUNTS.

&&

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

NEZ039-060-111200-
VALLEY-DAWSON-
1038 AM CDT THU APR 10 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR DAWSON AND VALLEY COUNTIES

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT INTO FRIDAY. PLEASE REFER
TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AMOUNTS.

&&

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

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter weather, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Dawson

When: April 10, 11:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Dawson forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 40.870, -99.820 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Valley

When: April 10, 12:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Buffalo

When: April 10, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Buffalo forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.855, -99.075 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Gosper

When: April 10, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Gosper forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.515, -99.831 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Greeley

When: April 10, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Greeley forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.567, -98.521 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Howard

When: April 10, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Howard forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.220, -98.517 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Phelps

When: April 10, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Phelps forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 40.511, -99.414 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Sherman

When: April 10, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Sherman forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 41.221, -98.976 (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.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Nebraska in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, April 2008

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: 86242, 86243, 86245, 86246, 86248, 86249, 86250, 86251.