A very late winter snow event totaled anywhere from 1 to 5 inches across a small section of south central Nebraska. Accumulating snow was confined to just three counties: Valley, Sherman and Dawson.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS GID wrote it up.
A very late winter snow event totaled anywhere from 1 to 5 inches across a small section of south central Nebraska. Accumulating snow was confined to just three counties: Valley, Sherman and Dawson. Sherman and Valley counties reported 2 to 4 inches of snow. In Dawson County, the accumulating snows were confined to areas north of Interstate 80 and west of State Highway 21. The area just north of Gothenburg near the Lincoln County line measured the most snow, which was around 5 inches. Temperatures soared in the upper 50s the day after the snow, and all of the snow was melted within two days.
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 Mar 16, 10:02 PM CST, 4 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1102 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2008
.AVIATION...FOR THE 06Z KGRI TAF. ACTIVE NEXT 24 HOURS ANTICIPATED
FOR THE GRAND ISLAND TERMINAL AS IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE
LIKELY TO IMPACT THE AREA. A BAND OF LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE TERMINAL AREA LATER TONIGHT WITH VISIBILITIES
DROPPING BELOW 2 MILES AT TIMES WHILE CEILINGS MAY DROP TO BELOW
500 FT. A MIXTURE OF SNOW AND SLEET ALSO LOOK POSSIBLE AROUND
SUNRISE ON MONDAY ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULD NOT LAST BEYOND A FEW HOURS.
PRECIPITATION SHOULD BEGIN TO FADE BY AFTERNOON BUT IFR CLOUD
CEILINGS LOOK LIKELY INTO MONDAY EVENING.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 246 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2008/
SHORT TERM...THROUGH 12Z TUE. PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS REVOLVE
AROUND SIGNIFICANT STORM SYSTEM ACROSS THE AREA.
MORNING UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES THE MID LEVEL LOW ROTATING OVER
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTO SOUTHWESTERN ARIZONA. SURFACE ANALYSIS
SHOWS THE 1030MB SURFACE HIGH ACROSS SOUTHERN ONTARIO CONTINUING TO
PUSH EASTWARD. THE SURFACE RIDGE CURRENTLY RESIDES OVER THE MISSOURI
VALLEY...THUS ALLOWING FOR RETURN FLOW ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
AND NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. MID LEVEL WAA ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE MID
LEVEL LOW IS PROMOTING STRATUS AND ALTO STRATUS ACROSS THE REGION
TODAY...WITH LIGHT SNOW BEGINNING TO FALL OVER OUR SOUTHERN ZONES.
70-80 KT JET STREAK ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE MID LEVEL LOW SUNDAY
MORNING WILL ALLOW THE LOW TO EJECT NORTHEASTWARD TOWARDS OUR AREA
SUNDAY NIGHT. DP/DT CHARTS OF THE 500MB LEVEL PER THE LAST FEW RUNS
OF THE OPERATIONAL GFS SHOW DESCENT CONSISTENCY...WITH PERHAPS A BIT
OF SLOWING OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST 2-3 RUNS. THE SURFACE LOW IS
EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR THE OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO
MONDAY AS THE MID LEVEL LOW EMERGES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN CONUS.
THIS WILL PROMOTE INCREASED SOUTHEASTERLY SURFACE FLOW ACROSS OUR
AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY...THUS PROVIDING A GOOD AREA OF
ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE. OPERATIONAL GFS ALSO INDICATES ENHANCED MID
LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS ACROSS OUR AREA BY 12Z MONDAY...PROVIDING WHAT
WILL LIKELY BE OUR BEST CHANCE FOR HEAVY PRECIPITATION BETWEEN 06Z
AND 18Z MONDAY. AFTER MIDDAY MONDAY THE BEST ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE
PUSHES SOUTHEAST OF THE AREA AND MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS DECREASES
RAPIDLY AS THE DRY SLOT BEGINS OVERTAKING THE AREA. THE MID LEVEL
LOW WILL REMAIN WELL SOUTH OF OUR AREA THROUGH THE FORECAST
PERIOD...BUT A NORTHERN BRANCH MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS WILL PUSH
OVERHEAD MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...WHICH WILL PROVIDE MID
LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS THUS RESULTING IN WEAK DEFORMATION ACROSS THE
AREA THROUGH MIDNIGHT. PRECIPITATION IS THEN EXPECTED TO COME TO AN
ALTOGETHER AFTER 06Z TUESDAY.
AS MENTIONED BY THE PREVIOUS FORECASTER...GIVEN THE CURRENT AND
PROJECTED SYNOPTIC SETUP...PRECIPITATION WILL CERTAINLY FALL ACROSS
THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. PRECIPITATION TYPE AND AMOUNTS
REMAIN THE PRIMARY QUESTIONS AS TEMPERATURE PROFILES REMAIN SOMEWHAT
UNCERTAIN. INITIAL THINKING SUNDAY MORNING WAS THAT THE SLOWER
MOVEMENT OF THE MID LEVEL LOW WOULD PROMOTE AND INCREASED DURATION
OF WAA THUS ALLOWING TEMPERATURE PROFILES ACROSS THE AREA TO REMAIN
SOMEWHAT WARMER. EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON HOWEVER TEMPERATURES
STRUGGLED INTO THE 30S ACROSS MOST LOCATIONS WITH LIGHT SNOW FALLING
ACROSS OUR KANSAS COUNTIES. GIVEN ALL THIS...STILL BELIEVE THE WAA
WILL STRENGTHEN SUNDAY EVENING...ALLOWING FOR A MIXED BAG OF
PRECIPITATION SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED
ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN ONE THIRD OF THE CWA...WITH A MIX OF LIGHT
RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW AND PERHAPS INTERMITTENT SLEET ACROSS CENTRAL
PORTIONS OF THE REGION. SNOW...MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES...REMAINS
POSSIBLE ACROSS OUR NORTHWEST. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE WILL WORK IN
CONCERT WITH DECENT MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS TO PROVIDE STORM TOTAL
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE 3-6 INCH RANGE ACROSS OUR EXTREME
NORTHWEST. THIS SNOW IS EXPECTED THROUGH AN 18 HOUR PERIOD WHICH
RESULTS IN A SNOW ADVISORY FOR THESE COUNTIES.
COMPLICATIONS STILL EXIST IN THIS FORECAST WHICH WILL NEED TO BE
IRONED OUT THROUGH THE NEXT SHIFT OR TWO. FIRST OFF...FORECAST
SOUNDINGS SUGGEST A DEEP ENOUGH COLD LAYER IN WHICH SLEET SHOULD
RESULT. IF WAA WARMS THE TEMPERATURE PROFILE ENOUGH
HOWEVER...INTERMITTENT FREEZING RAIN COULD ALSO BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CWA. CONTEMPLATED GOING WITH A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FARTHER SOUTH OF THE SNOW ADVISORY FOR A COMBINATION
OF SNOW AND SLEET...OR PERHAPS FREEZING RAIN...BUT WITH THE WARM
SOIL TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT THE
SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN WOULD HAVE. ADVISORY CRITERIA SHOULD NOT BE
MET WITH SNOW ALONE THAT FAR SOUTH. SECONDLY...CONFIDENCE IS GOOD
FOR OUR NORTHERN ZONES REGARDING THE SNOW ADVISORY. AM CONCERNED
HOWEVER THAT MID LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS MAY SNEAK A BIT FARTHER INTO
THE CWA...THUS PROMOTING AN AREA OF HEAVIER SNOW THAN WHAT IS
ANTICIPATED...WHICH IS CONCERNING BECAUSE ARE WE NOW RUNNING AT
BORDER LINE WARNING CRITERIA. WHATS MORE HPC PAINTS A STRIPE OF 10
INCH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP AGAINST OUR BORDER. AGAIN HOWEVER...WARM
SOIL TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY MITIGATE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EARLY
ON...WHICH WILL IN TURN REDUCE STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS.
LONG TERM...12Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS WILL
BE A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT AND
TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD.
THE MAIN UPPER TROUGH MOVES TO THE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA ON
TUESDAY PUSHING THE MOISTURE AHEAD OF IT. EXPECT THAT CLOUDS WILL
START TO CLEAR OUT OF THE AREA ON TUESDAY ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO
WARM UP SOME. HAVE KEPT THE NORTH A LITTLE COOLER AFTER THE SNOW
EXPECTED EARLIER. TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY SHOULD REMAIN
SEASONABLE WITH NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE AREA.
WINDS TURN TO THE SOUTH AND WARM ADVECTION INCREASES WEDNESDAY NIGHT
AND THURSDAY. TEMPERATURES SHOULD WARM A LITTLE...BUT HAVE SOME
CONCERN ABOUT HOW MUCH WARMING THERE WILL BE AND HAVE WENT WITH ONLY
SLIGHT WARMING. A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT
AND COOLS THINGS DOWN JUST A LITTLE. THERE IS LITTLE MOISTURE WITH
THE FRONT AND EXPECT THAT OTHER THAN A FEW CLOUDS...IT SHOULD BE
DRY. ON FRIDAY MOISTURE INCREASES ACROSS THE AREA AND THERE WILL BE
A FEW MORE CLOUDS.
THE FIRST WAVE OF ENERGY MOVES INTO THE AREA LATE FRIDAY NIGHT. THE
MAIN UPPER LOW MOVES THROUGH THE AREA SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.
WITH INCREASING MOISTURE ON SATURDAY THERE COULD BE SOME RAIN.
COOLER AIR MOVES INTO THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT AND RAIN SHOULD
CHANGE OVER TO SNOW FOR MUCH OF THE AREA AND BE MIXED IN THE
SOUTHERN PART OF THE AREA. ONCE THE LOW MOVES TO THE EAST ON
SUNDAY...THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD COME TO AN END. TEMPERATURES
REMAIN COOL FOR SUNDAY.
&&
.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM CDT MONDAY FOR NEZ039>041-046-047-060-
061.
KS...NONE.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 310 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2008 NEZ039>041-046-047-060-061-171100- VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE-SHERMAN-HOWARD-DAWSON-BUFFALO- 310 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM LEXINGTON...TO KEARNEY...TO ST. PAUL...TO FULLERTON. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY MORNING. MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED AT TIMES. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ON THE ORDER OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE ANTICIPATED THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SNOW WILL LINGER ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY...BRINING AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF SNOW TO MOST LOCATIONS BEFORE PRECIPITATION COMES TO AN END. STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 6...LOCALLY 7 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. .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) NEZ048-049-062>064-072>076-082>084-171100- MERRICK-POLK-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK-GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY- FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN- 310 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM LEXINGTON...TO KEARNEY...TO ST. PAUL...TO FULLERTON. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A MIXTURE OF LIGHT RAIN...LIGHT SNOW...AND INTERMITTENT LIGHT SLEET IS FORECAST ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA TONIGHT. SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF A TENTH OF AN INCH OR LESS ARE ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A MIXTURE OF LIGHT RAIN...LIGHT SNOW...AND INTERMITTENT LIGHT SLEET WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY. LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION ARE EXPECTED. .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) KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ077-085>087-171100- PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-FILLMORE-WEBSTER- NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 310 PM CDT SUN MAR 16 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS...GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM PHILLIPSBURG...TO RED CLOUD...TO GENEVA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LIGHT RAIN AND LIGHT SNOW REMAINS POSSIBLE OVER THE OUTLOOK AREA TONIGHT. LITTLE OR NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS ANTICIPATED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. 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)
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Two to four inches of wet snow fell in parts of the county.
Two to four inches of wet snow fell in parts of the county.
Three to five inches of wet snow fell in the northwest part of the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, March 2008
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: 78977, 78978, 78979.