A strong and fast moving clipper system produced high winds across western and north central Nebraska on January 12, 2009. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 60 mph occurred.
Every event with a place to put it; 23 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 LBF wrote it up.
A strong and fast moving clipper system produced high winds across western and north central Nebraska on January 12, 2009. Northwest winds of 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 60 mph occurred.
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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 12, 2:55 AM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 255 AM CST MON JAN 12 2009 .DISCUSSION... FORECAST CHALLENGE IS THE WINDS TODAY. AT 08Z THE SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED A 1008 MB LOW CENTERED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL NORTH DAKOTA WHILE 3 HOUR PRESSURE CHANGES WERE ON THE ORDER OF 6 TO 9 MBS TO THE NORTHWEST. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS IN EASTERN MONTANA SHOWED WINDS 30 TO 36 KNOTS AND GUSTS UP TO 51 KNOTS. THROUGH 12Z THE SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO TRACK SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND INTO WESTERN IOWA BY NOONTIME. MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK THAT WILL GENERATE LITTLE PRECIPITATION WHILE THE WIND WILL BE THE STORY. FOR TODAY THE QUESTION IS HOW STRONG THE WINDS WILL BE TO THE DEGREE THE WIND ADVISORY WILL BE UPGRADE TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AREAS WEST OF A LINE FROM KEYA PAHA COUNTY SOUTH TO FRONTIER COUNTY. THE RUC SHOWS WINDS AFTER 15Z AT 35 KNOTS AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS ACROSS THE WEST...WITH BUFKIT DATA SHOWING STEEP LAPSE RATES AND WINDS AT 40+ KNOTS THAT SHOULD EASILY MIX DOWN. THE WIND ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE FOUR EASTERN NORTH CENTRAL ZONES BUT WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED IN THE EVENT WINDS ARE STRONGER THAN INDICATED. TEMPERATURES WILL PEAK EARLY TODAY WITH THE ARCTIC FRONT MOVING SOUTH INTO NORTHERN NEBRASKA BY 12Z. THE NORTH MAY SEE UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN AREAS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 2 WITH TRACE AMOUNTS SOUTH. THE WINDS WILL BEGIN DIMINISH AFTER 5 PM WITH HIGHLIGHTS TO END AT 8 PM CST. TONIGHT HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS FOR A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS THAT WILL RETURN TUESDAY AS THE NEXT CLIPPER MOVES OUT ON THE PLAINS. THE TIMING OF THE WARM FRONT RETURNING EAST WILL LIMIT COLDER AIR BACKING TO THE WEST. THE NEXT ARCTIC FRONT PUSHES SOUTH WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH THE COLDEST DAY TO BE ON TRACK FOR THURSDAY. THE COLDER AIR IS SHORT/LIVED WITH THE UPPER RIDGE TO BUILD EAST ON FRIDAY THAT WILL HELP TO EDGE THE COLDER AIR EAST. THE EVENTUAL PLACEMENT OF THE SEMI STATIONARY FRONT FRIDAY IN THE EAST WILL IMPACT TEMPERATURES WITH FEW CHANGES MADE IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .AVIATION... SURFACE TROUGH HAS PASSED EAST OF KVTN AND KLBF. CLIPPER SYSTEM LOW CENTER LOCATED IN SCTRL ND. COLD FRONT WILL PASS KVTN SOON AFT 09Z AND KLBF 11Z. FOR KVTN...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 31032G43KT AFT 12Z WITH VFR CIGS P6SM OVC050. MVFR CIGS EXPECTED BY 18Z IN CAA REGION PERSISTING UNTIL 13/00Z. WINDS SHOULD SUBSIDE AFT 21Z TO 34022G32KT AND DECOUPLING QUICKLY AFT 00Z TO 33013KT. SNOW CHCS APPEAR LOW DUE TO PREVAILING DOWNGLIDE AND DO NOT ANTICIPATE MENTION IN 12Z TAF CYCLE. FOR KLBF...WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 31033G46KT BY 16Z WITH VFR CIGS P6SM OVC100. MVFR CIGS ARE POSSIBLE DURING AFTN BUT NOT SUPPORTED BY MOS GUIDANCE AND MAY REMOVE IN 12Z TAF CYCLE. WINDS SHOULD DECOUPLE QUICKLY NEAR 00Z WITH WINDS AOB 10KTS AFT 02Z. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM CST /7 AM MST/ THIS MORNING TO 8 PM CST /7 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ004>006-008-009-022>027- 035>038-056>059-069>071-094. WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NEZ007-010-028-029. && SHORT TERM/EXTENDED...KECK AVIATION...ROBERG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 304 AM CST MON JAN 12 2009 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-131200- SHERIDAN-EASTERN CHERRY-KEYA PAHA-BOYD-BROWN-ROCK-HOLT-GARDEN- GRANT-HOOKER-THOMAS-BLAINE-LOUP-GARFIELD-WHEELER-ARTHUR-MCPHERSON- LOGAN-CUSTER-DEUEL-KEITH-PERKINS-LINCOLN-CHASE-HAYES-FRONTIER- WESTERN CHERRY- 304 AM CST MON JAN 12 2009 /204 AM MST MON JAN 12 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT TODAY UNTIL 8 PM CST (7 PM MST) FOR KEYA PAHA...ROCK...LOUP...CUSTER COUNTY AND ALL COUNTIES TO THE WEST. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CST FOR BOYD...HOLT...GARFIELD...AND WHEELER COUNTY. A STRONG AND FAST MOVING CLIPPER SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE VERY STRONG WINDS ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TODAY. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE LATE THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW SHOWERS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY IS POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TODAY. DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS...LOW WIND CHILLS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL TODAY AND THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A STRONG ARCTIC FRONT WILL DIVE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY...BRINGING VERY COLD AIR INTO WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES WILL BE ON THURSDAY AS HIGHS RANGE FROM AROUND 10 IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA TO THE 20S IN SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. MID JANUARY AFTERNOON HIGHS SHOULD REACH INTO THE LOW TO MID 30S...WITH LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER... HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE KAR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
23 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Very strong winds of 50 to 60 mph buffeted the area.
Very strong winds of 50 to 60 mph buffeted the area.
Very strong wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph buffeted the area.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred across Thomas County during the late morning and early afternoon hours. A peak wind gust of 62 mph occurred at 1044 am CST from the Thedford, Nebraska, AWOS site.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred across Blaine County during the early afternoon hours. A peak wind gust of 66 mph occurred at 1221 pm CST near the Dunning, Nebraska, mesonet site.
Wind gusts near 60 mph occurred across Custer County during the late morning and early afternoon hours. A peak wind gust of 58 mph occurred at 1151 am CST at the Broken Bow, Nebraska, ASOS site.
Wind gusts near 60 mph occurred across Lincoln County during the late morning and early afternoon hours. A peak wind gust of 61 mph occurred at 1142 am CST at the Sutherland, Nebraska, mesonet site.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the early afternoon hours across Frontier County. At 1259 pm CST, wind gusts were estimated near 65 mph from a pubic report at Curtis, Nebraska.
Very strong wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph buffeted the area.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the morning and early afternoon hours across western Nebraska.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred across Western Nebraska during the late morning and early afternoon hours.
Wind gusts from 50 to 60 mph buffeted the area during the late morning and early afternoon hours.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the early afternoon hours across southwest Nebraska.
A peak wind gust of 66 mph occurred at 0724 am MST. This was obtained from a mesonet site near Gordon, Nebraska, in northern Sheridan County.
Wind gusts near 60 mph occurred across Deuel County during the morning and early afternoon hours. A peak wind gust of 58 mph occurred at 0850 am MST at the Big Springs, Nebraska, mesonet site. Winds gusts to 60 mph occurred at the Sidney, Nebraska, ASOS site just west of Deuel County.
Wind gusts near 60 mph occurred across Chase County during the late morning and early afternoon hours. A peak wind gust of 61 mph occurred at 1042 am MST at the Imperial, Nebraska, ASOS site.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the morning and early afternoon hours across western Cherry County. At 724 am MST, wind gusts were measured at 66 mph from a mesonet site near Gordon, Nebraska, in extreme western Cherry County.
Very strong winds of 50 to 60 mph buffeted the area.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the morning and early afternoon hours across western Nebraska.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the morning and early afternoon hours across western Nebraska.
Wind gusts in excess of 60 mph occurred during the morning and early afternoon hours across western Nebraska.
Wind gusts near 60 mph occurred across southwest Nebraska during the late morning and early afternoon hours.
Wind gusts near 60 mph occurred across southwest Nebraska during the late morning and early afternoon hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, January 2009
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: 143503, 143504, 143505, 143506, 143507, 143508, 143510, 143512, 146090, 146095, 146096, 146097, 146100, 143502, 143509, 143511, 143513, 146091, 146092, 146093, 146094, 146098, 146099.