A potent upper level low pressure system brought heavy snow to much of western and north central Nebraska beginning on October 28th and persisting through October 30th. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches fell across the eastern Panhandle on October 28th and 29th.
Every event with a place to put it; 20 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 potent upper level low pressure system brought heavy snow to much of western and north central Nebraska beginning on October 28th and persisting through October 30th. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches fell across the eastern Panhandle on October 28th and 29th. As the upper level low moved from western Kansas into central Nebraska on October 29th and 30th, a swath of very heavy snow fell from southwestern Nebraska into portions of central and north central Nebraska. Snowfall amounts in these areas ranged from 6 to 15 inches. Gusty north winds of 20 to 35 mph during the early morning hours on October 30th caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 3 to 4 feet in some areas.
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 Oct 27, 2:37 PM MST, 9 hours 23 minutes earlier.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
20 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snowfall began across Sheridan County by midnight MST on October 28th and persisted until 930 am MST with additional light snow through the early morning hours on October 30th. Storm total snowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Garden County during the late afternoon hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall around 8 inches occurred across Garden County.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Deuel County beginning during the late afternoon hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. A cooperative observer 4 miles west of Big Springs reported total snowfall of 10 inches. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 3 to 4 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Perkins County beginning during the late afternoon hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall of 8 to 11 inches occurred across Perkins County. The highest public report of total snowfall was 11 inches located 9 miles north of Grant. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 3 to 4 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Chase County beginning during the late afternoon hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall of 6 to 9 inches occurred across Chase County. The highest public report of total snowfall was 9 inches at Imperial.|Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 3 to 4 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across western Cherry County beginning during the late afternoon hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall of 4 to 7 inches occurred across western Cherry County. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 1 to 3 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Grant County during the overnight hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall from 4 to 7 inches occurred across Grant County. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 1 to 3 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Arthur County during the evening hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall from 5 to 7 inches occurred across Arthur County. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 1 to 3 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across McPherson County during the evening hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall from 5 to 11 inches occurred across McPherson County. A public report in Tryon reported total snowfall of 10 inches. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 3 to 4 feet high.
Moderate to occasional heavy snowfall occurred across Keith County during the evening hours on October 29th and persisted through the early morning hours of October 30th. Storm total snowfall from 7 to 9 inches occurred across Keith County. Gusty north winds caused blowing and drifting snow with drifts from 2 to 4 feet high.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of north central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 6 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 3 to 10 inches occurred across Thomas County. Gust winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall creating drifts of 3 to 4 feet high. The heaviest snowfall occurred across the southeastern portion of Thomas County.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across west central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 6 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 8 to 12 inches occurred across Logan County. Gust winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting and road closures which lasted into the morning of October 30th.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across west central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 6 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 10 to 15 inches occurred across Lincoln County. Gust winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting with snow drifts to 4 feet. This caused the closure of Interstate 80 and most other roads and highways across the county into the morning hours of October 30th. The highest snowfall report was 15 inches located 1 mile north of Sutherland.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across southwest Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 6 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 10 to 11 inches occurred across Hayes County. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting with snow drifts to 4 feet. This caused the closure of most roads and highways across the county into the morning hours of October 30th. The highest snowfall report was 11 inches located at Hayes Center.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of southwest Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 7 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 6 to 15 inches occurred across Frontier County with the highest public report of 15 inches located at Moorefield. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting and dangerous driving conditions into the morning hours of October 30th.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 7 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 3 to 15 inches occurred across Custer County with the heaviest snowfall amounts of 8 to 15 inches across the northwestern half of the county. The highest snowfall report was 15 inches located 5 miles west of Merna. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting and dangerous driving conditions into the morning hours of October 30th.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of north central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 7 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred across Blaine County. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting and dangerous driving conditions into the morning hours of October 30th.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of north central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 7 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 6 to 12 inches occurred across Loup County with the heaviest snowfall across the southwestern half of the county. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing considerable blowing and drifting and dangerous driving conditions into the morning hours of October 30th.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of north central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 7 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 3 to 8 inches occurred across Brown County with the heaviest snowfall across the southeastern half of the county. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing some blowing and drifting.
As an intense and moist upper level low pressure system tracked from western Kansas into central Nebraska during the overnight hours on October 29th, a swath of heavy snowfall fell across portions of north central Nebraska. A period of heavy snowfall occurred from midnight CST through 7 am CST. Storm total snowfall of 4 to 8 inches occurred across Rock County with the heaviest snowfall across the southwestern half of the county. Gusty winds of 20 to 35 mph accompanied the heavy snowfall causing some blowing and drifting.
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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 197386, 197389, 197391, 197393, 197397, 197399, 197400, 197402, 197403, 197404, 197407, 197409, 197410, 197411, 197413, 197414, 197415, 197416, 197417, 197418.