Although the forecast for this Thursday called for only 1-2 inches of snow across much of South Central Nebraska, a heavier-than-expected east-west snow band materialized for several hours near and north of Highway 6, resulting in widespread 3-4 inch amounts across several counties. 7 inches).
Every event with a place to put it; 18 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.
Although the forecast for this Thursday called for only 1-2 inches of snow across much of South Central Nebraska, a heavier-than-expected east-west snow band materialized for several hours near and north of Highway 6, resulting in widespread 3-4 inch amounts across several counties. Per NWS Cooperative Observers, amounts were fairly uniform, but some of the highest totals fell near Phillips (4.0 inches), in Grand Island (3.9 inches) and at the Hastings NWS Office (3.7 inches). Between the Highway 6 corridor and the Kansas state line, lesser amounts of 1-2 inches were common, with places such as Franklin and Hebron barely catching a dusting. Blowing and drifting snow was not a major issue during this event, with northeast winds only averaging 10-15 MPH. However, slick roads contributed to numerous accidents, including a two-vehicle collision that killed two teenagers on Highway 30 near Silver Creek.
This event was centered squarely on the daytime hours, as the first flakes started falling north of Interstate 80 around sunrise. The majority of accumulations occurred between 9 AM and 5 PM, before diminishing to flurries during the evening and gradually ending from west to east. The primary mesoscale forcing for this event was tied to a broad zone of mid level frontogenesis, focused within the entrance region of a stout 120+ knot upper jet streak aligned from southeast South Dakota into the Great Lakes. On the larger scale, Nebraska was brushed by extensive mid level shortwave energy diving southeast across the Dakotas, rotating around the southwest periphery of a deep Hudson Bay vortex. The snowfall on this day, combined with the first widespread snow of the season from Dec. 3, left much of South Central Nebraska under 5-7 inches of total snow cover for a short time before a warmer weather pattern took hold by mid-month.
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 Dec 8, 5:10 AM CST, 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 510 AM CST THU DEC 8 2011 .AVIATION...12Z KGRI TAF. VFR CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE AT KGRI THROUGH THE NEXT FEW HOURS...WITH MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED 15Z ONWARD. CEILINGS NEAR 2000FT AGL ARE EXPECTED LATER TODAY AS -SN ALSO INFILTRATES THE TERMINAL. -SN SHOULD TAPER OFF LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING...HOWEVER GUIDANCE SUGGESTS MVFR CEILINGS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE TAF PERIOD. SURFACE WINDS WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME MORE ESTABLISHED FROM THE NORTH/NORTHEAST AT AROUND 08KTS BY 15Z...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE ONCE AGAIN BY 00Z. MVFR VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN -SN DURING THE DAY TODAY. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 438 AM CST THU DEC 8 2011/ SHORT TERM...THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY. OVERNIGHT UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN CONUS WITH QUASI-ZONAL TO NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE WEST. AN UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK OF AROUND 115KTS IS NOTED OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY INDICATES MID LEVEL MOISTURE INCREASING ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL CONUS. AT THE SURFACE A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDS ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA...WITH AN INVERTED TROUGH ALSO NOTED EXTENDING ALONG THE FRONT RANGE. SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES INCREASING MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS INFILTRATING NORTHERN NEBRASKA. DATA FROM KUEX AND KLNK ALSO INDICATE HIGH-BASED RETURNS BUT AS OF 10Z...SITES ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA HAVE YET TO REPORT PRECIPITATION. SHORT TERM GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PLAINS WILL CONTINUE PUSHING EAST TODAY...WITH THE RIGHT-REAR QUADRANT OF THIS JET STREAK POSITIONING ITSELF OVER OUR AREA THROUGH MUCH OF TODAY AND INTO THIS EVENING. A DIRECT THERMAL CIRCULATION WILL PROMOTE PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA AS A RESULT...WITH SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. QPF FIELDS FROM THE SREF-MEAN AND NAM BOTH SUGGEST STORM TOTAL LIQUID PRECIPITATION AROUND 0.2"...WITH THE EC AND OPERATIONAL GFS SOMEWHAT LOWER AT AROUND 0.1"...WITH ALL OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED MODELS SUGGESTING THE HIGHEST PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WILL BE LOCATED ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CWA. FOR NOW WILL SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO MODEL GROUPS...WITH THE FORECAST CURRENTLY SHOWING STORM TOTAL LIQUID PRECIPITATION AROUND 0.15" ON THE HIGH END. WITH SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER TEENS TO MID 20S DURING THIS EVENT WILL GO AHEAD AND ASSUME A 12:1 SNOW-WATER RATIO WHICH GENERALLY YIELDS 1-2" OF SNOWFALL. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT TODAY WITH NORTH/NORTHEASTERLY WINDS OF 5-10KTS SUGGESTED BY SHORT TERM GUIDANCE. THE UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK IS EXPECTED TO PUSH EAST OF THE REGION TONIGHT THUS BRINGING AN END TO THE BROAD-SCALE ASCENT. THAT BEING SAID SHORT TERM GUIDANCE SUGGESTS A MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL ADVANCE SOUTHEASTWARD FROM SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING...BRINGING WITH IT ENOUGH DPVA FOR ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION ACROSS OUR EAST/NORTHEASTERN CWA. THERE IS SOME CONCERN REGARDING DENDRITIC LAYER SATURATION ACROSS OUR EAST/NORTHEAST TONIGHT...HOWEVER GUIDANCE SUGGESTS SATURATION SHOULD BE ACHIEVED ACROSS OUR EAST/NORTHEAST BY 06Z EVEN IF THERE IS A TEMPORARY DRYING OF THE DENDRITIC LAYER AROUND 00Z THIS EVENING. WENT AHEAD AND CARRIED SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE POPS ACROSS OUR EAST/NORTHEAST 00Z-18Z FRIDAY AS A RESULT. OVERALL MOISTURE WILL BE SOMEWHAT LACKING WITH THIS OVERNIGHT/FRIDAY MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE THUS DO NOT ANTICIPATE MORE THAN A COUPLE TENTHS OF AN INCH OF ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION BEYOND WHAT WILL BE EXPERIENCED DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. SHORT TERM GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THE DENDRITIC LAYER WILL DRY OUT ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CWA 00Z-06Z TONIGHT WHILE 0-0.5KM RH VALUES REMAIN VERY HIGH UNTIL LOW LEVEL DRY AIR ADVECTION CAN INFILTRATE THE AREA BY 06Z. LOW LEVEL TURBULENT MIXING SHOULD REMAIN FAIRLY WEAK WITH 0-0.5KM BULK SHEAR NOT EXPECTED TO EXCEED 10KTS AND AS A RESULT...CONTINUE TO BE A BIT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT FREEZING FOG. ALL THAT BEING SAID...CERTAINLY CANNOT RULE OUT SOME PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE SHOULD POCKETS OF LOCALLY ENHANCED LOW LEVEL TURBULENT MIXING BE REALIZED AND AS A RESULT...PRESENTED A MENTION OF PATCHY LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AND PATCHY FREEZING FOG IN THE FORECAST. ANY ICING THAT DOES RESULT THIS EVENING SHOULD REMAIN MINIMAL DUE TO THE BREVITY OF POSSIBLE FREEZING DRIZZLE AND/OR FREEZING FOG. THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM FORECAST PERIOD REMAINS DRY AS AN OVERALL LACK IN KINEMATIC FORCING PRESENTS ITSELF. TEMPERATURES SHOULD CLIMB VERY LITTLE TODAY DUE TO CLOUD COVER AND PRECIPITATION. KEPT DIURNALS TO AROUND 6 OR 8 DEGREES AS A RESULT. A COOLER AIR MASS SHOULD ALSO PRESENT AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE 20S ON FRIDAY BEFORE LOW LEVEL RETURN FLOW AND BUILDING UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BRING WARMER WEATHER...WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S...ON SATURDAY. LONG TERM...12Z SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE FIRMLY CONTROL OF THE WEATHER PATTERN TO FINISH OUT THE UPCOMING WEEKEND...WITH DRY WEATHER AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THINGS WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT SUNDAY...HOWEVER...AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS TO BREAK DOWN LATE IN THE DAY AND A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST ON MONDAY. WHILE THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE DRY FOR THE MOST PART...DECIDED TO KEEP SMALL CHANCES FOR SOME LIGHT PRECIP MONDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE EXTREME EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...WHERE BLENDED MODELS ARE PAINTING SOME VERY SMALL CHANCES. LATEST EC AND GFS CONTINUE TO DIVERGE IN HANDLING OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WHICH IS EXPECTED TO TRACK ACROSS THE DESERT SOUTHWEST TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. LATEST EC EJECTS THIS LOW NORTHWESTWARD AND ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY AS IT WEAKENS...WHILE GFS MAINTAINS A CLOSED LOW TRACKING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. NEEDLESS TO SAY...EC SOLUTION WOULD BE MUCH MORE FAVORABLE FOR A CHANCE OF SOME PRECIPITATION TOWARDS THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE WEEK...BUT WITH 850MB TEMPS EXPECTED TO BE SEVERAL DEGREES ABOVE ZERO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...EXPECT ANY PRECIPITATION THAT DOES DEVELOP TO LIKELY FALL AS RAIN ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA. HOWEVER...DUE TO UNCERTAINTY IN TRACK AND TIMING OF THIS SYSTEM FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...KEPT POPS IN LOW CHANCE CATEGORY AT THIS TIME. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && AVIATION/SHORT TERM...BRYANT LONG TERM...ROSSI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 405 AM CST THU DEC 8 2011 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 091200- 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- 405 AM CST THU DEC 8 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA NORTH OF HIGHWAY 136. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS AND PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 136. SNOWFALL WILL BE HEAVIEST DURING THE DAY TODAY...HOWEVER LIGHT SNOW MAY ALSO LINGER ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT. A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE OR FREEZING FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING. TRACE AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE SHOULD LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE OR FREEZING FOG BE REALIZED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. 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) BRYANT
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county. A local newspaper reported that 2 teenagers were killed in a car accident near Silver Creek, and officials said slick roads contributed to the accident.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 2 to 4 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were reported across the county.
Snowfall totals of 1 to 3 inches were reported across the county.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather, Merrick | 2011-12-08 | 17 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Merrick | 2011-12-08 | 18 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Winter Weather, Buffalo | 2011-12-08 | 67 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, December 2011
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: 353671, 353672, 353673, 354463, 354464, 354465, 354466, 354467, 354468, 354469, 354470, 354471, 354472, 354473, 354474, 354475, 354476, 354477.