A combination of melting snow and warmer temperatures helped form ice jams along sections of eastern Nebraska rivers and streams over the last few weeks of February. Most the flooding was noted along the Platte River from around Fremont downstream toward the confluence with the Elkhorn River and along the Elkhorn River from around Stanton toward Scribner.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 OAX wrote it up.
A combination of melting snow and warmer temperatures helped form ice jams along sections of eastern Nebraska rivers and streams over the last few weeks of February. Most the flooding was noted along the Platte River from around Fremont downstream toward the confluence with the Elkhorn River and along the Elkhorn River from around Stanton toward Scribner.
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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 17, 5:50 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 550 AM CST THU FEB 17 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED TO REMOVE THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY. && .DISCUSSION... THE LOW CLOUDS AND FOG HAVE BEEN SCOURED OUT...THUS VSBYS HAVE IMPROVED AND THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY CANCELLED. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 345 AM CST THU FEB 17 2011/ DISCUSSION... INITIAL CONCERNS WILL BE EROSION OF DENSE FOG...THEN RECORD OR NEAR RECORD TEMPERATURES TODAY...AND TEMPERATURES THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. LONGER TERM CONCERNS WILL BE PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL AND PRECIPITATION TYPE SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. LOW CLOUDS AND FOG THAT HELD TEMPERATURES DOWN ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA WEDNESDAY...MOVED NORTH OVERNIGHT. THE SURFACE WARM FRONT HAD LIFTED NORTH OF TEKAMAH AND DENISON IOWA. THE TEMPERATURES HAD RESPONDED AT DENISON AT 50 DEGREES WITH A SOUTH WIND GUSTING TO 21 KTS...HOWEVER TEKAMAH WAS 37 WITH ZERO VISIBILITY AND JUST A LIGHT SOUTH WIND. TRIMMED BACK THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY WITH IMPROVEMENT IN THE VISIBILITIES OVERNIGHT AT NEBRASKA CITY/OMAHA/RED OAK. THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS...THE WINDS IN PARTS OF NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS SOUTHWEST IOWA...SO AT RISK FOR LINGERING FOG. LEFT AREAS FROM TEKAMAH NORTHEASTWARD IN THE ADVISORY UNTIL THESE LOW CLOUDS CAN GET SCOURED OUT. THE H850 THERMAL RIDGE IS OVER THE FORECAST AREA NOW...HOWEVER BY 18Z WILL HAVE SHIFTED EAST OF THE AREA...WITH SIGNIFICANT COOLING BEGINNING TO MOVE IN BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. MIXING OF THESE WARM TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL BE MAXIMIZED OVER THE SOUTHERN HAVE OF THE FORECAST AREA...THUS FORECASTED HIGHS WILL BE A CHALLENGE TODAY. COOLED TEMPERATURES IN TO NORTH TO THE 50S...AND LEFT RECORD OR NEAR RECORD TEMPERATURES FARTHER SOUTH IN THE 60S TO LOWER 70S. THE RECORD FOR OMA/LNK/OFK ARE 69/72/72 RESPECTIVELY. REINFORCING COLD AIR IS ON TAP TONIGHT AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN. ALREADY BY SATURDAY THE SOUTH FLOW RETURNS AND A STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL JET AND ISENTROPIC LIFT MAY PRODUCE SOME LIGHT RAIN BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON TOWARD FALLS CITY. SATURDAY NIGHT...DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN COLORADO MOVES INTO KANSAS WITH STRONG SOUTH FLOW PROVIDING LIFT OVER A WARM FRONT IN KANSAS. ACROSS THE SOUTH THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD MAINLY BE RAIN...HOWEVER FARTHER NORTH IN THE COLDER AIR THERE WILL BE A TRANSITION/MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW. THERE IS STILL DISAGREEMENT ON THE TRACK AND STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM. WILL MAKE SOME INITIAL ADJUSTMENT FOR THE COLD AIR SUNDAY...SO WILL TREND TEMPS DOWNWARD AND PRECIP TYPE COLDER WITH MIX OF PRECIP. CZ AVIATION... TAF SITES KOFK/KOMA/KLNK 06Z TAFS WITH THE WARM FRONT MOVG N OF THE TERMINALS THIS MRNG...OTHER THAN SOME MORNING MVFR VISBY DUE TO HZ...VFR CONDS ARE EXPECTED THRU THE PERIOD. WL LIKELY SEE SOME GUSTS IN THE SFC WINDS THIS AFTN AS THEY BECOME SW. THEN A CDFNT WL MAKE ITS WAY THRU THE TERMINALS THRU THE AFTN WITH WINDS BECOMING NW THIS EVNG AT ALL LOCATIONS. FNT WL BE DRY THOUGH WITH JUST SOME MID AND HIGH LVL CLDS. JB && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. && ZAPOTOCNY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 525 AM CST THU FEB 17 2011 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-180130- MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT- PAGE-KNOX-CEDAR-THURSTON-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON- STANTON-CUMING-BURT-PLATTE-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-BUTLER- SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-CASS-OTOE-SALINE- JEFFERSON-GAGE-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON- 525 AM CST THU FEB 17 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED FOR POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING AND ICE JAMS...MAINLY ALONG THE PLATTE...ELKHORN AND NIOBRARA RIVERS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...THUS AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED FOR POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING AND ICE JAMS. A WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING ONTO THE PLAINS COULD BRING A MIX OF PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA WITH LIGHT SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN...AND RAIN SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS IS STILL A DEVELOPING STORM SYSTEM AND THE TRACK AND INTENSITY MAY CHANGE...HOWEVER AT THIS TIME...LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHEAST NEBRASKA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT OR THURSDAY. ZAPOTOCNY
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A relatively short-lived ice jam along the Platte River caused some flooding damage to a few picnic tables, docks and outdoor furniture in the Villa Springs subdivision near 120th and Buffalo road in southern Sarpy county.
Minor flooding along the Platte River due to an ice jam was noted around the Linoma Beach area in far southwest Sarpy county. No damage was reported in the area.
Minor flooding occurred along the Platte River due to an ice jam when water briefly topped a Levee in the Willow Point area. Little or no damage was reported in the area.
An ice jam near the Highway 77 bridge caused flooding that closed Ridge Road for a while, mainly during the afternoon of the 17th, just southwest of Fremont. Damage was apparently minimal.
An ice jam near the Highway 77 bridge caused flooding that closed Ridge Road for a while, mainly during the afternoon of the 17th, just southwest of Fremont, in Dodge county and also flooded at least 3 homes/cabins on the south side of the river in Saunders county. Damage was apparently minimal.
Minor ice jam flooding was observed along the Platte River in the Cedar Creek area for a relatively brief time. Little apparent damage was noted.
Minor flooding along the Elkhorn River due to an ice jam was noted south of Highway 24 between Stanton and Norfolk. The flooding was confined mainly to agricultural lowlands and damage was apparently minimal.
Melting snow and a possible ice jam caused minor flooding along the North Fork of the Elkhorn River around and downstream of the Pierce area. The river at Pierce crested a little over its 12 foot flood stage during the late afternoon and evening of Feb. 18th. The flood waters mainly affected agricultural lowlands.
Ice jam flooding was observed along the Elkhorn River from around the West Point area downstream to around Crowell. Although the flooding was confined mostly to agricultural lowlands along the river, the flood waters did cross Highway 275 near Crowell prompting its closure for around a week. The main ice jam was 1 mile upstream to 2 miles downstream of the Highway 32 bridge near West Point. The jam caused the Elkhorn River at West Point to reach a crest a little over 14 feet on Feb. 22nd, flood stage is 12 feet.
Ice jam flooding was observed along the Elkhorn River from around the West Point area downstream to around Crowell. Although the flooding was confined mostly to agricultural lowlands along the river, the flood waters did cross Highway 275 near Crowell prompting its closure for around a week. The main ice jam was 1 mile upstream to 2 miles downstream of the Highway 32 bridge near West Point. The jam caused the Elkhorn River at West Point to reach a crest a little over 14 feet on Feb. 22nd, flood stage is 12 feet.
A mile long ice jam near the Woodcliff Lake subdivision south of Fremont caused flooding to at least 3 homes in the area and prompted dirt barriers to be erected along the edges of the lake. However, any flood damage to the homes was apparently minimal, and the flooding only lasted for about 24 hours before enough of it broke free causing the water levels to fall.
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, February 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: 277125, 277126, 277127, 277557, 277558, 277560, 277561, 277663, 277533, 277534, 277550.