A strong storm system tracked northeast across western and north central Nebraska during the overnight hours on February 19th through the morning hours on February 20th. Warm air lifting over subfreezing temperatures near the surface caused scattered thunderstorms with freezing rain and sleet to occur.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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 storm system tracked northeast across western and north central Nebraska during the overnight hours on February 19th through the morning hours on February 20th. Warm air lifting over subfreezing temperatures near the surface caused scattered thunderstorms with freezing rain and sleet to occur. Significant ice accumulations of a quarter to half inch occurred across the eastern half of north central Nebraska, while significant accumulations of sleet and freezing rain occurred across western portions of north central Nebraska.
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 Feb 19, 3:56 PM CST, 2 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 356 PM CST SAT FEB 19 2011 .SYNOPSIS... STORM SYSTEM OVER THE WESTERN CONUS SLAMMING INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST. && .DISCUSSION... MODELS DO NOT HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON TEMPERATURE FORECAST WHICH IS MOST CRITICAL TO NEAR TERM FORECAST. HAVE LOW CONFIDENCE IN NEAR TERM. COLORADO LOW WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING ON THE EASTERN PLAINS OF COLORADO AND THEN MOVE INTO THE NEBRASKA KANSAS BORDER TONIGHT AND MOVE SLOWLY EAST THROUGH SUNDAY DRAWING COLD AIR SOUTH. COLD FRONT ALREADY HALF WAY THROUGH THE SANDHILLS. UPPER LEVEL WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH OUT OF KANSAS TONIGHT AND MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN NEBRASKA AND UP AND OVER COLDER AIR IN PLACE OVER THE SANDHILLS. INSTABILITY ALOFT WILL ALLOW FOR SOME THUNDER WITH THE FIRST WAVE. DEPENDING ON SURFACE TEMPERATURES SNOW NORTH OVER NORTHWEST NEBRASKA. MIXED PRECIPITATION HIGHWAY 92 SOUTH TO INTERSTATE 80 AND THEN RAIN SOUTH INTO KANSAS. FREEZING RAIN WILL BE MAIN CONCERN OVER NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WHERE BEST CHANCE FOR INSTABILITY SHOWERS AND FROZEN SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL COMBINE FOR FREEZING RAIN. QPF FROM MODELS QUITE IMPRESSIVE. ICE STORM WARNING ISSUED FOR NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. WILL HAVE TO ADD HIGHLIGHTS AFTER CHANGEOVER TO SNOW ON SUNDAY. SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY TONIGHT OVER SHERIDAN AND CHERRY COUNTIES HAVE GONE WITH WINTER STORM WARNING WITH SNOW CONTINUING INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. STRONG WINDS TO DEVELOP HAVE INCLUDED BLOWING SNOW. SYSTEM TO WIND DOWN SUNDAY NIGHT WITH SOME FLURRIES OVER NORTH CENTRAL MONDAY MORNING AS UPPER LOW MOVES EAST. FALLING TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY WITH MONDAY MORNING BELOW ZERO OVER NORTHWEST NEBRASKA. TEMPERATURES REBOUNDING TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF NEXT COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE THURSDAY. CHANCE OF SNOW THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY WITH COOLER AIR FILTERING TOWARDS THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION... ARCTIC FRONT HAS PUSHED INTO NORTHERN NEB...WITH IFR STRATUS IMPACTING NORTHWEST NEBRASKA...INCLUDING KVTN. EXPECT A SHORT PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS...BEFORE RETURNING TO IFR. LATER TONIGHT...AS THE STORM SYSTEM PUSHES ACROSS THE ROCKIES...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN...SLEET OR SNOW WILL BEGIN. THIS WILL TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE DROPPING TO LESS THAN ONE MILE FOR KVTN. BY TOMORROW WINDS WILL INCREASE AND PRODUCE SOME BLOWING SNOW. FURTHER SOUTH...FOR KLBF TERMINAL...SOME ELEVATED INSTABILITY WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE LOW AN RESULT IN THE POSSIBILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS. SURFACE TEMPS MAY BE CLOSE TO THE FREEZING MARK...WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THUNDER FREEZING RAIN. OVERNIGHT AS COLD AIR PUSHES SOUTH...THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS DIMINISHES...HOWEVER LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND/OR SLEET WILL BECOME LIKELY. THEN A CHANGE TO SNOW TOWARDS MORNING IS EXPECTED. MVFR DROPPING TO IFR CIGS WILL LIKELY PUSH INTO SW NEB EARLY TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST /11 PM MST/ SUNDAY NIGHT FOR NEZ004-005-023>025-094. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT CST /11 PM MST/ TONIGHT TO 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ SUNDAY FOR NEZ022-035>037-057-059. ICE STORM WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST SUNDAY FOR NEZ006>010-026>029. FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST SUNDAY FOR NEZ038. && SHORT TERM/AVIATION...MASEK LONG TERM...POWER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 427 PM CST SAT FEB 19 2011 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-202230- 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- 427 PM CST SAT FEB 19 2011 /327 PM MST SAT FEB 19 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. AN INTENSE STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN PLAINS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING A WIDE RANGE OF WEATHER TYPES TO WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THERE IS A RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT IN MOST OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE PRIMARY RISK WITH THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE HAIL AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. IN THE AREA...ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 80...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS LIKELY LATE TONIGHT TO EARLY SUNDAY. THE RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS IS MINIMAL NORTH OF NEBRASKA HIGHWAY 2 AND WEST OF HIGHWAY 83. IN THAT AREA...FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL CHANGE TO SNOW LATE TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...FREEZING RAIN IS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA EAST OF HIGHWAY 83 WITH SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATION LIKELY. HEAVY ICE ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE IN THE AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF HIGHWAY 281. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AS THE STORM SYSTEM CONTINUES ITS SLOW TREK ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA WITH UP TO FIVE INCHES POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20. WIND WILL INCREASE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 40 MPH. THIS WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW SUNDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... ACTIVATION OR DEPLOYMENT OF SPOTTERS IS NOT LIKELY TO BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && THIS PRODUCT IS NOW AVAILABLE...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER... HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATOLOGICAL INFORMATION...AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE JRS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 ice storm, 3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement in Thedford reported 0.50 inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain. Light sleet accumulations of a tenth of an inch were also reported. Snowfall amounts around an inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning hours on February 20th.
Cooperative observer in Valentine reported 0.70 inch of sleet. Sleet accumulations of a half inch or more were common across eastern Cherry county. Ice accumulations from freezing rain of a quarter inch or less were also reported. Snowfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches occurred as the system exited during the morning hours on February 20th.
Public reported around a quarter inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain located 11 miles southeast of Springview. Ice accumulations around a quarter inch were common across Keya Paha county. Light snow and sleet accumulations around an inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning of February 20th.
Cooperative observer located in Lynch reported a quarter inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain. Ice accumulations around a quarter inch were common across Boyd county. Light snow and sleet accumulations around an inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning of February 20th.
Cooperative observer located in Ainsworth reported a quarter inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain. Ice accumulations around a quarter inch were common across Brown county. Light snow and sleet accumulations around an inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning of February 20th.
Cooperative observer located in Bassett reported a quarter inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain. Ice accumulations around a quarter inch were common across Rock county. Light sleet accumulations around a quarter inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning of February 20th.
Cooperative observer located in Atkinson reported one inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain. Ice accumulations around a quarter to half inch were common across Holt county. Light sleet accumulations from a tenth to a quarter inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning of February 20th.
General public reported a quarter inch or ice in Dunning. Ice accumulations around a quarter to half inch were common across Blaine county. Light sleet accumulations from a tenth to a quarter inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning of February 20th.
Law enforcement reported freezing rain with a quarter inch of ice accumulation in Taylor. Ice accumulations around a quarter to half inch were common across Loup county.
Law enforcement in Mullen reported 0.85 inch of sleet. Sleet accumulations of a half inch or more were common across Hooker county. Ice accumulations from freezing rain of a tenth of an inch were also reported. Snowfall amounts around an inch also occurred as the system exited during the morning hours on February 20th.
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: 281036, 281045, 281048, 281049, 281050, 281051, 281054, 281055, 281056, 281044.