Strong northwest winds occurred across the southeast panhandle into southwest Nebraska on Saturday, January 22nd. Strong northwest winds occurred behind a cold front during the late morning and afternoon hours.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
Strong northwest winds occurred across the southeast panhandle into southwest Nebraska on Saturday, January 22nd. Strong northwest winds occurred behind a cold front during the late morning and afternoon hours. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph were reported.
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 22, 10:02 AM MST, 28 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1102 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
.UPDATE...
AT 16Z...THE INVERTED TROUGH AT THE SURFACE HAD MOVED ACROSS MUCH
OF THE FORECAST AREA. WINDS...HAD PICKED UP ACROSS THE PANHANDLE
AND WESTERN NEBRASKA...ROUGHLY ALONG AND WEST OF HIGHWAY
83...ALTHOUGH KLBF HAS YET TO SEE THE WINDS INCREASE. HAVE BEEN
GETTING HIGH WIND REPORTS FROM SHERIDAN...GARDEN...DEUEL AND KEITH
COUNTIES VIA MESONET SITES OF 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS THIS MORNING. IN
ADDITION...HAVE HAD SNOW MOVE INTO THE PANHANDLE AND PORTIONS OF
WESTERN NEBRASKA. KIEN HAS REPORTED VISIBILITIES DOWN TO 1/4 MILE
AND HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES...AND AN OBSERVER REPORT INDICATED 1 TO 2
INCHES HAD ACCUMULATED. ONE AREA OF SNOW HAS MOVED AWAY FROM THIS
AREA HOWEVER ANOTHER AREA OF SNOW IS COMING SOUTH OUT OF SOUTH
DAKOTA CURRENTLY. DO EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF
NORTHERN NEBRASKA AS THE SNOW MOVES EAST SO WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY STILL LOOKING GOOD. DID INCREASE PRECIPITATION CHANCES TO
REFLECT CURRENT TRENDS.
ACROSS THE EAST...THE INITIAL BAND OF PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED
WITH THE INVERTED TROUGH IS SLOWLY PUSHING EAST AND OUT OF THE
FORECAST AREA. ALTHOUGH REFLECTIVITIES LOOK GOOD...CLOUD BASES IN
THIS AREA ARE AT 7K FEET SO THIS PRECIP IS WORKING TO SATURATE THE
COLUMN. MAY HAVE SOME SPOTS RECEIVING PRECIPITATION...WHICH COULD
VARY FROM SNOW TO RAIN...TO FREEZING RAIN AS THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES
ARE HOVERING AROUND FREEZING AND THE COLD AIR ALOFT IS STILL
MAKING ITS WAY INTO THE AREA.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 617 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012/
AVIATION...
A FEW MEMBERS OF THE SHORT RANGE MODEL OUTPUT SHOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY IN THE LOWER LEVELS THAT WOULD SUPPORT A FORECAST FOR
CEILINGS BELOW INSTRUMENT THRESHOLDS IN NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST
NEBRASKA NEAR THE SOUTH DAKOTA BORDER. OUTPUT FROM TWO OF FOUR SHORT
RANGE FORECAST SIMULATIONS INDICATE THE INSTRUMENT CEILINGS. ALL
FOUR SHOW CEILINGS OF 1000-3000 FEET AGL SPREADING OVER ALL OF THE
AREA FROM THROUGH 15Z AND DECREASING FROM THE WEST 15-21Z. THIS
WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW IN NORTHERN
NEBRASKA QUICKLY WITH ACCUMULATIONS AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
IN THE REST OF THE AREA...THE CHANGEOVER WILL BE LATER AND MAY
REMAIN A MIX. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF ICING OVER THE SOUTHWEST...
THOUGH THE PROBABILITY IS TOO LOW FOR INCLUSION IN THE TERMINAL
FORECAST FOR LBF.
WIND IS THE ELEMENT MOST LIKELY TO HAVE IMPACT ON AVIATION
OPERATIONS. AS LOW PRESSURE AND AN OCCLUDED FRONT CROSS
NEBRASKA...WIND WILL SHIFT TO 330-360 IN THE WEST AS EARLY AS 12Z
AND BECOME VERY STRONG AND SPREAD OVER THE REST OF CENTRAL AND
WESTERN NEBRASKA THROUGH 18Z. WIND SPEEDS IN CENTRAL...NORTH CENTRAL
AND NORTHWEST NEBRASKA WILL BE 25-33G38-42KT WITH 33-38G45-50KT IN
THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST.
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 355 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012/
DISCUSSION...
MODELS HAVE COME IN SLOWER...STRONGER...AND DEEPER WITH THE SYSTEM
PROJECTED TO CROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT. NAM AND GFS HAVE
INITIALIZED WELL WHEN COMPARED TO WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...AND ARE
SIMILAR WITH THEIR FORECASTS THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HRS. THIS HAS LEAD TO
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE RAMPING UP OF POPS AND SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. SYSTEM CURRENTLY LOCATED IN UTAH...WILL
CONTINUE MOVING EAST AND TAKE ON A NEGATIVE TILT AS IT CLOSES OF
ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL BE ON THE
INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE CLOSING LOW CENTER. BOTH
THE NAM AND GFS INDICATE AN AREA OF ACCUMULATING SNOW ACROSS NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA...AND HAVE OPTED FOR A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN
THIS AREA TO ACCOUNT FOR THE COMBINATION OF STRONG NORTH WINDS AND
SNOW CREATING LOW VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. FURTHER SOUTH
ACROSS SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA...WILL CONTINUE THE WIND
ADVISORY. THIS AREA WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED IN CASE SNOW HAPPENS
TO COMBINE WITH THE WIND AND CAUSE VISIBILITY PROBLEMS. LAST BUT NOT
LEAST WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
NEBRASKA PANHANDLE INTO FAR SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. THE USUALLY HIGH MAV
GUIDANCE EASILY SUGGESTS HIGH WIND WARNING...BUT SO DOES THE MET.
THE NAM 500 METER WIND SPEEDS ALSO SHOW POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINED
WINDS OF 40 MPH OR GREATER AS WELL. WILL UPGRADE THE WIND ADVISORY
TO HIGH WIND WARNING TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE SIGNALS.
SYSTEM DEPARTS EAST OF THE AREA TONIGHT WITH WINDS DIMINISHING LATE.
WARMING TREND EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SOUTHERN STREAM
SYSTEM MAY BRING A SHOWER OR TWO TO THE AREA TUESDAY AFTERNOON...BUT
BULK OF THE ACTIVITY REMAINS TO OUR SOUTH. ANOTHER SYSTEM DIVES
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA BY WEEKS END...WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES
EXPECTED BEHIND A COLD FRONT FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.
&&
.LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR
NEZ022-023-035-056>058-069-070.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NEZ036-037-059-071.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR
NEZ006>010-026>028.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING
FOR NEZ004-005-024-025-094.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING FOR NEZ029-038.
&&
DISCUSSION...TAYLOR
AVIATION...SPRINGER
UPDATE...BROOKSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 1113 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-231715- 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- 1113 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012 /1013 AM MST SUN JAN 22 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS OF 25 MPH TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 MPH OR HIGHER...WHILE AREAS OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA WEST OF A LINE FROM WHITMAN TO PAXTON TO HAYES CENTER COULD SEE GUSTS UP TO 65 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR IN PLACES...MAINLY IN AREAS NORTH OF HIGHWAYS 2 AND 91...WHERE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THESE AREAS CAN EXPECT VISIBILITIES TO REDUCE TO 1/4 MILE AT TIMES. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING AS THE SNOW MOVES OUT OF THE AREA AND WINDS DIMINISH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .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 BROOKS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1013 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0919 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 29 S MERRIMAN 42.50N 101.70W
01/22/2012 M37.00 MPH CHERRY NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE008.
0920 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE LEWELLEN 41.31N 102.12W
01/22/2012 M36.00 MPH GARDEN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE026.
0920 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 12 W BIG SPRINGS 41.06N 102.31W
01/22/2012 M41.00 MPH DEUEL NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE 004.
0922 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 12 SSW OSHKOSH 41.25N 102.43W
01/22/2012 M39.00 MPH GARDEN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE036.
0922 AM NON-TSTM WND GST ELLSWORTH 42.06N 102.29W
01/22/2012 M40.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE024.
0925 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW RUSHVILLE 42.72N 102.48W
01/22/2012 M45.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE020.
0955 AM NON-TSTM WND GST OGALLALA 41.13N 101.72W
01/22/2012 M48.00 MPH KEITH NE AWOS
OGALLALA AWOS AIRPORT SENSOR.
&&
CARMELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1014 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0722 AM FREEZING RAIN 3 ENE NORTH PLATTE 41.15N 100.72W
01/22/2012 U0.00 INCH LINCOLN NE NWS EMPLOYEE
FREEZING RAIN OCCURRING AT LEE BIRD FIELD IN NORTH
PLATTE. ICE ACCRUAL BEGINNING ON WINDSHIELDS AND
SURFACES.
0845 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 14 NNW RUSHVILLE 42.90N 102.57W
01/22/2012 M40.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE032 LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTH OF PINE
RIDGE.
0855 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 NW RUSHVILLE 42.72N 102.48W
01/22/2012 M43.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE020.
0858 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 19 NW GORDON 43.00N 102.47W
01/22/2012 M39.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE PARK/FOREST SRVC
RAWS SENSOR SITE RESN1 LOCATED 3 MILES SOUTH OF
WHITECLAY.
0919 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 29 S MERRIMAN 42.50N 101.70W
01/22/2012 M37.00 MPH CHERRY NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE008.
0920 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 SE LEWELLEN 41.31N 102.12W
01/22/2012 M36.00 MPH GARDEN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE026.
0920 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 12 W BIG SPRINGS 41.06N 102.31W
01/22/2012 M41.00 MPH DEUEL NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE 004.
0922 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 12 SSW OSHKOSH 41.25N 102.43W
01/22/2012 M39.00 MPH GARDEN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE036.
0922 AM NON-TSTM WND GST ELLSWORTH 42.06N 102.29W
01/22/2012 M40.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE024.
0925 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WNW RUSHVILLE 42.72N 102.48W
01/22/2012 M45.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE020.
0955 AM NON-TSTM WND GST OGALLALA 41.13N 101.72W
01/22/2012 M48.00 MPH KEITH NE AWOS
OGALLALA AWOS AIRPORT SENSOR.
&&
CARMELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1038 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0930 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 E BIG SPRINGS 41.06N 102.02W
01/22/2012 M50.00 MPH KEITH NE MESONET
SENSOR FROM UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD SENSOR SITE UP196.
0951 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 12 SSW OSHKOSH 41.25N 102.43W
01/22/2012 M55.00 MPH GARDEN NE DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
NEDOR SENSOR SITE NE036.
0952 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 19 NW GORDON 43.00N 102.47W
01/22/2012 M51.00 MPH SHERIDAN NE PARK/FOREST SRVC
RAWS SENSOR SITE RESN1.
&&
CARMELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1056 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1055 AM SNOW GORDON 42.81N 102.20W
01/22/2012 E2.0 INCH SHERIDAN NE PUBLIC
ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW SO FAR...WITH HEAVY SNOW AT
TIME OF THIS REPORT. VERY POOR VISIBILITIES BEING CAUSED
BY STRONG WIND GUSTS BLOWING THE SNOW. LOCATION IS ON THE
PINE RIDGE.
&&
CARMELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1101 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1100 AM SNOW MERRIMAN 42.92N 101.70W
01/22/2012 E1.0 INCH CHERRY NE TRAINED SPOTTER
TRAINED SPOTTER ESTIMATED NEAR ONE INCH OF NEW SNOW.
VISIBILITY AT TIME OF REPORT APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER
MILE.
&&
CARMELPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1119 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1110 AM SNOW RUSHVILLE 42.71N 102.47W
01/22/2012 E1.0 INCH SHERIDAN NE PUBLIC
SNOWFALL SO FAR ESTIMATED AT ONE INCH. BLOWING SNOW AND
REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT THIS LOCATION.
&&
CARMELThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Imperial ASOS reported a 60 mph wind gust at 10:51 am MST. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred across Chase county during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Nearby Sidney ASOS reported 40 mph sustained winds at 10:53 am MST. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 55 mph occurred across Deuel county during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Nearby Imperial ASOS reported 40 mph sustained winds with a peak gust of 60 mph at 10:51 am MST. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 60 mph occurred across Perkins county during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Nearby Imperial ASOS reported 40 mph sustained winds with a peak gust of 60 mph at 11:51 am CST. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 55 mph occurred across Hayes county during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
A mesonet observation located 12 miles southwest of Oshkosh reported a peak gust of 55 mph at 951 am MST. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 55 mph occurred across Garden county during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
Ogallala AWOS observation reported sustained winds of 40 mph at 1135 am MST. Sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 55 mph occurred across Keith county during the late morning to early afternoon hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, January 2012
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: 355106, 355107, 355108, 355109, 355110, 355111.