A deep upper trough moved across the Rockies and into the central plains bringing near-record high temperatures ahead of it and a very cold airmass behind it. Snow fell across much of the High Plains and Dakotas while isolated severe storms developed along a cold front.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 OAX wrote it up.
A deep upper trough moved across the Rockies and into the central plains bringing near-record high temperatures ahead of it and a very cold airmass behind it. Snow fell across much of the High Plains and Dakotas while isolated severe storms developed along a cold front.
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 Nov 10, 6:00 PM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 600 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY DISTINCT FRONT IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA TODAY...WITH WARM SECTOR OVERTAKING THE AREA. SUBJECTIVE 12Z UPPER AIR ANALYSIS INDICATES UPPER-LEVEL LOW CENTERED IN SOUTHEAST BC/NORTHERN ID/NORTHWEST MT. 500MB HEIGHT FALLS UP TO 110M EXTENDED TO THE EAST OF THE LOW...WITH STEEPEST FALLS ACROSS THE ROCKIES. STRONGEST UPPER-LEVEL JET OF AROUND 135-145KT HAD ROUNDED THE BASE OF THE TROUGH AND WAS FOCUSED ACROSS NM/AZ/SOUTHERN CO...THOUGH 100KT JET STREAK STILL WAS IN PLACE BEHIND IT AND WAS AIDING IT DIGGING THROUGH THE DAY. STEEPEST 700-500MB TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE WAS CENTERED FROM NEB/KS INTO SOUTHERN MO/NORTHERN AR. 850MB LOW AT 12Z WAS CENTERED IN NORTHEAST CO...WITH WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM THERE THROUGH WESTERN NEB/EASTERN SD/CENTRAL MN AND INTO NORTHERN MI. WARM SECTOR WAS NOT ESPECIALLY MOIST...WITH 8C+ DEWPOINTS CONFINED TO A NARROW CORRIDOR FROM WESTERN TX THROUGH OK INTO MO/EASTERN IA/WESTERN IL/SOUTHEAST MN. SURFACE LOW AT 21Z WAS CENTERED IN NORTHWEST KS/SOUTHWEST NEB...WITH SHARP WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM THERE THROUGH KBVN TO KSUX...AND WITH A CU FIELD DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT. MUCH COLDER AIR WAS IN PLACE BENEATH STRATUS FROM NORTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST NEB AND NORTHWESTWARD...WITH SNOW REPORTED IN WESTERN NEB/WESTERN SD.. MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS CONTINUE TO BE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL THIS LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING...AND ABRUPT TRANSITION TO COLDER WEATHER AND SOME MIXED PRECIP TONIGHT. SHRA ASSOCIATED WITH ACCAS IN SOUTHEAST NEB SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...WHILE SHRA/TSRA INCREASE IN COVERAGE ALONG THE WARM FRONT. OVERALL...STILL BELIEVE ACTIVITY WILL EVOLVE QUICKLY INTO A LINE OF STORMS ALONG THE FRONT. THE FASTER THIS HAPPENS...THE LESS LIKELY SEVERE WEATHER WOULD BE WITH THAT ACTIVITY. ANY ACTIVITY THAT CAN INITIATE AND MAINTAIN ITSELF AHEAD OF THE FRONT HAS A BETTER CHANCE TO PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER...BUT THIS IS STILL NO SLAM DUNK. MOISTURE...THOUGH NOT BAD FOR NOVEMBER...IS STILL NOT GREAT...WITH 20F TEMP/DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS...AND WINDS ARE LARGELY VEERED IN THE WARM SECTOR AHEAD OF THE FRONT /WITH A FEW NOTABLE EXCEPTIONS IN CENTRAL NEB...SUCH AS KAUH AND KOLU/. MAIN THREAT WOULD BE HAIL...WITH A SECONDARY THREAT OF WIND. COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE CWA TONIGHT...BRINGING PRECIPITATION AND A MUCH COLDER AIRMASS. BELIEVE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN A NARROW BAND TIED TO THE FRONT...AS STABILITY INCREASES RAPIDLY BEHIND THE FRONT. COLD AIR WILL COME IN RAPIDLY ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE POTENTIAL FOR THE VERY BACK EDGE OF PRECIP TO BE MIXED WITH SLEET AND SNOW. BELIEVE THREAT FOR FZRA IS LIMITED BY DEPTH OF COLD AIR BENEATH THE WARM NOSE...WHICH IS ONLY A DEGREE OR TWO ABOVE FREEZING. SINCE PRECIP WILL BE WINDING DOWN AS IT CHANGES OVER...THINK LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION IS LIKELY IN MOST PLACES. POSSIBLE EXCEPTION WOULD BE IN NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...WHICH COULD SEE AROUND A HALF INCH OF SLEET AND SNOW TONIGHT. TEMPS WILL RISE ONLY A LITTLE ON SUNDAY...WITH STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION COUNTERED BY SKIES BECOMING SUNNY. ON SUNDAY NIGHT...CLEAR SKIES AND WEAKENING WINDS...ALONG WITH COLD AIRMASS...WILL ALLOW TEMPS FALL WELL INTO THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S ACROSS THE AREA. SLOW RECOVERY WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY AND CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY...AS WESTERLY WINDS ON MONDAY BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY ON TUESDAY...ALLOWING SOME WARM AIR ADVECTION. AIRMASS WILL REMAIN DRY THROUGH TUESDAY. MAYES .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY QUIET WEATHER CONTINUES EARLY IN THE PERIOD AS ZONAL FLOW ALOFT ALLOWS SOUTHERLY FLOW TO CONTINUE WITH MILD TEMPERATURES. A WEAK FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY...BUT MOISTURE REMAINS MARGINAL AND THUS WILL KEEP POPS OUT...BUT JUST HIT THE CLOUDS A LITTLE HARDER. MAIN FORECAST PROBLEM WILL BE TIMING OF THE NEXT TROUGH LATE IN THE WEEK OR EARLY IN THE WEEKEND AS MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE TROUBLE RESOLVING THE SPEED AND STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM. MODELS HAVE NOW BACKED OFF JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THE TIMING...HOLDING OFF PRECIPITATION CHANCES UNTIL FRIDAY NIGHT...AND MORESO ON SATURDAY. STILL LOOKS WARM ENOUGH FOR AN ALL RAIN MENTION AT THIS TIME...BUT NO THUNDER AS INSTABILITY JUST ISN/T THERE RIGHT NOW. DEWALD && .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS FOR KOFK...KOMA AND KLNK. ONGOING CONVECTION/THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THE MAIN AVIATION ISSUE THROUGH TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION IS ALREADY OCCURRING AT KOFK AND CEILINGS HAVE FALLEN TO MVFR. EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS AT KOMA AND KLNK IN THE NEXT THREE HOURS ALONG WITH THE MAIN WIND SHIFT. DECIDED TO KEEP CEILINGS WITHIN MVFR RANGE BUT LOWERED KLNK AND KOMA TO 1000 FEET. CAN/T RULE OUT HIGH IFR CONDITIONS BUT CONFIDENCE WAS TOO LOW TO INCLUDE IN THE FORECAST. EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS TO BREAK EARLY TOMORROW MORNING...AROUND 12Z-15Z...THOUGH WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG OUT OF THE NORTHWEST. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. IA...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE 401 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-111215- 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- 401 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT AND SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE...WITH LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREAT AND DAMAGING WINDS A SECONDARY THREAT. STORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY TOWARD THE NORTHEAST THIS EVENING...FORMING INTO A LINE THAT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA AND DIMINISH IN STRENGTH LATER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT REPORTS OF DAMAGING WINDS OR HAIL OF ANY SIZE ARE APPRECIATED. REPORTS OF ACCUMULATING SNOW OR SLEET TONIGHT ALSO WOULD BE APPRECIATED. MAYES
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
459 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012
NEZ030-102330-
BOONE NE-
459 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BOONE COUNTY UNTIL 530 PM CST...
AT 455 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF BELGRADE...OR 36
MILES NORTH OF GRAND ISLAND...MOVING NORTH AT 85 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
ALBION...CEDAR RAPIDS...PETERSBURG AND PRIMROSE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER...CONTACT YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. THEY WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE IN OMAHA.
&&
LAT...LON 4176 9825 4187 9818 4188 9809 4187 9795
4180 9788 4177 9788 4151 9797 4151 9804
4150 9804 4150 9809 4148 9810 4148 9829
4164 9829
TIME...MOT...LOC 2255Z 201DEG 72KT 4144 9823
BOUSTEADSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA 521 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012 NEZ016-017-030-031-102345- BOONE NE-ANTELOPE NE-PIERCE NE-MADISON NE- 521 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN BOONE...EASTERN ANTELOPE...PIERCE AND NORTHWESTERN MADISON COUNTIES UNTIL 545 PM CST... AT 520 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PLAINVIEW TO NEWMAN GROVE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 39 MILES EAST OF ONEILL TO 29 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NORFOLK...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... PIERCE...PLAINVIEW...BATTLE CREEK...OSMOND...OAKDALE...MEADOW GROVE...TILDEN...BRUNSWICK...FOSTER AND MCLEAN. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 15 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE. && LAT...LON 4241 9800 4240 9746 4189 9747 4171 9801 TIME...MOT...LOC 2320Z 212DEG 59KT 4237 9788 4178 9788 BOUSTEAD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NEBRASKA
620 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012
NEZ042-110045-
PLATTE NE-
620 PM CST SAT NOV 10 2012
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL PLATTE COUNTY UNTIL
645 PM CST...
AT 616 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS
TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SILVER CREEK...OR 22 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF COLUMBUS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
PLATTE CENTER...DUNCAN...MONROE AND TARNOV.
LAT...LON 4166 9762 4160 9727 4136 9749 4136 9752
4134 9756 4133 9759 4139 9760 4140 9770
4153 9771
TIME...MOT...LOC 0016Z 210DEG 35KT 4128 9774
BOUSTEADThe Omaha radar (KOAX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:34 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dime size hail was also reported with this storm.
Dime-size hail was accompanied by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 60 mph.
Dime size hail also accompanied winds.
Dime-size hail was accompanied by wind gusts estimated at around 60 mph.
High wind and thunder were reported at the Lincoln airport as low level jet winds were mixed down to the surface due to nearby thunderstorms.
Outflow gusts from thunderstorms were estimated around 60 mph.
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, November 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: 412197, 421681, 412195, 421682, 412207, 412196.