An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills to portions of North Central Nebraska during the overnight hours December 4th into the morning hours December 5th, 2013. Dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 40 below affected Sheridan and Cherry County.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills to portions of North Central Nebraska during the overnight hours December 4th into the morning hours December 5th, 2013. Dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 40 below affected Sheridan and Cherry County.
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 Dec 4, 2:43 PM MST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 343 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 341 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AT 21Z SHOWED AMPLIFIED FLOW OVER THE PACIFIC INTO NORTH AMERICA AS A STRONG RIDGE WAS OVER THE PACIFIC INTO ALASKA...WITH A DEEP TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN CONUS. AMONGST THE TROUGH...AN UPPER LOW WAS CENTERED OVER SASKATCHEWAN WITH THE TROUGH AXIS EXTENDING THROUGH THE HIGH PLAINS INTO WESTERN COLORADO. AT THE SURFACE...A LOW WAS CENTERED OVER NORTHEAST IOWA WITH THE COLD FRONT EXTENDING INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO CENTRAL TEXAS...THEN NORTH TO CENTRAL COLORADO. BEHIND THIS FRONT...AN ARCTIC AIRMASS BUILT IN THROUGH THE DAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO MID TEENS. AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DUG FURTHER SOUTH TODAY...THE FLOW OF MOISTURE ALOFT INTO THE AREA HAS REDUCED. WITH THE LOSS OF MOISTURE IN THE COLUMN...SNOW HAS MOSTLY COME TO AN END THIS AFTERNOON. THEREFORE THE CURRENT WINTER STORM IS ON THE DOWNWARD END OF EXISTENCE FOR THE LOCAL AREA. THERE WILL REMAIN SOME LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES ACROSS NEBRASKA THROUGH THIS EVENING UNTIL THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. ALTHOUGH NO MORE ACCUMULATING SNOW IS EXPECTED...WILL CONTINUE THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AS WINDS BLOWING AT 15 TO 25 AND GUSTS TO 35 HAVE BEEN BLOWING THE NEW SNOW AROUND...CAUSING VISIBILITIES TO REDUCE TO ONE MILE OR LESS AT TIMES ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA. ONCE THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE AREA...DRIER AIR WILL ADVECT INTO THE PLAINS OVERNIGHT...WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES FOR MOST OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA BY THURSDAY MORNING. WITH THE LOSS OF INSOLATION FROM CLOUD COVER WILL HAVE SOME RADIATIONAL COOLING OVERNIGHT TO DEAL WITH...AS WELL AS CONTINUED COLD AIR ADVECTION OVERNIGHT TO BRING VERY COLD TEMPERATURES TO THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. AT 850MB...TEMPERATURES FROM 12Z SOUNDINGS THIS MORNING WERE -16C AT LBF AND -20C AT GGW. THIS -20C AIR WILL BE EDGING INTO NEBRASKA BY 12Z THURSDAY...AND BY 00Z FRIDAY FORECAST MODELS ARE SHOWING 850MB TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA RANGING FROM -16C TO -23C. FOR TONIGHT...WITH THIS VERY COLD AIR PROGRESSING INTO THE AREA ALONG WITH CLEARING SKIES AND FRESH SNOWPACK IN SOME PLACES LOOKING AT LOWS TONIGHT DROPPING BELOW ZERO FOR ALMOST ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA. COLDEST LOWS WILL BE IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE FORECAST AREA...WHERE THE COLDER AIR WILL RESIDE AND THE SNOWPACK IS DEEPEST /TO 15 INCHES IN PLACES/. THESE LOCATIONS MAY SEE LOWS IN THE FROM -15 TO -20 BELOW ZERO /F/. IN ADDITION...ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING...THEY WILL NOT COMPLETELY DECOUPLE...SO EXPECTING SPEEDS BETWEEN 8KTS AND 15KTS FOR MUCH OF THE NIGHT. AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM MERRIMAN TO NORTH PLATTE MAY EVEN SEE WINDS OF 20KTS CONTINUING THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. THESE WINDS AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL DROP WIND CHILLS TO DANGEROUS LEVELS OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY MORNING. WILL ISSUE A WIND CHILL WARNING FOR THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH A WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THE COLDEST AIR WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY THURSDAY...SO NOT EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO WARM MUCH DURING THE DAY. LOOKING FOR A 15 TO 20 DEGREE DIURNAL SWING...BUT WITH THE BEGINNING TEMPERATURES...THIS WILL ONLY LEAD TO HIGHS FROM 0 TO 15 DEGREES /F/. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 341 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 ON FRIDAY...RETURN FLOW ALOFT SOUTH AND WEST OF THE ARCTIC AIR MASS BEGINS TRANSPORTING MOISTURE FROM TEXAS AND THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS TO KANSAS AND...BY EARLY SATURDAY...SOUTHERN AND WESTERN NEBRASKA. THE MORNING RUN OF THE GFS AND NAM ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE PATTERN. WITH SATURATION DEFICITS OF 20MB OR LOWER ON THE 285K SURFACE AND MIXING RATIO OF 1-2G/KG...WE HAVE MODERATE CONFIDENCE THAT PRECIPITATION (LIGHT AT LEAST) WILL DEVELOP. CROSS-SECTIONS OF THETA...AGEOSTROPHIC VERTICAL CIRCULATION AND WIND COMPONENT ALONG THE CROSS-SECTION THROUGH THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND FROM NORTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA SHOW DECENT LIFT BY 12Z SATURDAY. THEY SHOW MORE FAVORABLE SATURATION DEFICITS IN THE SECTION THROUGH THE PANHANDLE. THE SECTION THROUGH NORTH CENTRAL TO SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA SHOWS DRY AIR IN THE UNDERLYING LAYERS WITH DEFICITS OF 60-120MB INITIALLY WHICH WILL LIMIT THE PRECIPITATION TOTALS UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING. THE AGEOSTROPHIC VERTICAL CIRCULATION IN BOTH SECTIONS SHOWS THE LIFT CONTINUING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING...THOUGH IT WEAKENS CONSIDERABLY OVER SOUTHERN NEBRASKA AFTER MIDNIGHT. ONE THING THAT BOTH SECTIONS WILL SHOW IS THAT THE VERTICAL TEMPERATURE PROFILE FAVORS SNOW WHEREVER PRECIPITATION DOES OCCUR. ALSO...THE HIGHEST VERTICAL VELOCITY PROJECTIONS ARE THROUGH THE -14C THROUGH -16C...SO THE SNOW TO LIQUID RATIO SHOULD BE IN THE HIGHER PERCENTILES OF THE RANGE...MAYBE 18 TO 1 OR HIGHER. WITH SPECIFIC HUMIDITY OF 1-2G/KG...THE GFS TOTALS OF 0.10 OR LOWER LOOK REASONABLE AND AMOUNTS WILL BE LIMITED TO LESS THAN 2 INCHES. TURNING TO THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST...WITH STEERING FLOW CONTINUING FROM NORTHERN CANADA...TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE WELL BELOW AVERAGE THROUGH MONDAY. IN FACT...THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...LIGHT NORTH WIND WILL CONTINUE BRINGING COLD AIR ACROSS THE SNOW FIELD IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SANDHILLS AND THE EASTERN PANHANDLE TO KEEP TEMPERATURES 20-35 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE EVEN IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA WHERE ACTUAL SNOWFALL WAS SCARCE WITH THIS LAST SYSTEM. BY LATE MONDAY...A RIDGE BUILDING IN THE WESTERN U.S. WILL PROBABLY GIVE MODERATING TEMPERATURES TO CENTRAL AND WESTERN NEBRASKA TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1200 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNS FOR AVIATION AS THE WINTER STORM SYSTEM COMES TO AN END BY LATER TODAY. CEILINGS HAVE BEEN RISING ACROSS NEBRASKA...WITH MOST LOCATIONS REPORTING VFR CEILING HEIGHTS. THERE DOES REMAIN SOME LOWER CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA...DOWN TO 1300 FEET...HOWEVER THESE HAVE BEEN SCATTERED. RELATIVE HUMIDITY PROFILES INDICATE THAT THIS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO SCOUR OUT OF THE AREA TONIGHT BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z. AFTER THAT...PLENTIFUL DRY AIR WILL BE ADVECTING INTO THE REGION SO SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR INTO THE DAY ON THURSDAY. LIGHT SNOW AND FLURRIES WILL CONTINUE TO FALL ACROSS PORTIONS OF NEBRASKA TODAY...MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM KAIA TO KTIF TO KONL. A FEW HEAVIER BANDS OF SNOW WILL BE OBSERVED YET THIS AFTERNOON WHICH COULD DROP VISIBILITIES DOWN TO 1 1/4 MILE FOR A BRIEF TIME. WITH BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS 20KTS GUSTING TO 30KTS...MAY ALSO GET SOME OF THE NEW SNOW TO BLOW AROUND A BIT...CAUSING SOME VISIBILITY PROBLEMS YET THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH THIS EVENING WHICH SHOULD BRING AN END TO ANY BLOWING SNOW. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 341 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 THE COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL BRING ABOUT CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE FOR ICE JAMMING ALONG AREA RIVERS BY THE END OF THIS WEEK. TEMPERATURES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO RISE ABOVE THE FREEZING MARK THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK...AND AS ICE FORMS ON RIVERS...AREAS WITH RESTRICTED FLOWS MAY SEE ICE BUILD UP WHICH COULD DEVELOP INTO JAMS. IF THIS DOES OCCUR...FLOODING WOULD BE POSSIBLE IN AREAS ALONG THE RIVERS. AS ICE JAMMING IS QUITE ERRATIC AND CAN HAPPEN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME...WILL BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON RIVER LEVELS THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK. SOME OF THE SMALLER RIVERS HAVE BEGUN TO SHOW SOME INDICATION OF ICE IMPACTS ALTHOUGH NO PROBLEMS ARE ONGOING AT THE CURRENT TIME. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ THURSDAY FOR NEZ006>010-024>029-035>038-056>059-069>071. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ004>010-094. WIND CHILL WARNING UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ THURSDAY FOR NEZ004-005-022-023-094. && SHORT TERM...BROOKS LONG TERM...SPRINGER AVIATION...BROOKS HYDROLOGY...BROOKS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 414 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-052215- 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- 414 PM CST WED DEC 4 2013 /314 PM MST WED DEC 4 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. BREEZY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES OVER PORTIONS OF NORTHERN NEBRASKA THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO ZERO TO 15 BELOW ZERO TONIGHT. THE BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL COMBINE WITH NORTHERLY WINDS TO PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 35 BELOW ZERO THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. COLD TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS OF 20 TO 35 BELOW ZERO THURSDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP BETWEEN 15 AND 35 DEGREES BELOW ZERO FRIDAY MORNING. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD THROUGH THE NEXT WEEK...WITH ADDITIONAL DAYS WITH EXTREME WIND CHILLS POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && GET YOUR WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL...AND CLIMATE INFORMATION AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/NORTHPLATTE (ALL LOWERCASE) BROOKS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
101 PM CST WED DEC 04 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0101 PM HEAVY SNOW CODY 42.94N 101.25W
12/04/2013 M15.0 INCH CHERRY NE PUBLIC
&&
MARTINThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 40 below to Sheridan County during the overnight hours December 4th into the morning hours December 5th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 40 below to Western Cherry County during the overnight hours December 4th into the morning hours December 5th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 35 below to Eastern Cherry County during the overnight hours December 4th into the morning hours December 5th, 2013.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, December 2013
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: 481937, 481938, 481939.