An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 45 below to portions of North Central Nebraska during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
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.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 45 below to portions of North Central Nebraska during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
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 6, 5:54 PM CST, 6 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 554 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 340 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 LARGE BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS MUCH OF THE CONUS. AT THE SURFACE A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS SE CANADA WITH A FRONT ALONG THE EAST COAST. ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES...DOWN TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS COMING ONSHORE IN NRN CALIFORNIA. BITTER COLD TEMPS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE...WITH NUMEROUS SITES BELOW ZERO THIS MORNING...AND RECORD COLD ACROSS NORTHERN NEB DUE TO THE ASSISTANCE OF A DEEP SNOW PACK...KVTN BOTTOMED OUT AT 26 BELOW ZERO. EVEN WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES...AFTERNOON TEMPS HAVE ONLY MANAGED TO THE LOW TEENS ACROSS SW NEB...WITH SOME SITES ACROSS THE NORTH STILL BELOW ZERO. WINDS GENERALLY AROUND 10 MPH OR LESS...WITH WIND CHILL READINGS ANYWHERE FROM ZERO TO 15 BELOW ZERO. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 340 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 SFC 1040+ MB HIGH WILL BRING ANOTHER BITTERLY COLD NIGHT. WIDESPREAD LOWS AGAIN BELOW ZERO WITH COLDEST READINGS ACROSS THE NORTH AND THE DEEP SNOW PACK...WHERE TEENS BELOW ZERO WILL BE COMMON. ISSUED EARLIER ANOTHER WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR TONIGHT. MARGINAL EVENT FOR SNOW FREE AREAS...HOWEVER LOOKS HIGHLY PROBABLY FOR THE SNOW PACK AREAS. SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE LIGHT WINDS...WITH MOST GUIDANCE AROUND 5 KTS OR LESS. STILL WITH TEMPS IN THE TEENS BELOW ZERO...WILL NOT TAKE MUCH WIND TO REACH THE 20 TO 30 BELOW CRITERIA. MID LEVEL CLOUDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM THE SW WHICH WILL KEEP TEMPS A LITTLE WARMER THERE...AND NO ADVISORY ISSUED. WEAK DISTURBANCE IN NEAR ZONAL FLOW WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW...AHEAD OF THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. SOME LIGHT SN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAR NW ZONES...ALTHOUGH DRY SOUNDINGS AND LITTLE LIFT WILL LIMIT SNOW PRODUCTION. BETTER CHANCE ARRIVES WITH THE MAIN TROUGH TOMORROW INTO TOMORROW NIGHT. LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES TO SPREAD FROM W TO E DURING THE AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION DURING THE DAYTIME. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 340 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 A CROSS SECTION FROM NEAR YANKTON TO MC COOK SHOWS DEEP AGEOSTROPHIC UPWARD VERTICAL VELOCITY ASSOCIATED WITH FRONTOGENESIS...DIVERGENCE ALOFT AND THE DIRECT JETSTREAM CIRCULATION CONTINUING SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN NORTH CENTRAL THROUGH SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS RANGING FROM ABOUT 0.05 INCH IN THE SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA PANHANDLE TO ABOUT 0.15 IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA LOOK TO BE REASONABLE. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A THICK SATURATED ISOTHERMAL COLUMN IN THE DENDRITIC LAYER WITH AT LEAST SOME UPWARD MOTION THROUGH THE LAYER. THAT WOULD SIGNAL FAIRLY HIGH SNOW PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY AND A HIGH SNOW TO LIQUID RATIO OF 16-20:1. THIS TRANSLATES TO SNOW TOTALS FROM ABOUT AND INCH IN THE SOUTHEAST PANHANDLE TO THREE INCHES IN NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE LIKELIHOOD OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL IS GREATEST SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM AINSWORTH THROUGH NORTH PLATTE TO FRONTIER COUNTY NEAR STOCKVILLE. TURNING TO TEMPERATURES...VERY COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. WARMING IS THEN EXPECTED TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...BUT BELOW AVERAGE DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. TEMPERATURES THURSDAY MAY APPROACH THE SEASONAL AVERAGES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SATURDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 553 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPRESS CLOUD DEVELOPMENT OVERNIGHT. AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM APPROACHES THE REGION SATURDAY...CLOUDINESS WILL INCREASE. LOWEST CLOUD BASES OF BKN040 AT KVTN BY 21Z AND KLBF BY 23Z. ANY FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL AFTER 00Z/8TH. && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 340 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 AS THE COLD AIR CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE REGION...RIVERS ARE SEEING MORE ICE. ICE JAMMING IS STILL POSSIBLE...AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED FOR RAPID FLUCTUATIONS. WITH THE COLD AIR CONTINUING INTO NEXT WEEK...ICE JAMMING WILL REMAIN A THREAT. AT THIS TIME NO MAJOR FLOODING IS ANTICIPATED...ALTHOUGH ICE JAMMING CAN QUICKLY PRODUCE HIGH WATER LEVELS OR MINOR FLOODING ALONG AREAS RIVERS...CREEKS AND STREAMS. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST /11 AM MST/ SATURDAY FOR NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-059-094. && SYNOPSIS...MASEK SHORT TERM...MASEK LONG TERM...SPRINGER AVIATION...ROBERG HYDROLOGY...MASEK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 343 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-072145- 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- 343 PM CST FRI DEC 6 2013 /243 PM MST FRI DEC 6 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS FROM 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO WILL BE WIDESPREAD ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS FROM 20 TO 30 BELOW ZERO WILL BE WIDESPREAD ACROSS NORTHERN AND CENTRAL NEBRASKA SATURDAY MORNING. THEN AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY AND CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS OF AROUND 2 TO 4 INCHES EAST OF HIGHWAY 83...ELSEWHERE AROUND AN INCH IS 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) MASEK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1212 PM CST FRI DEC 06 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0743 AM EXTR WIND CHILL 16 NW CLINTON 42.92N 102.57W
12/05/2013 M-32 F SHERIDAN NE MESONET
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1214 PM CST FRI DEC 06 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0752 AM EXTR WIND CHILL VALENTINE 42.87N 100.55W
12/06/2013 M-45 F CHERRY NE ASOS
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1216 PM CST FRI DEC 06 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM EXTR WIND CHILL 16 NW CLINTON 42.92N 102.57W
12/06/2013 M-44 F SHERIDAN NE MESONET
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1219 PM CST FRI DEC 06 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0414 AM EXTR WIND CHILL 20 S VALENTINE 42.58N 100.55W
12/06/2013 M-37 F CHERRY NE MESONET
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1221 PM CST FRI DEC 06 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0544 AM EXTR WIND CHILL 2 E NEWPORT 42.60N 99.29W
12/06/2013 M-39 F ROCK NE MESONET
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1222 PM CST FRI DEC 06 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0755 AM EXTR WIND CHILL ONEILL 42.46N 98.65W
12/06/2013 M-30 F HOLT NE AWOS
&&
SNIVELYThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures near 25 below and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 45 below to eastern Cherry County during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures near 25 below and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 45 below to Keya Paha County during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures of 20 to 25 below and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 35 below to Brown County during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures of 20 to 25 below and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 35 below to Rock County during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures near 25 below and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 45 below to Sheridan County during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 2013.
An arctic airmass brought bitter cold temperatures near 25 below and dangerous wind chills of 30 below to 45 below to eastern Cherry County during the overnight hours December 6th into the morning hours December 7th, 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: 482429, 482430, 482431, 482432, 482427, 482428.