A winter storm brings heavy snow to portions of the Southeast Nebraska Panhandle and Southwest Nebraska on February 22nd and 23rd, 2014. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches across the area.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 winter storm brings heavy snow to portions of the Southeast Nebraska Panhandle and Southwest Nebraska on February 22nd and 23rd, 2014. Snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches across the area. Winds remained light east at 5 to 15 mph, producing only minor drifting.
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 22, 10:36 AM MST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 1136 AM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 653 AM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 ANALYSIS OF WATER VAPOR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NAM...SREF...UKMET AND ARF/NMM SOLNS SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR A COUPLED 500 MB JET DEVELOPING NEAR OR ACROSS SWRN NEB THIS EVENING. THESE MODELS ARE THE HEAVY HITTERS WITH QPF ACROSS THE FCST AREA. THE SPEED MAX IS CURRENTLY ALONG THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND MOVING RAPIDLY SOUTH AS FCST BY THE NAM. TIMING TOOLS SUGGEST IS COULD REACH ERN WY BY 18Z WHICH IS MUCH FASTER THAN ANY MODEL SHOWS. NONETHELESS...IF THIS JET MAX CAN MAINTAIN ITS 75 KT INTENSITY AND COUPLE WITH THE DEPARTING MIDWEST JET THIS EVENING...HEAVY SNOW WOULD DEVELOP AS INDICATED BY THE NAM. ITS UNCERTAIN WHY THE GFS AND ECM DONT SHOW THIS DEVELOPMENT BUT DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION OF THE COUPLE...NERN COLO/SERN WY/SRN NEB PANHANDLE VS SWRN NEB...THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW REMAINS UNDER EVALUATION. THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE FCST ATTM. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 351 AM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 THE MODELS...ESPECIALLY THE NAM...ARE ADVERTISING A FRONTOGENETICALLY FORCED SNOW EVENT LATER TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THE NAM IS THE STRONGEST WITH THE FRONTOGENESIS AND RESULTING LIFT. THE LOCATION OF THE SNOW BAND SHOWN BY THE MODELS APPEARS TO BE TRENDING SOUTH IN THE ECM...GFS...06Z NAM AND GEM REG FAVORING SWRN NEB SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 WHILE THE 03Z SREF...00Z NAM AND GEMNH MODELS PREFER INTERSTATE 80 AND THEN UP THE NORTH PLATTE VALLEY. THIS IS A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT 50 MILES WHICH IS NORMAL. A BLEND OF THE 06Z NAM AND THE OTHER MODELS PRODUCED 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW BLENDED ACROSS THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80 IN LINCOLN COUNTY. THE COBB SNOW TO LIQUID METHODOLOGY USING THE NAM AND GFS IN THE 800-600 MB LAYER PRODUCED A 19 TO 1 RATIO IN THE 00Z RUNS BUT THE 06Z NAM CAME IN AROUND 17 TO 1. SINCE 19 TO 1 IS VERY HIGH...17 TO 1 WAS USED WHICH IS CLOSER CLIMATOLOGY. THE NAM VISIBILITY PRODUCT SUGGESTS VISIBILITY FALLING TO 1/2 MILE AT TIMES. MEANWHILE FOLDED THETA E AND DEEP LIFT IN A SATURATED DENDRITIC LAYER SUGGESTS A PERIOD OF INCH AN HOUR ACCUMULATION. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN PLACE FOR THIS EVENT WHERE 3 INCHES OR MORE SNOW IS FORECAST. OTHERWISE...THE MAINSTREAM MODELS HAVE NOT CAPTURED THE RESIDENT SFC MOISTURE THIS MORNING WHICH MAY BE THE REASON SOME SOLNS LIKE THE ECM ARE VERY DRY. A BLEND OF THE HRRR AND RAP WAS USED FOR DEW POINTS TODAY AND THE 08Z RAP SHOWS PCPN FILLING IN ACROSS SWRN NEB THIS EVENING LIKE THE 06Z NAM SHOWED. A WEAK ARCTIC FRONT...CURRENTLY NEAR KHON...WILL MOVE PART WAY INTO THE FCST AREA TODAY INDUCING UPSLOPE FLOW AND THIS SHOULD POOL LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ACROSS SWRN NEB. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 351 AM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 ONGOING SNOW ACROSS SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA WILL BE DIMINISHING SUNDAY MORNING AS THE NORTHWEST FLOW CONTINUES TO PUSH THE DISTURBANCE TO THE SOUTHEAST. HOWEVER A SECOND DISTURBANCE WILL BE QUICK TO MOVE TOWARDS THE CWA BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS NEXT WAVE MODELS HAVE DECENT AGREEMENT WITH A MORE NORTHERN TRACK...COMPARED TO THE FIRST WAVE. BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON SNOW WILL BE ON THE INCREASE ACROSS NW NEB WHICH WILL PROGRESS EAST...ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL...SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE DIMINISHING ON MONDAY. MODELS SHOW BEST LIFT NEAR THE NEB/S DAKOTA BORDER SUNDAY NIGHT...AHEAD OF A 140 PLUS KT JET STREAK AT 300 MB. PWATS INCREASE TO GREATER THAN 0.3 INCHES...WITH A FGEN BAND TO RESULT IN DECENT WINDOW FOR SNOW PRODUCTION...WITH AROUND A 17:1 RATIO. SNOW TOTALS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES LOOK LIKELY...HOWEVER WILL NEED TO MONITOR AS IT WOULD NOT TAKE MUCH TO INCREASE THIS TO 4 OR 5 INCHES WHICH WOULD RESULT IN THE NEED FOR AN ADVISORY. BY MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY YET ANOTHER DISTURBANCE WILL BE CROSSING THE HIGH PLAINS. THIS TIME MODELS FAVOR A SOUTHERN TRACK...BACK OVER THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE INTO SW NEB. POPS ONLY IN THE LOW CHANCE CATEGORY AS MODEL SPREAD HAS INCREASED...ALONG WITH AVAILABLE MOISTURE. COLD DRIER AIR...WITH ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTING SOUTH ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EITHER PUSH THE SNOW FURTHER SOUTH...OR BRING DRIER AIR WHICH WILL RESULT IN LESS SNOW REACHING THE GROUND. STAY TUNED TO AS CHANGES TO AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES TO START OFF THE WEEK WILL BE BELOW NORMAL AS SNOW/CLOUDS KEEP TEMPS FROM SEEING MUCH OF A DIURNAL SWING. HIGHS GENERALLY SHOULD HOLD IN THE 20S TO MID 30S. SW NEB MAY PUSH CLOSE TO 40 ON MONDAY WITH A LITTLE MORE SUN INBETWEEN SYSTEMS. BY TUESDAY NIGHT THE ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVERHEAD. LOWS AS SKIES CLEAR IN THE SINGLE DIGITS...ALTHOUGH WITH A SNOW PACK TEMPS COULD DIP BELOW ZERO. RECORDS ARE STILL IN THE DOUBLE DIGIT BELOW ZERO...SO LOWS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ZERO ARE STILL EASY TO HIT...ESPECIALLY IF SKIES CLEAR EARLY IN THE NIGHT WITH A FRESH SNOW COVER. ARCTIC HIGH SLIDES EAST BY WED...MEANWHILE MODELS TRY TO BUILD THE WESTERN RIDGE SLOWLY TO THE EAST. STILL LOOKING MAINLY DRY WITH THE STORM TRACK OVER THE GREAT LAKES. HIGHS BELOW NORMAL AS WE GO THROUGH MID TO LATE WEEK...ALTHOUGH LESS CONFIDENCE IN TEMPS BY THE END OF THE WEEK. LATEST MEX GUIDANCE IS WARMER IN THE EXTENDED...HOWEVER THE ECMWF GUIDANCE RECYCLES A SECOND HIGH PRESSURE AND COLD AIR ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS. EXAMPLE OF RANGE INCLUDE FRIDAY MAX T GUIDANCE OF EITHER 42 FROM THE MEX OR 21 FROM THE EC FOR KLBF. EVEN THE ENSEMBLE RANGE FROM BOTH MODELS IS HIGH...WITH HIGHS RANGING FROM THE 40S TO THE TEENS. FORECAST UNCHANGED FROM THE ALLBLEND AND WILL WAIT TO SEE WHICH SIDE OF THE AISLE WE END UP...ALTHOUGH THIS TYPE OF PATTERN CAN BE FAVORABLE OF A LARGE SPREAD ACROSS THE CWA. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1135 AM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 MAIN CONCERN IN THE CURRENT TAF PERIOD IS SNOW AND POTENTIAL LIFR CONDITIONS AT KLBF. LOW LEVEL CIGS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD EAST ACROSS WESTERN NEBRASKA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. KVTN ALREADY INTO MVFR AND EXPECTING MVFR AT KLBF AROUND 22Z. SNOWFALL STARTS TO MOVE INTO WESTERN AND SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED DURING THE OVERNIGHT WHICH MAY BRING KLBF INTO LIFR CATEGORY. SNOWFALL ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA AND KVTN EXPECTED TO BE DELAYED AND NOT AS INTENSE. WINTRY WEATHER WILL STICK AROUND INTO SUNDAY MORNING AND SLOWLY BEGIN TO TAPER OFF. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM CST /5 PM MST/ THIS EVENING TO NOON CST /11 AM MST/ SUNDAY FOR NEZ022-023-035-036-056>059-070- 071. && UPDATE...CDC SHORT TERM...CDC LONG TERM...MASEK AVIATION...MARTIN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 122 PM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-231930- 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- 122 PM CST SAT FEB 22 2014 /1222 PM MST SAT FEB 22 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING FOR 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL IS EXPECTED SUNDAY MORNING AS A RESULT OF THE SNOW FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. LIGHT SNOW IS LIKELY SUNDAY NIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA. ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE 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) TAYLOR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Cooperative observer located 4 miles west of Big Springs reported a storm total snowfall of 9 inches. Snowfall across Deuel County ranged from 6 to 9 inches.
Cooperative observer located in Ogallala reported a storm total snowfall of 6 inches. Snowfall across Keith County ranged from 6 to 9 inches.
Public reported near Elsie a storm total snowfall of 6 inches. Snowfall across Perkins County ranged from 6 to 9 inches.
Cooperative observer near Hayes Center reported a storm total snowfall of 7.5 inches. Snowfall across Hayes County ranged from 6 to 8 inches.
Cooperative observer at Imperial reported a storm total snowfall of 7.5 inches. Snowfall across Chase County ranged from 6 to 8 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, February 2014
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: 493182, 493183, 493184, 493181, 493180.