An intense upper level system and deep surface low pressure tracked across the region January 16, 2014. Very strong northwest winds sustained at 35 to 50 mph with gusts near 65 mph occurred.
Every event with a place to put it; 27 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 intense upper level system and deep surface low pressure tracked across the region January 16, 2014. Very strong northwest winds sustained at 35 to 50 mph with gusts near 65 mph occurred. This also caused areas of blowing dust with the lowest visibility near zero in Frontier 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 Jan 16, 4:48 AM MST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 548 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 349 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 H5 ANALYSIS FROM THIS EVENING HAS HIGH PRESSURE ANCHORED OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING UP THE PACIFIC NW COAST OF THE LOWER 48 INTO WESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. FURTHER EAST...BROAD NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WAS PRESENT FROM THE ROCKIES EWD INTO THE OHIO VALLEY AND DEEP SOUTH WITH A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE EXTENDING FROM LAKE ERIE SWD INTO THE FLA PANHANDLE. A STRONG SHORTWAVE WAS NOTED OVER NRN MANITOBA. THIS FEATURE HAS LED TO STRONG SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OVER SWRN ONTARIO TONIGHT WITH A 987MB SFC LOW NOTED. A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDED SW FROM THE LOW AND WAS PUSHING INTO CENTRAL NEBRASKA AS OF 2 AM CST. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES...SURFACE WIND GUSTS AROUND 50 MPH WERE NOTED. WIND GUSTS BEHIND THE FRONT RANGED FROM 40 TO 45 MPH. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 349 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 TODAY AND TONIGHT...THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGES TODAY ARE WINDS AND THE THREAT FOR RED FLAG CONDITIONS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. FOR THIS MORNING INTO THIS AFTERNOON...SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL TRACK TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST FROM SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. DECENT COLD AIR ADVECTION AND PRESSURE RISES WILL PUSH INTO THE FORECAST AREA LATER THIS MORNING WITH THE STRONGEST RISES AND CAA NOTED ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CWA. FURTHER WEST...H85 WINDS OF 50+ KTS ARE EXPECTED AS WELL AND WITH EXPECTED AFTERNOON AND VERY STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES...VERY STRONG WINDS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN CWA AS WELL. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS ARE INDICATIVE OF GUST POTENTIAL TOPPING 60 MPH ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA TODAY. WITH THE LATEST MODEL AND STATISTICAL GUIDANCE...THE INHERITED HIGH WARNING REMAINS ON TRACK. AFTER WINDS...FIRE DANGER TODAY IS A SECONDARY FORECAST CHALLENGE. GUIDANCE TEMPS FOR TODAY TRENDED DOWN SLIGHTLY FROM WEDS 12Z GUIDANCE NUMBERS. HOWEVER...H85 TEMPS REMAINED LARGELY UNCHANGED FROM THE 12Z TO 00Z RUN. WITH GOOD MIXING EXPECTED...FELT TEMPS WARMER THAN GUIDANCE WERE WARRANTED HERE. WITH THE WARMER HIGHS AND DEW POINTS HEDGED TOWARD THE LOWER MAV DEW POINT NUMBERS...MINIMUM RH'S WILL REACH AROUND 20 PERCENT IN THE EXTREME SWRN CWA AROUND 21Z THIS AFTERNOON. THIS IS STILL WELL ABOVE MINIMUM RH CRITERIA FOR A RED FLAG WARNING AND WILL FORGO ISSUING ONE ATTM AND HIT THE EXTREME THREAT IN THE HWO. FOR TONIGHT...H85 WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN THE 35 TO 40 KT RANGE THROUGH MID EVENING...GRADUALLY DECREASING INTO THE OVERNIGHT. H85 WINDS RETAIN THEIR UNIDIRECTIONAL COMPONENT TO THE SURFACE THROUGH MID EVENING...SO DECENT WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID EVENING BEFORE RELAXING AROUND 06Z TONIGHT. INHERITED HIGH WIND WARNING...RUNS TO 8 PM CST THIS EVENING AND WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 349 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DIG ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES INTO THE NORTHEAST ON FRIDAY LEAVING AMPLIFIED NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ATOP THE PLAINS. MODIFIED ARCTIC SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL HAVE SETTLED TO THE SOUTHEAST WITH A SFC TROUGH ADVANCING EAST ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS LATE IN THE DAY ON FRIDAY. MID LEVEL WAA WILL SPREAD EAST DURING THE AFTERNOON...ALLOWING FOR HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND FAR WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. THE H850 THERMAL RIDGE INCREASES TO AROUND 5C BY LATE EVENING OVER MUCH OF THE CWA...WITH CLOUDS EXITING EAST. THIS SHOULD HELP KEEP OVERNIGHT LOWS IN CHECK WITH MID TO UPPER 20S APPROPRIATE FOR MOST LOCATIONS SATURDAY MORNING. FOR SATURDAY...THE NEXT MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE/SFC LOW WILL RAPIDLY DROP SOUTH FROM THE CANADIAN PRAIRIES INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY...DRAGGING THE NEXT FRONT THROUGH THE CWA. AT THIS TIME THE BEST FORCING FOR STRONG WIND OCCURS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...WITH THE GRADIENT WEAKENING BY LATE AFTERNOON. HIGH TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO FRIDAY WITH THE WARMEST READINGS /LOWER 50S/ ACROSS SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA...UPPER 30S FOR OUR NORTH CENTRAL ZONES. THE UPPER PATTERN BECOME LESS AMPLIFIED SUNDAY...BUT SUPPORTS ANOTHER BUILDING H85 THERMAL RIDGE IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT QUICK HITTING WAVE/SFC LOW. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE INTO THE 50S FOR MOST LOCATIONS BY MID AFTERNOON. HOWEVER GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO TREND WARMER...WITH UPPER 50S SUPPORTED ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST AND WESTERN HALF OF THE CWA. THE WAVE/SFC LOW WILL DRAG ANOTHER FRONT TROUGH THE CWA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPERATURES TO FOLLOW EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE LONG RANGE SOLUTIONS SEEM TO DISAGREE ON THE STRENGTH OF THE MODIFIED PACIFIC/ARCTIC HIGH TO FOLLOW...BUT AGREE THAT THE COLDEST AIR WILL FORCED TO THE EAST...MAINLY EAST OF THE MISSOURI VALLEY. SO LOWS MAINLY IN THE 20S WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S TO LOW 50S APPROPRIATE FOR NOW. THE FORECAST REMAINS DRY THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD AS THERE IS NO STRONG SIGNAL IN ANY OF THE MEDIUM/LONG RANGE MODELS TO SUPPORT LIGHT QPF AS THE STORM TRACK REMAINS NORTHEAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 547 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR TO CLEAR WITH SOME SCATTERED HIGH CLOUDS AON 25000 FT AGL. NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL BE A CONCERN TODAY WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 35 KTS AND GUSTS APPROACHING 50 KTS THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL DECREASE TO 10 TO 20 KTS AFTER MID EVENING. && .FIRE WEATHER... ISSUED AT 349 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 THE THREAT OF EXTREME FIRE SPREAD AND/OR ERRATIC BEHAVIOR WILL BE A CONCERN TODAY. GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS OF UP TO 60 MPH ARE ANTICIPATED IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT. HOWEVER TEMPERATURES WILL BE MARGINAL AS FORECAST HIGHS ARE SUGGESTED TO ONLY RISE INTO THE MID 30S TO MID 40S. DESPITE STRONG LOWER TROPOSPHERIC MIXING ALLOWING FOR SINGLE DIGIT DEW POINTS...THESE COOL TEMPERATURES WILL HELP KEEP MINIMUM RH IN CHECK...WITH MOST LOCATIONS SEEING VALUES ABOVE 25 PERCENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF FIRE ZONE 210 AND 219 WHERE RH MAY FALL TO NEAR 20 PERCENT FOR AN HOUR OR TWO THIS AFTERNOON. DESPITE THE STRONG TO EXTREME GUSTY CONDITIONS...THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH WAS NOT UPGRADED TO A RED FLAG WARNING...DUE TO MAINLY TO THE FACT THAT RH WILL BE MARGINAL. OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS A LOW SUN ANGLE...SKY COVER...FUEL SHADING...COOL TEMPERATURES...AND LOCAL RFW LARGE FIRE CRITERIA WEIGHED HEAVILY ON DECIDING AGAINST UPGRADING TO A WARNING. BOTTOM LINE...RANGE FIRES WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL TODAY...BUT RED FLAG WEATHER AND SIZE CRITERIA WILL NOT BE MET. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 8 PM CST /7 PM MST/ THIS EVENING FOR NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094. && SYNOPSIS...CLB SHORT TERM...CLB LONG TERM...JACOBS AVIATION...CLB FIRE WEATHER...JACOBS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 450 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-171130- 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- 450 AM CST THU JAN 16 2014 /350 AM MST THU JAN 16 2014/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH...WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE LIKELY TODAY THROUGH MID EVENING. IN ADDITION TO STRONG WINDS...EXTREME FIRE DANGER IS EXPECTED TODAY ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AS WIND COMBINES WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 20 TO 30 PERCENT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .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) CLB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
27 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Nearby Ogallala AWOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Arthur County.
Nearby Thedford AWOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Blaine County.
Nearby Broken Bow ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Loup County.
Nearby Ord ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Garfield County.
Nearby Ord ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Wheeler County.
Nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Boyd County.
Nearby Valentine ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts up to 63 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Keya Paha County.
Valentine ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts up to 63 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across eastern Cherry County.
Nearby Valentine ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts up to 63 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across western Cherry County.
Area mesonet stations recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts up to 55 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Sheridan County.
Nearby Alliance ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts to around 50 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Grant County.
Nearby Thedford AWOS recorded sustained winds of 50 mph with gusts up to 62 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Hooker County.
Thedford AWOS recorded sustained winds of 50 mph with gusts up to 62 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Thomas County.
Nearby North Platte ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across McPherson County.
Nearby North Platte ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Logan County.
Broken Bow ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 64 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Custer County.
North Platte ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Lincoln County.
Ogallala AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 61 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Keith County. Blowing dust with visibilities below 3 miles were also reported.
Nearby Ogallala AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 61 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Perkins County. Blowing dust with visibilities below 3 miles at times were also reported.
Imperial ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts up to 56 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were measured across Chase County. Blowing dust with visibilities below 3 miles at times were also reported.
Nearby Imperial ASOS recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts up to 56 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Hayes County. Blowing dust with visibilities below 3 miles at times were also reported.
Nearby McCook ASOS recorded sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Frontier County. Blowing dust with visibilities near zero were reported 8 miles west of Curtis early to mid afternoon.
O'Neill AWOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts up to 62 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Holt County.
Nearby Ogallala AWOS recorded sustained winds of 40 to 45 mph with gusts up to 61 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude were estimated across Deuel County. Blowing dust with visibilities below 3 miles were also reported.
Mesonet observations recorded sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts to around 55 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Garden County. Areas of blowing dust with visibilities below 3 miles were also reported.
Mesonet observations recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts to around 60 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Rock County.
Ainsworth AWOS recorded sustained winds of 45 to 50 mph with gusts up to 58 mph from late morning through mid afternoon. Winds of this magnitude occurred across Brown County.
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, January 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: 483698, 483699, 483700, 483701, 483703, 483704, 483755, 483756, 483757, 483758, 483760, 483761, 483762, 483763, 483764, 483765, 483767, 483768, 483770, 483771, 483773, 483774, 483776, 483777, 483778, 483779, 483780.