Nebraska, 2014Wildfire in Nebraska, January 29, 2014
January 29, 2014 · NWS OAX · 1 event in 1 county or zone
High pressure over the southern plains brought dry, windy and relatively warm conditions to eastern Nebraska on January 29th. Afternoon temperatures climbed into the 40s as relative humidity values dropped into the 20 to 30 percent range as south winds gusted between 20 and 30 mph.
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.
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
High pressure over the southern plains brought dry, windy and relatively warm conditions to eastern Nebraska on January 29th. Afternoon temperatures climbed into the 40s as relative humidity values dropped into the 20 to 30 percent range as south winds gusted between 20 and 30 mph.
What forecasters said that day
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 Jan 29, 12:13 PM CST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 12:13 PM CST, 2 hours 47 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
1213 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
.SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 340 AM CST WED JAN 29 2014
...MAIN FORECAST PROBLEMS ARE MIXED PRECIPITATION TONIGHT... THEN
ACCUMULATING SNOW FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT... AS WELL AS
TEMPERATURES...
THIS PATTERN CONTINUES TO CONSIST OF A DOMINATE UPPER TROUGH FROM
EASTERN CANADA INTO THE SOUTHEAST US AND AN UPPER RIDGE IN THE
WESTERN US. DEAMPLIFICATION OF THE PATTERN HAS OCCURRED IN THE
PAST FEW DAYS...ALTHOUGH AN ACTIVE REGIME OF FAST MOVING
SHORTWAVES IS EVIDENT ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY.
AS HAS BEEN TYPICAL OF THIS PATTERN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS...TODAY
WILL FEATURE A WARM FRONT THAT WILL MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS
THE REGION AND BRING MILDER TEMPERATURES WITH THE HELP OF SOME
SUNSHINE. 850 MB WINDS WILL HAVE A STRONG WESTERLY COMPONENT AND
SURFACE WINDS WILL MOSTLY BE OUT OF THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST. GIVEN THE
LACK OF SNOW COVER...WE EXPECT TEMPERATURES TO REACH INTO THE 40S
MOST AREAS FOR HIGHS TODAY. ONE COMPLICATING FACTOR IS THE COLD
START TO THE DAY AND THE TIME IT WILL TAKE TO MIX OUT THE
INVERSION. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MIX DOWN AIR THAT IS AT LEAST 900
MB BUT BELOW 850 MB...RESULTING IN HIGHS IN THE 40S. WITH THESE
WARM FRONTAL DAYS...THE GUIDANCE HAS CONSISTENTLY BEEN TOO COOL.
OUR FORECAST HIGHS TODAY ARE ON THE WARM SIDE OF GUIDANCE BUT ARE
SUPPORTED BY BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW AND WARM AIR ADVECTION. WINDS
WILL BE BREEZY ENOUGH THIS AFTERNOON TO KEEP WIND CHILLS COOL.
AT AROUND THE 250 MB LEVEL...A 180 KNOT JET CORE WAS TRANSLATING
THROUGH THE EAST SIDE OF THE UPPER TROUGH HELPING TO ADVANCE THE
UPPER TROUGH AXIS EAST...WHICH WILL HELP TO PULL ANOTHER CLIPPER
TYPE SHORTWAVE ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WITH A PIECE OF THIS SYSTEM
MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHERN PLAINS/GREAT LAKES TONIGHT. THE
SURFACE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE
NORTHERN COUNTIES AROUND 4 AM AND EXIT THE AREA BY NOON THURSDAY. THIS
MEANS ANOTHER SHOT OF COLD AIR AND A BRIEF BOUT OF PRECIPITATION
MAINLY NORTH AND EAST OF OMAHA TONIGHT. ABOVE THE LEADING EDGE OF
THE COLD AIR SHOULD BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF ISENTROPIC LIFT ON THE
290K SURFACE PROVIDING GOOD MID-LEVEL LIFT TO NORTHEAST NEBRASKA
AND NORTHWEST IOWA LATE TONIGHT.
THE PRECIPITATION TYPE TONIGHT IS CHALLENGING DUE TO THE RESIDUAL
WARM AIR ALOFT/WARM AIR ADVECTION... AND PINNING DOWN WHEN THE
SURFACE TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO FREEZING. IN GENERAL...MOST
AREAS THAT COULD SEE PRECIPITATION WILL EVENTUALLY DROP BELOW
FREEZING BEFORE THE WARM AIR ALOFT COOLS...THEREFORE SOME FREEZING
RAIN AND SLEET WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. HOWEVER...THERE WILL
BE ENOUGH LOW LEVEL DRY AIR TO OVERCOME THAT LITTLE PRECIPITATION
IS EXPECTED TO FALL WITH THIS SYSTEM TONIGHT.
ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO A 160 KNOT JET THAT WAS ANALYZED OVER THE
PACIFIC JUST OFF THE OREGON/WASHINGTON COASTS. THIS JET IS
ACCOMPANIED BY TWO WELL DEFINED AND COMPACT SHORTWAVES...PER WATER
VAPOR IMAGERY. THESE ARE IN PROXIMITY TO THE LEFT FRONT EXIT
REGION OF THE JET AND ARE EXPECTED TO DEEPEN SLIGHTLY AS THEY MOVE
INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MODEL SOLUTIONS TAKE THESE TWO
FEATURES THROUGH THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE
PLAINS FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. IT IS THIS SYSTEM THAT HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE ACCUMULATING LIGHT SNOW OVER THE FORECAST
AREA.
HOW THESE SHORTWAVES EMERGE FROM THE MOUNTAINS AND MOVE INTO THE
PLAINS FRIDAY IS FRAUGHT WITH UNCERTAINTY. MOVING THROUGH A DRY
AND STATICALLY STABLE ENVIRONMENT OVER THE WEST WILL HEAVILY
INFLUENCE THE THERMAL CHARACTER...AND THE MODELS SHOW A WIDE
VARIETY OF SOLUTIONS WITH THE TRACK OF THE SHORTWAVES AND
ESPECIALLY THE RESULTING PRECIPITATION FIELDS. HOWEVER...THIS IS
THE FIRST SYSTEM IN A WHILE TO PROVIDE SUSTAINED VERTICAL MOTION
THAT IS COMING OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES. IT IS ESSENTIALLY A
SOUTHWEST OPEN WAVE...OR A SERIES OF TWO...WHICH IS A MORE
RELIABLE PATH FOR OUR AREA TO RECEIVE THE NECESSARY INGREDIENTS
FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW. IN ADDITION TO THE DPVA...A COUPLE OF
PERIODS OF WEAK TO MODERATE ISENTROPIC LIFT ARE EXPECTED IN THE
285K-290K LAYER BEGINNING FRIDAY MORNING IN THE WEST AND
CONTINUING THROUGH AROUND 12Z SATURDAY FOR ALL OF THE FORECAST
AREA. HAVE RAISED POPS INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY... 60 TO 70
PERCENT... FOR MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION MAINLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON
INTO FRIDAY NIGHT AND MOSTLY FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF
THE FORECAST AREA.
THE AIRMASS WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR ALL SNOW. MIXING RATIO VALUES
AND MODEL QPF SUGGEST LIGHT AMOUNTS. BASED ON TRACK...TIMING...
AVAILABLE MOISTURE...AND SNOW-WATER RATIOS...WE EXPECT THE MOST
SNOW TO BE IN THE 3-4 INCH RANGE FROM DAVID CITY AND WAHOO
SOUTH...INCLUDING LINCOLN AND BEATRICE. LOCATIONS NEAR THE SOUTH
DAKOTA BORDER MAY SEE LITTLE SNOW...1 INCH OR LESS. WINDS SHOULD
NOT BE A PROBLEM AS THEY ARE PREDICTED TO BE 10 MPH OR LESS.
.LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 340 AM CST WED JAN 29 2014
THE SYSTEM MENTIONED ABOVE WILL RESULT IN LIGHT SNOW COVER OVER
THE FORECAST WHICH WILL INFLUENCE TEMPERATURES. OTHERWISE THE
PATTERN IS RELATIVELY QUIET...WITH THE AREA SUBJECT TO A FEW FAST
MOVING AND WEAK SHORTWAVES. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS ARE IN THE FORECAST
FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...BUT AT THIS TIME THE DETAILS OF ANY
SNOWFALL DURING THAT PERIOD ARE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN.
&&
.AVIATION...(18Z TAFS FOR KOFK...KLNK AND KOMA.)
ISSUED AT 1212 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
VFR CONDITIONS AT KOFK...KLNK..AND KOMA ARE FORECAST THROUGHOUT
THE PERIOD. A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE OUT OF THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MISSISSPPI
VALLEY. A COLD FRONT TRAILING FROM THE LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS
NEBRASKA BETWEEN 06Z AND 18Z. CLOUD CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER
ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. AT THIS TIME...CEILINGS ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN VFR AROUND OVC050. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IS
LIKELY BETWEEN 00Z AND 14Z AROUND 2000 FEET.
&&
.OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...NONE.
IA...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM...NIETFELD
LONG TERM...NIETFELD
AVIATION...SMITH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 29, 2:06 PM CST, 54 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY NE
206 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
IAZ079-090-091-NEZ050>053-065>067-090>093-301015-
MILLS-FREMONT-PAGE-BUTLER-SAUNDERS-DOUGLAS-SARPY-SEWARD-LANCASTER-
CASS-JOHNSON-NEMAHA-PAWNEE-RICHARDSON-
206 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
TWO TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY
NIGHT. A FEW LOCATIONS MAINLY FROM SEWARD TO LINCOLN AND POINTS
SOUTH COULD RECEIVE THREE TO FOUR INCHES. WINDS WILL BE AT OR
BELOW 10 MPH AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO HAZARDOUS
CONDITIONS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
IAZ043-055-056-069-080-NEZ015-033-034-043>045-301015-
MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MONTGOMERY-THURSTON-CUMING-
BURT-COLFAX-DODGE-WASHINGTON-
206 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...EAST CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
THERE IS A CHANCE FOR VERY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET
TONIGHT...MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO FREMONT AND THEN
EAST AND NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS. HOWEVER...ONLY VERY LIGHT
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED...THEREFORE LITTLE ICE ACCUMULATION IS
ANTICIPATED.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THERE IS A CHANCE FOR ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW FRIDAY INTO
FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL BE AT OR BELOW 10 MPH AND ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
NEZ011-012-016>018-030>032-042-301015-
KNOX-CEDAR-ANTELOPE-PIERCE-WAYNE-BOONE-MADISON-STANTON-PLATTE-
206 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
NEBRASKA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
THE RANGELAND FIRE DANGER INDEX WILL REACH THE VERY HIGH CATEGORY
THIS AFTERNOON. WARM TEMPERATUES...VERY DRY WEATHER AND STRONG
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CAUSE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS.
THERE IS A CHANCE FOR VERY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET
TONIGHT...MAINLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM COLUMBUS TO FREMONT AND THEN
EAST AND NORTH OF COUNCIL BLUFFS. HOWEVER...ONLY VERY LIGHT
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED...THEREFORE LITTLE ICE ACCUMULATION IS
ANTICIPATED.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
THERE IS A CHANCE FOR ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW FRIDAY INTO
FRIDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL BE AT OR BELOW 10 MPH AND ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
NEZ068-078-088-089-301015-
OTOE-SALINE-JEFFERSON-GAGE-
206 PM CST WED JAN 29 2014
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
NEBRASKA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT
THE RANGELAND FIRE DANGER INDEX WILL REACH THE VERY HIGH CATEGORY
THIS AFTERNOON. WARM TEMPERATUES...VERY DRY WEATHER AND STRONG
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CAUSE VERY HIGH FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
TWO TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY
NIGHT. A FEW LOCATIONS MAINLY FROM SEWARD TO LINCOLN AND POINTS
SOUTH COULD RECEIVE THREE TO FOUR INCHES. WINDS WILL BE AT OR
BELOW 10 MPH AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO HAZARDOUS
CONDITIONS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
Wildfire, Douglas
- When
- January 29, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Douglas forecast zone
- Reported by
- Newspaper
- Coordinates
- 41.295, -96.154 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
A brush fire burned a little over 300 acres around Lake Cunningham on the far northwest outskirts of Omaha. Lack of precipitation and snow cover much of January helped cause very dry conditions, and gusty south winds and low relative humidity values fed the flames which climbed as high as 5 to 10 feet. Although no damage was caused other than vegetation, the fire took a little over 6 hours to extinguish.
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Montana, January 29 to 31, 20146 injured · 8 events
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 29 to 30, 2014$30,000 · 2 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Colorado, January 29 to 31, 201419 events
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Montana, January 29 to 31, 201454 kt wind · 18 events
- Heavy Snow in Wyoming, January 29 to 31, 201418 events
- High Wind in Wyoming, January 29, 201416 events
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Colorado, January 29 to 31, 201483 kt wind · 13 events
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Colorado, January 29 to 31, 201467 kt wind · 13 events
- High Surf in Hawaii, January 29 to 30, 201412 events
- Ice Storm and Sleet in Georgia, January 29, 201411 events
- Frost and Freeze in Texas, January 29, 20145 events
- Sleet in Florida, January 29 to 30, 20145 events
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: 486192.