m. and noon on this Tuesday morning, a rather progressive but somewhat stronger-than-expected snow band tracked from northwest-southeast through South Central Nebraska, primarily affecting locations east-northeast of a Litchfield-Minden-Guide Rock line.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 GID wrote it up.
Primarily between 7 a.m. and noon on this Tuesday morning, a rather progressive but somewhat stronger-than-expected snow band tracked from northwest-southeast through South Central Nebraska, primarily affecting locations east-northeast of a Litchfield-Minden-Guide Rock line. Although most of these areas picked up at least a quick inch or so of snow, a narrow corridor generally no more than 30 miles wide received a burst of 2-4 inches, adversely affecting the morning commute especially north of Interstate 80. Conditions were worsened by increasing north wind behind a passing cold front, featuring sustained speeds of generally 20-25 MPH and gusts to over 30 MPH. The center of the main snow band stretched from near Loup City and Arcadia in the northwest, then southeast through the Grand Island, Clay Center and Hebron areas. Within the heart of this swath, a few of the highest measured totals (per a combination of NWS cooperative observers and NeRAIN observers) featured 4.3 at Bruning, 3.6 at Loup City, 3.3 six miles east-southeast of Clay Center, 3.1 at Grand Island airport and 3.0 at Arcadia and Hubbell. On either side of this band, noticeably lower totals were reported at places such as Hastings (1.6) and Geneva (1.5).
Timing-wise, snow first spread into local counties along and north of the Highway 92 between 7-8 a.m., overtook the Interstate 80 corridor mainly from 8-10 a.m., and thereafter tracked through the southeast quadrant of South Central Nebraska before departing into northern Kansas by mid-day. Turning to the meteorology behind this event, one of the main reasons that snow totals in excess of 1 were initially not anticipated revolved around the fact that there were no obvious strong features such as a pronounced frontogenetic band. However, snowfall rates over the local area were likely enhanced by a pocket of very steep low and especially mid level lapse rates. The main forcing aloft was provided by a quick-moving shortwave trough diving southward across Nebraska out of the Dakotas in a broad northwest flow regime, one of several smaller-scale disturbances passing through the central United States within an expansive large-scale trough that encompassed the majority of the nation. At the surface, a weak surface low pressure system accompanied the leading edge of snow, quickly followed by the cold front that ushered in the gusty north wind. Temperatures across South Central Nebraska generally averaged a few degrees either side of 20 F during this event.
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 Hastings, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 17, 5:50 AM CST, 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 550 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2015 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 349 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2015 NORTHWESTERLY FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION IN THE UPPER LEVELS...CONTINUING TO BE INFLUENCED BY TROUGHING ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SPINNING WELL TO THE NORTH OVER THE HUDSON BAY AREA...WHILE A SHARP RIDGE AXIS SITS OVER THE WEST COAST. A QUICK MOVING MID LEVEL VORT MAX OUT AHEAD OF A STRONGER PUSH COMING TODAY BROUGHT A ROUND OF SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS EARLIER TONIGHT...BUT BASED OFF AUTOMATED OBS AND NEIGHBORING RADARS /KUEX REMAINS INOPERABLE AT THIS TIME/...THIS BATCH OF ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED TO THE SE OF THE CWA INTO E/NERN KS/FAR SERN NEB. PLENTY OF CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE REGION...AND WINDS ACROSS THE CWA ARE N/NWRLY FOR THE MOST PART...A WEAKER PATTERN IS IN CURRENTLY IN PLACE...THOUGH A COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING FROM THE NORTH. TEMPS AS OF 3AM RANGE FROM THE MID TEENS TO NEAR 30 DEGREES. LOOKING TO THE DAYTIME HOURS TODAY...CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT HUDSON BAY LOW WORKING ITS WAY SOUTH THROUGH THE DAKOTAS...AND THIS FEATURE WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYER FOR THE AREAS WEATHER. CONTINUING TO PUSH ITS WAY S/SE THROUGH THE PLAINS TODAY...THIS DISTURBANCE...ALONG WITH THE EXIT REGION OF A STRONG 150 KT UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK SLIDING IN FROM THE W/NW AND STEEPENING LOWER LEVEL LAPSE RATES...IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THE LIFT FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW SHOWERS. MOVING IN FROM THE SANDHILLS...RAMPED UP POPS THIS MORNING FROM NW TO SE MAINLY ACROSS SC NEB...WHICH NEAR/AFTER MIDDAY PICK UP ACROSS NC KS. BECAUSE OF SOME LINGERING UNCERTAINTY WITH JUST EXACTLY WHERE THINGS ARE GOING TO SET UP LATER THIS MORNING /AND MODELS STILL VARY SOME WITH THIS/...RAISED POPS BUT TOPPED THEM AT 60 PERCENT FOR NOW...WILL ADJUST AS NECESSARY AS THINGS MOVE IN. AT THIS TIME HAVE THE HIGHEST POPS ACROSS THE SWRN HALF OF THE CWA. LOOKS TO BE A FAIRLY QUICK MOVING SYSTEM...AND WHILE SOME ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED...KEPT THE TOTALS ACROSS THE CWA NEAR/LESS THAN 1 INCH...THOUGH IF A STRONGER BAND HAPPENS TO SET UP SOMEWHERE...TOTALS MORE THAN AN INCH NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. ACCOMPANYING THESE SNOW CHANCES ARE GOING TO BE STRONG N/NWRLY WINDS WITH THE SFC COLD FRONT BEING PUSHED SOUTH THROUGH THE REGION BY THAT UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. SPEEDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE INTO THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE...WITH GUSTS OVER 30 MPH POSSIBLE. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH THE EXPECTED SNOW SHOWERS /WHICH COULD BRING BRIEF SPELLS OF MOD SNOWFALL/...MAY RESULT IN PERIODS OF REDUCED VISIBILITIES. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT ACTIVITY WILL COME TO AN END FROM NW TO SE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND CONTINUED THE DRY FORECAST FOR THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT PERIOD. WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO DIMINISH OVERNIGHT...WITH SPEEDS IN THE 10 TO 15 MPH RANGE BY SUNRISE WEDNESDAY. FORECAST HIGHS TODAY RANGE FROM THE MID 20S TO MID 30S...WITH LOWS TONIGHT IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO MID TEENS. THE COLD TEMPS AND WINDS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING LOOK TO RESULT IN WIND CHILL VALUES DROPPING INTO THE 10 TO 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO RANGE ACROSS NRN PORTIONS OF THE CWA. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 349 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2015 THE EXTENDED PERIODS WILL START OFF COLD ON WEDNESDAY IN AN ARCTIC AIRMASS FOLLOWING THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT ON TUESDAY. THE PATTERN ALOFT WILL BE HIGHLY AMPLIFIED WITH UPPER RIDGING ALONG THE WEST COAST...AND AN UPPER TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE HUDSON BAY TO THE GULF COAST. AT THE SURFACE A 1035MB SURFACE HIGH WILL BUILD SOUTH FROM THE DAKOTAS...REINFORCING THE COLD AIRMASS IN PLACE. TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE DURING THE DAY WITH H85 READINGS IN THE -10 TO 15C RANGE AT MID DAY. THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS SLIDES EAST ALONG THE MOS RIVER DURING THE EVENING AND THE AIRMASS BEGINS TO MODERATE OVERNIGHT AND THURSDAY. CURRENTLY HAVE SLIGHT CHCS FOR SNOW IN OUR NORTHEAST ZONES FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH...THERE IS ISENTROPIC LIFT PRESENT ON THE 290K SURFACE. ULTIMATELY THERE MAY BE MORE IN THE WAY OF MID LEVEL CLOUD COVER VS PCPN WITH LLVL MOISTURE LACKING BUT WILL KEEP A MENTION OF FLURRIES. THURSDAY WILL BE THE TRANSITION DAY BETWEEN THE COLD AIR RECYCLING AROUND THE SFC RIDGE TO THE EAST AND WARMER AIR TO THE WEST ALONG THE HIGH PLAINS. FRIDAY IS SHAPING UP TO BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS AS THE UPPER LOW LIFTS OUT ACROSS THE NE CONUS AHEAD OF ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVING OUT OF CANADA. THE AIRMASS WARMS ROUGHLY 10C FROM THURSDAY TO FRIDAY AND HIGHS IN THE 40S ARE STILL ON TARGET. OVER THE WEEKEND...A SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS PROGGED TO MOVE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION AND ANOTHER TROUGH IS FORECAST TO TRANSLATE ACROSS THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CONUS IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN UPPER LOW CROSSING ONTARIO. IN A CHANGE FROM MODEL RUNS 24 HOURS AGO...THE WESTERN ENERGY IS CURRENTLY PROGGED BY MODELS TO CUTOFF ACROSS THE SW CONUS. IF THE MOST RECENT MODELS VERIFY...WEEKEND PCPN CHCS ARE TRENDING DOWN AND THE MAGNITUDE OF THE COLD AIR BEHIND THE TROUGH IS NOT AS SHARP. SUNDAY IS STILL EXPECTED TO BE THE COLDEST OF THE WEEKEND PERIOD BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 536 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2015 PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN LIES IN THE FIRST 6 HOURS OF THE TAF PERIOD...AS THE AREA COMES UNDER INCREASING INFLUENCE OF AN APPROACHING UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE. AREA OF SNOW IS CURRENTLY MAKING ITS WAY SE THROUGH THE SANDHILLS...AND LOOKS TO AFFECT THE TERMINAL AREAS AFTER SUNRISE AND INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING HOURS. BASED ON UPSTREAM OBS AT TIME REPORTING VISIBILITIES NEAR 1 MILE AND CEILINGS AROUND 1500FT...INSERTED A TEMPO GROUP FOR SIMILAR CONDITIONS FOR WHEN THAT HEAVIER SNOW MOVES THROUGH. CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THIS MAIN AREA WILL PASS SOUTH BY MIDDAY...AND HAVE VFR CONDITIONS RETURNING. FOCUS THEN TURNS TO THE NORTHWEST WINDS BUILDING IN BEHIND A PASSING COLD FRONT...WITH AFTERNOON SPEEDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH POSSIBLE AND GUSTS OVER 30 MPH. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF THIS EVENING/OVERNIGHT. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...NONE. KS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...ADP LONG TERM...FAY AVIATION...ADP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 413 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2015 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 181200- PHILLIPS-SMITH-JEWELL-ROOKS-OSBORNE-MITCHELL-VALLEY-GREELEY-NANCE- SHERMAN-HOWARD-MERRICK-POLK-DAWSON-BUFFALO-HALL-HAMILTON-YORK- GOSPER-PHELPS-KEARNEY-ADAMS-CLAY-FILLMORE-FURNAS-HARLAN-FRANKLIN- WEBSTER-NUCKOLLS-THAYER- 413 AM CST TUE FEB 17 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PERIODIC SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS TODAY. ANY SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS ARE FORECAST TO TOP OUT AROUND 1 INCH OR LESS. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP LATER THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON...WITH SPEEDS OF 20 TO 25 MPH AND GUSTS OVER 30 MPH EXPECTED. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH ANY FALLING SNOW MAY RESULT IN VISIBILITIES DROPPING DOWN TO NEAR ONE MILE AT TIMES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THROUGH TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB PAGE: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/HASTINGS (ALL LOWERCASE)
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A snowfall total of 3.0 inches was measured in Arcadia.
A snowfall total of 3.6 inches was measured in Loup City.
A snowfall total of 3.1 inches was measured in Grand Island, at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport.
A snowfall total of 2.5 inches was measured 4 miles southeast of Phillips.
A snowfall total of 2.6 inches was measured in Ravenna.
A snowfall total of 3.3 inches was measured 6 miles east southeast of Clay Center.
Although ground-truth reports were lacking, observations from nearby counties along with radar data strongly suggested that parts of primarily the northeast quadrant of Nuckolls County received as much as 2-3 inches of snow.
A snowfall total of 4.3 inches was measured in Hubbell.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, February 2015
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: 560225, 560226, 560229, 560230, 560228, 560231, 561670, 560232.