On this Wednesday morning, a fairly significant winter storm took aim on South Central Nebraska for the second time in five days. Unlike the more prolonged event of the preceding weekend, this one was a quick hitter associated with one primary snow band, with most affected areas receiving accumulation for no more than 6-7 hours.
Every event with a place to put it; 15 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.
On this Wednesday morning, a fairly significant winter storm took aim on South Central Nebraska for the second time in five days. Unlike the more prolonged event of the preceding weekend, this one was a quick hitter associated with one primary snow band, with most affected areas receiving accumulation for no more than 6-7 hours. Despite this brevity, bursts of moderate to heavy snow combined with sustained north wind of generally 20-25 MPH and gusts up to around 35 MPH to promote a treacherous morning commute along with numerous school closures. The brunt of this system targeted locations north-northeast of a line extending from Gothenburg-Hastings-Hebron, where most places received at least 2-4 inches. However, the epicenter of heaviest accumulations on the order of 4-8 occurred in a generally 30-40 mile wide corridor extending from around Loup City in the northwest, then east-southeast through the St. Paul, Grand Island, Central City, Aurora, Osceola and York areas. Within the heart of this band, a few of the highest measured totals (per a combination of NWS cooperative observers and NeRAIN observers) featured 8.7 four miles north of Aurora, 8.2 at Ravenna, 7.1 in Loup City, 6.1 at Grand Island airport, 6.0 at St. Paul and 5.7 in Osceola. On either side of this primary snow band there was a fairly sharp drop-off in amounts, as evidenced by reports from Ord (3.0) and Genoa (3.0) to the north, and Hastings (1.7) and Hebron (2.8) to the south.
Breaking down event timing, this generally west-to-east oriented snow band first infiltrated the northwestern quadrant of South Central Nebraska between 1-3 a.m. and then steadily intensified through daybreak as it spread east. Generally between 7-9 a.m., the band began sinking southward across the Highway 6 corridor and toward the Kansas border, while gradually weakening and ending from north-to-south and also from west-to-east. By 1130 a.m. the vast majority of the local area was snow-free. On the synoptic and mesoscale aloft, this quick-but-intense event was driven by a rather classic, strongly-forced frontogenetic band evident mainly in the 850-500 millibar layer, but especially centered around 700 millibars. This frontogenetic forcing slid across the heart of Nebraska from northwest-to-southeast, enhanced by a coupled upper jet structure evident at 300 millibars, featuring the exit region of one jet streak nosing in from the Northern Rockies and the entrance region of another jet streak centered over the Upper Midwest. At the surface, gusty north wind across Nebraska was driven by an enhanced pressure gradient between an Arctic high pressure system sliding into the Northern Plains and the leading edges of a cold front charging southward through southern Kansas at daybreak. Temperatures across South Central Nebraska averaged between 15-20 F during the majority of 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 3, 11:39 PM CST, 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
1139 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2015
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 406 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2015
FOCUS REMAINS ON WINTER STORM SYSTEM OVERNIGHT/WEDNESDAY
THERE HAS NOT BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF CHANGE IN THE APPROACHING STORM
SYSTEM TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY OTHER THAN THE SNOW LOOKS TO START AN
HOUR OR TWO EARLIER AND END A LITTLE FASTER THAN INDICATED 24 HOURS
AGO.
THE PATTERN ALOFT FEATURED NORTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS
WITH A TROUGH TRANSLATING SOUTH FROM CANADA AND ANOTHER WAVE MOVING
SE FROM THE NORTH CENTRAL ROCKIES. A JET STREAK ACROSS THE UPPER
MIDWEST REGION IS FORECAST TO COUPLE WITH THE JET NOSING SOUTH ALONG
THE HIGH PLAINS TONIGHT TO ENHANCE LIFT ACROSS OUR REGION. IN
ADDITION...A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVING SOUTH FROM SOUTH DAKOTA
THIS AFTERNOON WILL MAKE A BETTER PUSH TO THE SOUTH ACROSS OUR
REGION OVERNIGHT USHERING IN COLDER AIR IN TIME FOR PCPN TO FALL AS
SNOW. IN THE COLD AIRMASS...AND INCREASING LIFT/FRONTOGENESIS/UPPER
DYNAMICS...SNOW WILL DEVELOP TO OUR WEST AND MOVE INTO OUR REGION
AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE SYSTEM IS A QUICK MOVER WITH THE TIMING OF THE
GREATEST SNOWFALL ROUGHLY BETWEEN 3 AM AND 10 AM WEDNESDAY. A
FRONTOGENETIC SNOW BAND IS EXPECTED TO SET UP WITH MODELS GENERALLY
ALIGNING THE MAIN SNOW BAND FROM THE NEB PANHANDLE...THROUGH CENTRAL
NEBRASKA PRIMARILY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80...INTO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.
DID NOT DEVIATE MUCH IN SNOWFALL TOTALS WITH AMOUNTS GENERALLY 2 TO
4 INCHES IN NEBRASKA WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE OF 5
INCHES OR SO POSSIBLE IN AN INTENSE SNOW BAND. FARTHER SOUTH SNOW
AMOUNTS WILL TAPER OFF HEADING INTO NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS WHERE
SNOWFALL SHOULD AVERAGE 1 TO 3 INCHES.
WINDS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN AS THE SNOW IS FALLING WITH NORTH WIND
GUSTS AVERAGING 30 MPH. THE COMBINATION OF THE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL
AND THE WINDS WILL LIKELY CAUSE REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW. GIVEN THE TIMING OF THE SNOW PRIOR TO AND DURING THE
MORNING COMMUTE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DECENT ACCUMULATIONS...HAVE
EXPANDED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL FOUR
COUNTIES.
AS FAST AS THE SYSTEM MOVES IN...THE SYSTEM MOVES OUT MID DAY ON
WEDNESDAY OR EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND WIND SPEEDS SUBSIDE AS THE
SURFACE HIGH SETTLES ONTO THE PLAINS.
.LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)
ISSUED AT 406 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2015
COMPARED TO THE ACTIVE WINTER WEATHER OF THESE NEXT 24 HOURS AS
DESCRIBED ABOVE...THERE CURRENTLY DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A WHOLE
LOT GOING ON IN TERMS OF ACTIVE WEATHER DURING THIS 6-DAY PERIOD.
IN FACT...THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS PRECIPITATION-FREE
THROUGHOUT...ALTHOUGH A GENERAL TREND OF THE LATEST ECMWF/GFS
SUGGESTS THAT THE SUNDAY-MONDAY TIME FRAME MAY BEAR WATCHING FOR
AT LEAST SOME LIGHT PRECIP POTENTIAL WITHIN OR NEAR THE CWA...BUT
THIS IS FAR TOO OUT IN TIME/LOW-CONFIDENCE TO WARRANT "RUINING"
THE DRY FORECAST YET. GLANCING JUST BEYOND THE OFFICIAL FORECAST
TIME FRAME...THE LATEST ECMWF OFFERS AT LEAST SOME SUPPORT THAT
THE NEXT "POTENTIALLY DECENT" CHANCE FOR PRECIP COULD ARRIVE
AROUND THE TUES-NIGHT WED TIME FRAME A WEEK FROM NOW...BUT
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS INCREDIBLY FAR FROM CERTAIN.
AS A RESULT...THE PARAMOUNT FORECAST CHALLENGE DURING THESE 6
DAYS WILL BE TEMPERATURES...AND GIVEN THE CLASSIC BATTLE BETWEEN
DECENT SNOW COVER (ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE NORTHEAST 1/2 OF THE CWA)
AND FAIRLY PRONOUNCED LOW-LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION FROM THE
WEST ON MANY OF THESE DAYS...TEMPERATURE FORECASTING WILL BE A
CHALLENGE. ALTHOUGH ABOVE AVERAGE VALUES FOR FEBRUARY WILL BE THE
STORY ON MOST DAYS CWA-WIDE WITH PLENTY OF 40S EAST AND 50S/60S
WEST...SEVERAL DAYS COULD EASILY FEATURE AT LEAST A 20 IF NOT 30
DEGREE GRADIENT IN HIGH TEMPERATURES BETWEEN OUR FAR
EASTERN/NORTHERN COUNTIES AND OUR FAR SOUTHERN/WESTERN COUNTIES.
COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FORECAST PACKAGE...HIGH TEMPS ON MOST
DAYS WERE ACTUALLY BUMPED UPWARD GENERALLY 2-4 DEGREES.
AS FOR POTENTIAL WEATHER HAZARDS THAT MERIT INCLUSION IN THE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK (HWOGID) THROUGH THESE 6 DAYS...THERE
IS CURRENTLY ONLY ONE: NEAR-ADVISORY WIND CHILL VALUES OF -15 TO
-20 DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING MAINLY
NORTH/EAST OF THE TRI-CITIES. ON ANOTHER NOTE...ALTHOUGH
CONFIDENCE IN OCCURRENCE/PLACEMENT IS FAR TOO LOW AT THIS TIME TO
FORMALLY INSERT INTO THE FORECAST...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE
A FEW NIGHTS/MORNINGS EVENTUALLY NECESSITATE A MENTION OF FOG
RESULTING FROM DAYTIME SNOW MELT.
GETTING INTO GREATER DAILY DETAIL AND TAKING IT IN 12-24 HOURS
BLOCKS:
WEDNESDAY EVENING/NIGHT: THIS CLEARLY LOOKS LIKE THE COLDEST NIGHT
OF THE NEXT 7...BUT EVEN SO AT LEAST A SLIGHT RISING TREND IS
EXPECTED AS THE NIGHT WEARS ON THANKS TO LIGHT BREEZES PRE-
MIDNIGHT PICKING UP TO STEADIER 10-15 MPH SOUTHERLY WIND AS
SUNRISE NEARS. THIS IS A RESULT OF A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AXIS
SLIDING OFF TO THE EAST AND ALLOWING THE RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW.
NUDGED DOWN LOWS A FEW DEGREES...ESPECIALLY OVER THE DEEPEST
EXISTING SNOW PACK IN THE EAST/NORTHEAST...RESULTING IN A RANGE
FROM A FEW DEGREES BELOW ZERO NORTHEAST TO CLOSER TO 10 ABOVE IN
THE SOUTHWEST. AGAIN THOUGH...THESE LOWS WILL LIKELY BE REALIZED
CLOSER TO MIDNIGHT THAN SUNRISE. NO MATTER...WIND CHILL VALUES IN
THE NORTHEAST CWA ARE EXPECTED TO AVERAGE 15-20 BELOW ZERO MUCH OF
THE NIGHT DESPITE THE FAIRLY LIGHT BREEZE...BUT THIS STILL APPEARS
SHORT OF ADVISORY CRITERIA. IN THE MID-UPPER LEVELS...CONFIDENCE
IS RATHER HIGH IN DRY WEATHER WITH THE DAYTIME SNOW SYSTEM LONG-
GONE BY SUNSET...ALTHOUGH WOULD NOT BE TOTALLY SHOCKED TO SEE A
DECK OF MID CLOUDS MOVING IN FROM THE WEST LATE IN THE NIGHT
TRYING TO SQUEEZE OUT A FEW FLURRIES. DOES NOT APPEAR WORTHY OF A
MENTION THOUGH.
THURSDAY DAYTIME-NIGHT...ALTHOUGH THIS APPEARS TO BE THE OVERALL-
CHILLIEST DAY OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD...IT SHOULD STILL MARK A
NOTICEABLE WARM UP FROM WEDNESDAY. IN THE MID-UPPER LEVELS...BROAD
RIDGING ALOFT/RISING HEIGHTS MOVE IN FROM THE WEST...WITH HIGH
CONFIDENCE IN DRY WEATHER. DECENT WARM AIR ADVECTION CONTINUES IN
THE LOW LEVELS...AS MUCH OF THE DAY FEATURES SUSTAINED SOUTH-
SOUTHWEST BREEZES AROUND 15 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. DESPITE DECENT
SNOW COVER IN MAINLY EASTERN AREAS...UPPED HIGHS ACROSS THE ENTIRE
CWA AT LEAST 3-5 DEGREES...AIMING FOR A TRICKY GRADIENT FROM ONLY
NEAR-30 FAR NORTHEAST...LOW-MID 30S CENTRAL AND UPPER 40S FAR
SOUTHWEST. LOWS THURS NIGHT ALSO NOTABLY MILDER THAN THE PREVIOUS
NIGHT...WITH ALL AREAS EXPECTED TO HOLD UP NO COLDER THAN THE
LOW-MID 20S.
FRIDAY DAYTIME-NIGHT...GENERALLY BENIGN QUASI-ZONAL FLOW CONTINUES
ALOFT...WITH A WEAK BOUNDARY TURNING DAYTIME BREEZES MORE WESTERLY
THAN SOUTHERLY. THIS DOWNSLOPE FLOW WILL CERTAINLY AID A CONTINUED
WARM-UP...WITH HIGHS AIMED GENERALLY 10-15 DEGREES WARMER THAN
THURSDAY. MAY VERY WELL HAVE NOT GONE WARM ENOUGH ALL AREAS...BUT
HAVE ROUGHLY THE NORTHEAST 2/3 OF THE CWA IN THE MID-UPPER 40S
WITH A MIX OF 50S/60S SOUTHWEST.
SATURDAY DAYTIME-NIGHT...DRY FORECAST CONTINUES ALTHOUGH THE
LATEST ECMWF SKIRTS A CLIPPER SYSTEM FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE NORTHERN
EDGE OF THE CWA SATURDAY NIGHT. THE WARMING TREND CONTINUES...AND
LATEST HIGHS NOW AIM FROM UPPER 40S/LOW 50S NORTHEAST TO WELL INTO
THE 60S SOUTH/WEST.
SUNDAY DAYTIME-NIGHT...WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON SOME WEAK
DISTURBANCES TO MAKE SURE AT LEAST LIGHT PRECIP DOES NOT WARRANT
EVENTUAL INCLUSION...BUT CONTINUES DRY FOR NOW. HIGHS ARE
CURRENTLY AIMED FAIRLY CLOSE TO SATURDAY WITH A RANGE FROM 40S
NORTHEAST TO 60S SOUTHWEST...BUT UNCERTAINTY IS STILL FAIRLY HIGH
AS THE LATEST ECMWF SUGGESTS OUR FORECAST MAY ACTUALLY BE A TOUCH
TOO WARM FOR A CHANGE.
MONDAY DAYTIME-NIGHT...FOR BEING 6 DAYS OUT...FAIRLY DECENT
CONFIDENCE IN DRY WEATHER WITH BOTH EC/GFS SUGGESTING A PASSING
SHORTWAVE RIDGE PENDING CHANGES IN TIMING. HIGHS MAINLY 40S EAST
TO 50S WEST.
TUESDAY DAYTIME...STILL LOOKING DRY AHEAD OF THE NEXT POTENTIAL
PRECIP-MAKER DRIFTING IN FROM THE WEST. HIGH TEMPS VERY
PRELIMINARILY AGAIN AIMED INTO THE 45-60 RANGE CWA-WIDE.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 1130 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2015
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA IN A FEW HOURS. THE
HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE THROUGH MID MORNING. THE WINDS WILL START
TO INCREASE BEFORE SUNRISE AND CAUSE SOME BLOWING SNOW. BY MID DAY
THE SNOW WILL DIMINISH...AS WILL THE WINDS...AND BLOWING SNOW WILL
COME TO AN END.
&&
.GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NE...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON CST WEDNESDAY FOR NEZ039>041-
046>049-060>064-073>077-085>087.
KS...NONE.
&&
SHORT TERM...FAY
LONG TERM...PFANNKUCH
AVIATION...JCBHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE 340 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2015 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 041200- 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- 340 PM CST TUE FEB 3 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA AND PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT FOR LOCATIONS NORTH OF A LINE FROM LEXINGTON TO RED CLOUD TO HEBRON NEBRASKA. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR MORE INFORMATION. LOCATIONS SOUTH OF THE LINE COULD SEE SNOWFALL UP TO ONE INCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR LOCATIONS NORTH OF A LINE FROM LEXINGTON TO RED CLOUD TO HEBRON NEBRASKA. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST ADVISORY PRODUCT FOR MORE INFORMATION. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF THIS LINE. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING...WIND CHILL VALUES AS COLD AS -15 TO -20 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED WITHIN NORTHEAST PORTIONS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA...PRIMARILY NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM LOUP CITY TO GENEVA NEBRASKA. .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 storm, 7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A snowfall total of 2.8 inches was measured in Cozad. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 7.1 inches was reported 2 miles northwest of Rockville, along with 6.2 inches in Loup City. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north. These snowfall reports were from Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network (NERAIN).
A snowfall total of 8.2 inches was measured in Ravenna, along with 6.4 inches in Miller. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 3.0 inches was measured in Arcadia and Ord. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 6.0 inches occurred in St. Paul. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 6.1 inches fell at Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island. Wind gusts up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 2.5 inches was measured in Greeley. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 8.7 inches occurred 4 miles north of Aurora. Wind gusts up to 30 to 35 mph occurred.
A snowfall total of 3.0 inches was measured in Genoa. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 3.0 inches was measured in Clay Center. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 4.0 inches was measured in Geneva. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 7.0 inches was reported by an NeRAIN observer 5 miles south-southeast of Palmer. Also, an NWS Cooperative Observer measured 4.5 inches in Central City. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 5.7 inches occurred in the community of Osceola. North wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph also occurred and combined with the snow to cause significant travel issues and numerous school closures.
A snowfall total of 4.0 inches was measured in Bruning. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north.
A snowfall total of 5.0 inches was measured in Bradshaw, 3 miles west of Gresham, and 3 miles north of York. Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph occurred out of the north and combined with the snow to cause significant travel issues and numerous school closures.
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: 560218, 551186, 551187, 560213, 551188, 551189, 560215, 551190, 560216, 560221, 560222, 560399, 551191, 560223, 560400.