A bitter cold arctic air mass brought dangerous wind chills to much of western and north central Nebraska during the evening and overnight hours on Saturday into the morning hours on Sunday. Lowest wind chills of 30 to 45 below were common, with the lowest wind chill of 51 below recorded at Valentine airport.
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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 bitter cold arctic air mass brought dangerous wind chills to much of western and north central Nebraska during the evening and overnight hours on Saturday into the morning hours on Sunday. Lowest wind chills of 30 to 45 below were common, with the lowest wind chill of 51 below recorded at Valentine airport.
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 Dec 16, 11:57 PM CST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 1157 PM CST Fri Dec 16 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Saturday) Issued at 332 PM CST Fri Dec 16 2016 Snow continues to fall in locations north of highway 2. With snow expected to continue across Sheridan, Cherry, Keya Paha, and Boyd counties tonight, will continue the Winter Storm Warning until noon Saturday. Snowfall up to 7 inches, blowing snow, and wind chills below -30 is possible under the Winter Storm Warning. Locations south of here, but north of I-80, will see an additional 1-3 inches through Saturday morning. Headlines become somewhat messy at this point where snow continues and extremely low wind chills are also expected. Have opted to go with a Wind Chill Warning for these locations as wind chills could drop to -30 to -35 Friday night. Along and south of an Ogallala to Broken Bow line, little snow is expected through the night. Most locations will see under an inch of snow by Saturday morning. With little in the way of snow, have dropped the Winter Weather Advisory in these counties. However, wind chills also decrease tonight resulting in wind chills between -20 and -30. Have issued a Wind Chill Advisory in these locations instead. An additional forecast issue to contend with will be the increasing winds tonight. North winds are expected to increase to near 30 mph starting tonight. Blowing snow will be likely across any locations that receive snow through Saturday morning. This will result in dangerous driving conditions as visibilities diminish, especially across the north where snow has already fallen and will continue to fall through the night. The Winter Storm Warning will expire at noon Saturday, however, we will likely add these counties to the Wind Chill Warning as wind chills will remain near criteria through Saturday. Both the Wind Chill Warning across the north and the Wind Chill Advisory across the south will remain in effect through Saturday as northerly winds continue to push wind chills into the -15 to -30 range. As a result of this arctic air pushing into the region, high temperatures will remain between 5 (in the southern forecast area) to 5 below zero across the northern forecast area. .LONG TERM...(Saturday night through Friday) Issued at 332 PM CST Fri Dec 16 2016 Main forecast challenge will be for wind chill highlights Saturday night into Sunday morning. With clearing skies as 1035mb high moves in and west northwest winds continuing wind chill warnings will be needed over northern Nebraska. Temperatures around 25 below over snow cover to the north will need very little in the way of wind to put them into warning criteria. Warnings have to do with impacts and slight fluctuations in wind speeds may push wind chills into advisories or warnings. I am not that good of forecaster to say wind chills will stop at -27 or -29f. For now will hedge on side of colder temperatures even though may not actually being reflected in grids. Ridge building east with Pacific air and down slope winds through tuesday night. Temperatures warming back into the 30s and 40s. Colder temperatures to the north over snow cover. Cool front moving across Wednesday with slight chances of snow to the north Wednesday afternoon and evening. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Saturday night) Issued at 1155 PM CST Fri Dec 16 2016 Latest radar scans depict a snowband oriented southwest to northeast across southwest NEB to north central NEB at the present time. Latest trends indicate the portion of the band over southwest NEB has generally weakened and diminished in intensity over the last hour. Visibility has been reduced generally down to one mile within the snowband across the NEB Sandhills and north central NEB, with the lowest visibility observed being 3/4SM at KVTN. The band has been moving eastward rather steady and this trend is expected to continue wherein it should move into the extreme eastern portion of the forecast area by early morning. Of concern is the area of snow in northeast CO. Latest analysis and guidance indicate potential for this area to move into southwest NEB, possibly impacting KLBF. Confidence at this time remains low though due to the latest radar trends and analysis. As such, kept snow limited to VCSH after 09 UTC. We will need to monitor this and adjust if necessary. Elsewhere, light snow should diminish across northwest and western NEB in the early-mid morning period then diminish across the remainder of the local forecast area mid- late morning. IFR-MVFR conditions are expected to prevail rest of tonight. Confidence in blowing snow producing visibility less than 6SM in the southern NEB Sandhills and southward remains low. Current thinking is there may be occurrences of blowing snow with falling snow where a minor reduction will be seen, however, this is not expected to prevail. This will need to be monitored in case additional snow showers develop and move across southwest NEB. Ceilings will see improvement slowly tomorrow becoming low- end VFR (less than 7 kft) in the early-mid afternoon. Mid-late afternoon ceilings should improve greatly. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 332 PM CST Fri Dec 16 2016 The potential for ice jamming will continue near Lewellen on the North Platte River as arctic air arrives this weekend. At North Platte, a Flood Warning remains in effect as ice jamming has caused the river to rise. Rising water levels are expected through the weekend as colder air continues to filter into the region. Temperatures rising into the 40s next week will allow ice to break up in many areas. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Chill Warning until noon CST /11 AM MST/ Sunday for NEZ008>010-022>029-035>037-056>058. Wind Chill Advisory until noon CST /11 AM MST/ Sunday for NEZ038- 059-069>071. Winter Storm Warning until noon CST /11 AM MST/ Saturday for NEZ004>007-094. && SHORT TERM...Kulik LONG TERM...Power AVIATION...ET HYDROLOGY...Kulik
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE 446 PM CST FRI DEC 16 2016 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-172300- 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- 446 PM CST FRI DEC 16 2016 /346 PM MST FRI DEC 16 2016/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SNOW...BLOWING SNOW AND WIND CHILL READINGS OF 20 BELOW TO 30 BELOW ZERO ARE LIKELY TONIGHT. TRAVEL COULD BECOME HAZARDOUS ACROSS NORTHERN NEBRASKA TONIGHT. REFER THE TO LATEST WARNINGS...ADVISORIES AND STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS REGARDING THE DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER SITUATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. WIND CHILL READINGS OF 20 BELOW TO 35 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. WIND CHILL ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. ICE JAMMING WILL CONTINUE ON THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER NEAR LEWELLEN AND NORTH PLATTE. WARMER WEATHER NEXT WEEK WILL CAUSE THE ICE TO BREAK UP WITH RIVER FLOWS RETURNING TO NORMAL. .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) KULIK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below zero occurred across Thomas County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Thedford AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 30 below zero at 9 pm CST on Saturday December 17th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below zero occurred across Logan County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Broken Bow ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 31 below zero at 1 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below zero occurred across Custer County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Broken Bow ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 31 below zero at 1 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below zero occurred across Blaine County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Broken Bow ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 31 below zero at 1 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below zero occurred across Loup County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Broken Bow ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 31 below zero at 1 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Garfield County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 40 below zero at 8 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Wheeler County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 40 below zero at 8 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Holt County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 40 below zero at 8 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Rock County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 40 below zero at 8 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Boyd County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 40 below zero at 8 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 51 below zero occurred across Keya Paha County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Valentine ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 51 below zero at 2 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 51 below zero occurred across eastern Cherry County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Valentine ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 51 below zero at 2 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Brown County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Ainsworth AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 38 below zero at 6 am CST on Sunday December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 45 below zero occurred across Sheridan County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Alliance ASOS recorded a wind chill of 44 below zero at 11 pm on Saturday December 17th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 51 below zero occurred across western Cherry County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Valentine ASOS recorded a wind chill of 51 below zero at 1 am MST on December 18th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 45 below zero occurred across Garden County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Alliance ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 44 below zero at 11 pm MST on Saturday December 17th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 40 below zero occurred across Deuel County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Sidney ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 34 below zero at 8 pm MST on Saturday December 17th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 45 below zero occurred across Grant County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Alliance ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 44 below zero at 11 pm MST on Saturday December 17th.
Dangerous wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below zero occurred across Hooker County during the evening hours on December 17th through the morning hours on December 18th. Nearby Thedford ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 30 below zero at 8 pm MST on Saturday December 17th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, December 2016
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: 662770, 662771, 662772, 662773, 662775, 662779, 662780, 662781, 662782, 662783, 662784, 662785, 662786, 662757, 662758, 662761, 662765, 662766, 662768.