The season's first winter storm brought moderate snowfall and gusty northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph across the northern Nebraska panhandle. Snow totals ranged from three to six inches.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 CYS wrote it up.
The season's first winter storm brought moderate snowfall and gusty northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph across the northern Nebraska panhandle. Snow totals ranged from three to six inches. Low visibilities and snow-covered roadways created hazardous travel conditions.
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 Cheyenne, WY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 17, 4:42 AM MST, 4 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Cheyenne WY
442 AM MST Thu Nov 17 2016
.SHORT TERM...(Today through Friday night)
Issued at 259 AM MST Thu Nov 17 2016
The deep upper level trough is on track to bring the region's first
widespread snow and cold event of the season. Currently situated
near the NV/UT/AZ borders, it is expected to take an eastward track
across the four corners region later this morning and into the
central plains on Friday. Models continue to have a good handle on
this system, with no major changes in the track and intensity
on the 00Z runs. Therefore, made very few changes to the ongoing
forecast for southeast Wyoming and the western Nebraska panhandle.
Obs along I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne show dew point
depressions of 0-2 degrees, so still think we'll see some patchy fog
develop here over the next couple of hours. Snow looks to begin
in the mountains shortly after sunrise as strong QG forcing and
moisture move overhead, spreading into the nearby high valleys and
Wyoming plains through the morning. Snow will then spread further
east across the rest of the area through the afternoon with snow
rates intensifying as frontogenesis strengthens ne/sw across the
region and the upper trough quickly moves across the region.
Another push of cold air will accompany the trough passage, hence
the strengthening frontogenesis, and so expect high temps to occur
in the morning with falling temps through the day. Overall snow
totals still look to be in the 2 to 5" range in the lower
elevations, with higher amounts in the mountains and also the Pine
Ridge in the northern Nebraska panhandle. Left highlights as is
for now, although still am concerned that the combination of snow
and gusty northwest winds of 25 to 35 mph could produce
significant travel issues come late afternoon/evening. Will see
how much accumulation actually occurs since the initial warm
ground could melt a lot of the snow, keeping blowing snow and
accumulation on roads minimal.
The heaviest of snow will end by early in the evening, although
light snow will linger through shortly after midnight. Expect snow
to end by sunrise Friday with winds steadily diminishing as well.
Friday will struggle to get above freezing with high pressure
entrenched across the region and a fresh snow pack on the ground.
Temperatures Friday night will drop into the single digits and
teens, the coldest temps of the season so far.
.LONG TERM...(Saturday through Wednesday)
Issued at 259 AM MST Thu Nov 17 2016
A shortwave ridge will move over Wyoming on Saturday with highs
warming into the low to mid 40s across lower elevations. The models
show a weak shortwave trough rounding the top of the ridge across
Montana on Saturday night. This will serve to increase the llvl
gradient over southeast WY with the 850mb CAG-CPR gradient up to 45
meters by 09Z Sunday. Thus, could see windy conditions in the wind
prone areas, but now high wind highlights are anticipated at this
point. Better warming will occur on Sunday and Monday with temps
rising to around 10 degrees above normal for mid November. The
models continue to indicate a fropa on Tuesday morning as an upper
system moves into Colorado and northern New Mexico. Could see
isolated to scattered snow showers develop into Tuesday morning,
mainly for areas to the west of the Laramie Range, however the best
dynamics and moisture will remain across Colorado.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning)
Issued at 436 AM MST Thu Nov 17 2016
MVFR/IFR cigs will persist at CYS through the morning. Snow and
IFR conditions will begin in RWL around 18Z and then spread
eastward to all sites through 00Z. Moderate snow is expected at
times with vis reduced to one half mile. The snow will taper off
and vis will improve generally after 06Z. Northerly winds will
pick up by late this afternoon and this evening, especially for
areas to the east of the Laramie Range where gusts to 25-35 kts
will be possible.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 259 AM MST Thu Nov 17 2016
The first winter storm of the season will bring accumulating snow
and much colder temperatures to the district through the end of
this week. Temperatures will warm once again over the weekend into
early next week, although do not look as warm as recent days.
Humidity values should remain 20 percent or higher through this
time, so fire weather concerns will be minimal.
&&
.CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WY...Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 8 PM MST this
evening for WYZ101>119.
NE...Winter Storm Warning from noon today to midnight MST tonight for
NEZ002-095.
Winter Weather Advisory from noon today to midnight MST tonight
for NEZ003-019>021-096.
&&
SHORT TERM...RJM
LONG TERM...ZF
AVIATION...ZF
FIRE WEATHER...RJMHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY 315 AM MST THU NOV 17 2016 WYZ101>119-181015- CONVERSE COUNTY LOWER ELEVATIONS-NIOBRARA COUNTY- NORTH LARAMIE RANGE-FERRIS/SEMINOE/SHIRLEY MOUNTAINS- SHIRLEY BASIN-CENTRAL LARAMIE RANGE AND SOUTHWEST PLATTE COUNTY- EAST PLATTE COUNTY-GOSHEN COUNTY-CENTRAL CARBON COUNTY- NORTH SNOWY RANGE FOOTHILLS-SOUTHWEST CARBON COUNTY- SIERRA MADRE RANGE-UPPER NORTH PLATTE RIVER BASIN-SNOWY RANGE- LARAMIE VALLEY-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE-SOUTH LARAMIE RANGE FOOTHILLS- CENTRAL LARAMIE COUNTY-EAST LARAMIE COUNTY- 315 AM MST THU NOV 17 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WYOMING...SOUTH CENTRAL WYOMING AND SOUTHEAST WYOMING. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY LATE THIS MORNING ACROSS AREAS TO THE WEST OF THE LARAMIE RANGE AND SPREAD OVER ALL OF SOUTHEAST WYOMING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING WILL GENERALLY BE 2 TO 5 INCHES OVER LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH 6 TO 9 INCHES OVER THE MOUNTAINS. PATCHY BLOWING SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE BY THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AS NORTH WINDS GUST TO 30 MPH. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY OF WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. NEZ002-003-019>021-054-055-095-096-181015- DAWES-BOX BUTTE-SCOTTS BLUFF-BANNER-MORRILL-KIMBALL-CHEYENNE- NORTH SIOUX-SOUTH SIOUX- 315 AM MST THU NOV 17 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEBRASKA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP BY THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE WESTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH THIS EVENING WILL GENERALLY BE 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH A FEW LOCATIONS APPROACHING 6 INCHES ALONG THE PINE RIDGE. PATCHY BLOWING SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE BY THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AS NORTH WINDS GUST TO 35 MPH. WINTER STORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN SIOUX AND DAWES COUNTIES WITH WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ELSEWHERE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Six inches of snow was reported six miles southeast of Harrison.
Four to six inches of snow was reported in and around Chadron.
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, November 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: 663511, 663512.