This Monday was one of the overall-windiest days of the 2017-18 winter season across South Central Nebraska, featuring late-morning through late-afternoon northwesterly sustained speeds commonly 25-40 MPH, frequent gusts 45-55 MPH, and sporadic gusts into the 60-65 MPH range. However, there were no confirmed reports of wind damage.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
This Monday was one of the overall-windiest days of the 2017-18 winter season across South Central Nebraska, featuring late-morning through late-afternoon northwesterly sustained speeds commonly 25-40 MPH, frequent gusts 45-55 MPH, and sporadic gusts into the 60-65 MPH range. However, there were no confirmed reports of wind damage. Six automated weather stations with readily available data breached High Wind Warning criteria of 58+ MPH (two official airport ASOS and four privately-owned mesonets). This included Ord airport with a 64 MPH gust at 404 PM, and Hastings airport which notched separate peak gusts of 60 MPH (at 326 PM) and 59 MPH (444 PM). The majority of 50+ MPH gusts focused between 1-5 PM, with speeds slowly-but-surely-easing up after dark, and sustained values/gusts finally easing below 30 MPH/40 MPH (respectively) by 9 PM. Precipitation-wise, a few flurries or sprinkles accompanied the strong winds, but certainly nothing measurable.
Although the magnitude of peak gusts slightly exceeded forecasted expectations, this was overall a fairly classic/well-anticipated wind event. In the mid-upper levels, a rather potent shortwave trough tracked over Nebraska from west-to-east. In the lower levels, steady cold air advection was noted at 850 millibars, aiding downward momentum transfer to the surface. And at the surface itself, a tight pressure gradient and steady pressure rises developed over Nebraska as the day went on. This occurred as a well-defined low pressure center strengthened from around 996 millibars over eastern Nebraska at daybreak, to around 990 millibars over northern Wisconsin by sunset. During the height of the strongest afternoon winds, the state of Nebraska featured a roughly 16-millibar surface pressure gradient, ranging from around 1021 millibars in the western Panhandle, to around 1005 millibars along the Missouri River.
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 Dec 4, 11:55 AM CST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Hastings NE 1155 AM CST Mon Dec 4 2017 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 254 AM CST Mon Dec 4 2017 A well advertised blustery day is anticipated across the local area today. With lots of high clouds streaming across the area overnight...morning temperatures have remained very mild across the majority of the area...with the exception being our far north where calmer winds and clearing skies have actually allowed for some patchy fog formation north of highway 92. Expect this fog to rapidly diminish over the next hour or two as the approaching front begins to mix things out...with gusty winds expected for the entire forecast area by late morning or early afternoon. While low level moisture is limited with this system...models are indicating pretty good forcing with the approaching wave and cold front...and would not be surprised to see a few light rain or even snow showers during the afternoon through early evening hours...primarily north of interstate 80. That said...even if realized...any accumulations will be very minimal...with little more than a dusting of snow or a couple hundredths of liquid precipitation anticipated. As the winds really begin to increase and deeper mixing is realized early this afternoon...could also see a few hours of elevated to near critical fire weather conditions develop across north central Kansas...but relative humidity values are anticipated to stay above critical levels...with only a mention in HWO and fire weather forecast anticipated for today. Otherwise...winds and clouds will be on the decrease tonight...allowing temperatures to plummet to near or below season norms...with the coolest spots likely to see lows in the teens by early Tuesday morning. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) Issued at 254 AM CST Mon Dec 4 2017 The main story for this period will be cooler temperatures and breezy to windy conditions. Tuesday through Thursday there will be northwest flow across the area. The winds will continue to be breezy with northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with higher gusts. Tuesday and Wednesday will be the strongest with the strongest gusts on Tuesday. There will be an upper level wave that moves into the area Wednesday night into Thursday. With the wave the models have some spotty, light QPF for parts of the area. Have kept some small PoPs in the north for late Wednesday night and Thursday but not sure how much there will really be. It could be more of a flurry type thing for more of the area. Temperatures will be cool during this time. Have lowered highs just a little. For Thursday night to Friday night there will be more northerly flow. The temperatures should remain on the cooler side, but the winds will be lighter. There will be a weak surface high that moves into the area Friday night and as it moves to the east on Saturday there will be warm advection across the area and temperatures should start a little warming trend through Sunday. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z KGRI/KEAR TAFS through 18Z Tuesday) Issued at 1149 AM CST Mon Dec 4 2017 The primary aviation concern will be the strong northwesterly winds this afternoon, which could at times gust to over 45 mph. The wind will gradually decrease through the evening and overnight hours. Strong low level wind shear is possible around daybreak on Tuesday, but is borderline on meeting criteria and will not be added to the TAF yet at this point in time. A low stratus deck is expected to move into our TAF sites this afternoon reducing ceilings into the MVFR range at times. && .GID WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. KS...None. && SHORT TERM...Rossi LONG TERM...JCB AVIATION...Wesely
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Hastings NE 157 PM CST Mon Dec 4 2017 KSZ005>007-017>019-NEZ039>041-046>049-060>064-072>077-082>087- 052000- 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- 157 PM CST Mon Dec 4 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for south central Nebraska and portions of north central Kansas. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Strong northwest winds will continue this afternoon with sustained speeds of 30 to 40 mph...frequently gusting 45 to 50 mph. Sustained wind speeds will drop below 30 MPH by around sunset. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Northwest winds around 25 to 30 MPH with gusts up to 45 mph are expected Tuesday, mainly north of Interstate 80. The combination of strong winds and low relative humidity values will result in near-critical fire weather conditions Tuesday afternoon, primarily across portions of north central Kansas. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. && More information may be obtained at the following web page: https://www.weather.gov/hastings Wesely
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
227 PM CST MON DEC 4 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0215 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 WNW LEXINGTON 40.79N 99.78W
12/04/2017 M55 MPH DAWSON NE AWOS
LEXINGTON AIRPORT.
&&
MANGELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
228 PM CST MON DEC 4 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0210 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W LOGAN 39.66N 99.58W
12/04/2017 M52 MPH PHILLIPS KS MESONET
LOGAN MESONET STATION.
&&
MANGELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
231 PM CST MON DEC 4 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0155 PM NON-TSTM WND GST PHILLIPSBURG AIRPORT 39.74N 99.32W
12/04/2017 M51 MPH PHILLIPS KS AWOS
&&
MANGELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
234 PM CST MON DEC 4 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0202 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 2 NNE NORMAN 40.50N 98.78W
12/04/2017 M55 MPH KEARNEY NE MESONET
&&
MANGELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
241 PM CST MON DEC 4 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0111 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 WSW HENDERSON 40.76N 97.88W
12/04/2017 M51 MPH HAMILTON NE MESONET
&&
MANGELSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HASTINGS NE
244 PM CST MON DEC 4 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0137 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DAVENPORT 40.31N 97.81W
12/04/2017 M50 MPH THAYER NE MESONET
&&
MANGELSThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph occurred two miles north northeast of Norman.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph occurred three miles south southeast of Johnson Lake.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph occurred at the Hastings airport.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph occurred two miles south southeast of Davenport.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 64 mph occurred at Evelyn Sharp Field in Ord.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 62 mph occurred two miles north northeast of Norman.
A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 59 mph occurred at Hastings airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, December 2017
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: 723685, 723687, 723686, 723689, 723683, 723684, 723688.