Another fast moving upper level weather system brought several bands of snow across portions of east central and southeast Nebraska, and parts of southwest Iowa during the afternoon and evening of February 6th. Most areas received 1-3 inches of snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 OAX wrote it up.
Another fast moving upper level weather system brought several bands of snow across portions of east central and southeast Nebraska, and parts of southwest Iowa during the afternoon and evening of February 6th. Most areas received 1-3 inches of snow. A band of heavier snow brought 4 to 5 inches to parts of Saline County.
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 Omaha, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 6, 11:33 AM CST, 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 1133 AM CST Tue Feb 6 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Today through Thursday) Issued at 335 AM CST Tue Feb 6 2018 The main forecast issues in this period are snow amounts from today into this evening, then snow spreading into the area from the north on Thursday. Primary features noted from the upper air charts from last evening included the following. There was a jetstreak of around 105 knots at 300 mb over KS into MO, which as in association with the shortwave trough that helped cause snow in our area yesterday. Another jetstreak of around 105 knots was punching south/southeast from the Pacific NW. At 500 mb, height falls of 50 meters or more extended from eastern NE and western IA down into eastern KS and MO. Another area of 50-60 meter height falls, with the system that will bring snow to parts of the region today, was back over ID, NV and UT. Models are not in complete agreement on how much it will snow today, but they do agree that most of the area should see some measurable snow. The 06Z NAM had two areas of over 2 inches. One from near Kearney toward Columbus and another down over northern KS into northwest MO, just clipping our counties along the KS border. The 00Z GFS was similar to the NAM but did not have the northern band. The RAP13 and HRRR show amounts generally from 0.5 to 2.5 inches across our area. With winds less than 15 mph, decided NOT to put out an advisory at this time. If amounts look higher later this morning, then one can be added. But impacts with that amount of snow, and not much wind, should be minimal. It is interesting that the RAP13 do not show much snow in KS and MO into early evening. Highs today should only reach the lower to mid teens, with lows tonight from 2 to 7 above. High pressure at the surface will move off to the southeast on Wednesday and temperatures should not be quite as cold. With southerly flow continuing Wednesday night into Thursday it will be a bit warmer, especially in southern parts of the forecast area. Lows Wednesday night should only drop into the teens with highs Thursday in the mid 20s to lower 30s north and mid 30s to lower 40s south. Did keep a slight chance of snow in the afternoon in our far northern zones for Thursday. .LONG TERM...(Thursday night through Monday) Issued at 335 AM CST Tue Feb 6 2018 At the start of this period, a broad trough is expected at 500 mb over much of the US, with a closed low north of Hudson Bay. Through Saturday, a mid tropospheric trough will dig south across the Rockies and try to from a closed low back over CA or UT by Sunday. The flow will become split, but model agreement on the details starts to drop off by Sunday. At the surface, a cold front is expected to extend from southern Iowa to near the KS/NE border by early Thursday evening. Shallow cold air will undercut a warm wedge aloft. This situation will need to be monitored because there could be some mixed precipitation. Did not include any sleet or freezing rain mention at this time, but there is a small chance on the leading edge of a precipitation shield that should move southward across the forecast area Thursday night into Friday. Then the pattern should remain active from Friday into Saturday and Saturday night. Thursday should be the last relatively mild day for a while, with highs Friday into Sunday in the teens to mid 20s. Monday and Tuesday look just a bit warmer, with highs in the 30s and some small chances for precipitation. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon) Issued at 1130 AM CST Tue Feb 6 2018 VFR conditions will be deteriorating to MVFR through 21Z as upper wave spreads an area of light snow across the area in advance as system tracks southeast across the region. MVFR to IFR conditions at times are likely in the snow area from 21Z to around 03Z before snow diminishes and ends by 06Z at KOMA. Conditions improve to VFR after 06Z as the system moves east of the area and high pressure builds into the lower Missouri Valley. && .OAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NE...None. IA...None. && SHORT TERM...Miller LONG TERM...Miller AVIATION...Fobert
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Omaha/Valley NE 415 AM CST Tue Feb 6 2018 IAZ043-055-056-069-079-080-090-091-NEZ011-012-015>018-030>034- 042>045-050>053-065>068-078-088>093-070015- Monona-Harrison-Shelby-Pottawattamie-Mills-Montgomery-Fremont- Page-Knox-Cedar-Thurston-Antelope-Pierce-Wayne-Boone-Madison- Stanton-Cuming-Burt-Platte-Colfax-Dodge-Washington-Butler- Saunders-Douglas-Sarpy-Seward-Lancaster-Cass-Otoe-Saline- Jefferson-Gage-Johnson-Nemaha-Pawnee-Richardson- 415 AM CST Tue Feb 6 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest Iowa...west central Iowa...east central Nebraska...northeast Nebraska and southeast Nebraska. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Wind chills of zero to 15 below zero are expected this morning. Snow should spread across the area today, with amounts mainly from 1 to 3 inches expected. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Light snow chances are expected to spread southward across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa from late Thursday afternoon through Thursday night and Friday. A few inches of accumulation will be possible in that period. There will also be snow chances from Friday night into Saturday night for much of the area. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed today or tonight, but spotters can report snowfall amounts to the National Weather Service.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A person 3 miles east of Millard measured 1 inch of snow. At 4 miles east southeast of Omaha, 0.8 inch of snow was measured.
At 4 miles east northeast of Gretna, 1.6 inches of snow fell.
At Tecumseh 4 inches of snow was reported.
At Swanton, 4.8 inches of snow was measured. Other measurements included 2.9 inches at Crete, 3.1 inches at Friend, 3.2 inches 3 miles east Swanton, 3.7 inches at Wilber, 3.9 inches 3 miles southeast of Wilber, and 4.4 inches at Western.
There was a report of 1.5 inches of snow measured at Waverly. And 1.8 inches of snow fell 2 miles south southwest of Lincoln.
At Odell, 3 inches of snow was measured. At Pickrell, 3.2 inches of snow was measured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, February 2018
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: 742697, 742701, 742694, 742696, 742698, 742700.