Nebraska, 2019

Extreme Cold in Nebraska, January 1, 2019

January 1, 2019 · NWS CYS · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A chilly start to the new year across the Nebraska Panhandle with cold overnight wind chills. Many locations had locations get down into the minus 20s.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS CYS wrote it up.

A chilly start to the new year across the Nebraska Panhandle with cold overnight wind chills. Many locations had locations get down into the minus 20s.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 1, 4:55 AM MST, 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 4:55 AM MST, 5 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 31, 2:00 PM MST, 15 hours before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cheyenne

When
January 1, 5:00 AM MST to 7:00 AM MST
Where
Cheyenne forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.220, -102.995 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill of minus 23 measured at the Sidney Airport.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Dawes

When
January 1, 6:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
Dawes forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
42.720, -103.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill of minus 20 measured at the Chadron Airport.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Box Butte

When
January 1, 7:00 AM MST to 8:00 AM MST
Where
Box Butte forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
42.220, -103.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chill of minus 20 measured at the Alliance Airport.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, January 2019

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 803667, 803669, 803670.