Bitterly cold temperatures combined with northwesterly wind of 5 to 15 mph to produce dangerous wind chill values as low as 40 below across most of western and north central Nebraska from March 3rd into the 4th.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 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.
Bitterly cold temperatures combined with northwesterly wind of 5 to 15 mph to produce dangerous wind chill values as low as 40 below across most of western and north central Nebraska from March 3rd into the 4th.
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 Mar 2, 10:31 PM MST, 3 hours 29 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 1131 PM CST Sat Mar 2 2019 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Sunday night) Issued at 316 PM CST Sat Mar 2 2019 Latest surface obs and radar display depict an area of very light- light snow covering roughly all of the Sandhills to the I-80 corridor presently. Visibilities range mainly from 1 1/4SM to 5SM within the light snow. A second modest shortwave trough presently near western CO will approach the Central High Plains this evening and will help support a second round of light to moderate snow. Of which, the potential for moderate snowfall amounts will be confined roughly to the southern-fourth of the local forecast area with light snow expected elsewhere. This could be attributable to a second zone of enhanced lower tropospheric frontogenesis that will be developing near the southern periphery of the forecast area and northwest KS. Of which, guidance shows a deep dendrite growth zone that is expected to coincide with modest lift tonight, especially across the southern-most counties of the local forecast area. Snow is expected to then taper off/end late tonight. Some uncertainty with regard to northern extent of light snow. Current thinking is northern extent of light snow will likely be confined to the southern Sandhills with flurries across northern NEB then limited to early tonight. While no change to winter weather advisory was made at this time, adjustments may be necessary. Meanwhile, very cold temperatures will move in tonight as surface high pressure builds from the Northern High Plains. The combination of light winds and cold temperatures will promote wind chills as low as 20-29 below zero across much of the area thus a wind chill advisory or a winter weather advisory (mentioning wind chills) will be in place tonight to highlight the threat. A period of then dangerous wind chills, 30-35 below, are expected across northern NEB Sunday morning thus a wind chill warning then begins then for northern NEB. Surface high pressure will remain in control through tomorrow night with meridional flow aloft keeping bitter cold temperatures in place. Coldest conditions are expected to be area-wide Monday morning/tomorrow night. Dangerous wind chills are expected across northern NEB with dangerous wind chills possible farther south across the Sandhills. Southwestern NEB should see very cold wind chills in the same time frame. As such, wind chill headlines will continue into early Monday with a break in excessively cold winds chills anticipated tomorrow afternoon, albeit still hazardous if precautions are not taken. Of note, highs Sunday will span 2 below to 5 above and lows Monday morning will be 8 to 18 below zero – well below seasonable values. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) Issued at 316 PM CST Sat Mar 2 2019 Relief in wind chills Monday will occur gradually through the day with wind chills above zero expected by the afternoon across the southwestern half of the local forecast. However, very cold wind chills will be possible Monday night across northern NEB. Generally fair conditions will prevail through early Wednesday, not including colder than normal seasonable temperatures. The next opportunity for snow exists with light snow accumulations possible Thursday-early Thursday night with the focus across northern NEB. Still some uncertainty with guidance at this time but confidence is increasing with likely chances in place presently. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night) Issued at 1131 PM CST Sat Mar 2 2019 Dry air continues to spread south across the Sandhills and northern Nebraska. Snow has ended in these locations, though winds are still slightly elevated, so very localized blowing snow is possible. Further south an east to west snow band has impacted the KOGA and KLBF terminal the past few hours. Visibility lower to 1sm, but since has slowly improved. Expect this trend to continue as the dry air continues is southward advance. Still, terminal sites such as KIML may see several hours of light to moderate snow overnight. Forecast confidence is strong, but a short-fused update or two may be needed depending on the trends. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM CST /5 AM MST/ Sunday for NEZ022>024-035-036-056>059-069>071. Wind Chill Advisory until 11 AM CST /10 AM MST/ Monday for NEZ022-035>038-056>059-069>071. Wind Chill Warning until 11 AM CST /10 AM MST/ Monday for NEZ004>010-023>029-094. && SHORT TERM...ET LONG TERM...ET AVIATION...Jacobs
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service North Platte NE 315 PM CST Sat Mar 2 2019 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-032115- 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- 315 PM CST Sat Mar 2 2019 /215 PM MST Sat Mar 2 2019/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north central Nebraska. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. Light to moderate snow will spread in again to southwestern Nebraska and parts of the Sandhills early this evening. Snow will taper off from north to south late tonight. New snow accumulations of mainly 1 to 3 inches is expected near and south of Interstate 80 tonight, elsewhere a dusting to an inch is expected. Very cold winds chills expected across all of western and north central Nebraska tonight with wind chills as low as 19 to 29 below zero. See the latest Winter Weather Message for further details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. Very cold to dangerously cold wind chills expected Sunday through early Monday. Coldest wind chills are expected Sunday morning and again Sunday night through Monday morning across northern Nebraska where wind chills down to around 35 below zero are expected. Light accumulating snow is likely Wednesday night to Thursday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed through tonight. Snow reports are appreciated. && Get your weather, hydrological, and climate information at http://www.weather.gov/northplatte
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1133 PM CST SAT MAR 2 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1105 PM SNOW 3 W GRANT 40.84N 101.78W
03/02/2019 E3.0 INCH PERKINS NE PUBLIC
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1134 PM CST SAT MAR 2 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1115 PM SNOW 1 S VALENTINE 42.86N 100.55W
03/02/2019 M0.4 INCH CHERRY NE OFFICIAL NWS OBS
&&
SNIVELYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
1209 AM CST SUN MAR 3 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM SNOW 3 ENE NORTH PLATTE 41.15N 100.72W
03/03/2019 M6.0 INCH LINCOLN NE OFFICIAL NWS OBS
24 HOUR TOTAL. STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY
&&
SNIVELYThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
A mesonet site located 3 miles south southeast of Gordon recorded wind chill values as low as 32 below during the early morning hours on March 3rd into the early morning hours on March 4th across Sheridan County.
A mesonet site located 6 miles east of Halsey recorded wind chill values as low as 32 below during the early morning hours on March 3rd. Wind chills values of 30 to 35 below were common across Blaine County from the early morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours march 4th.
A nearby mesonet site located 6 miles east of Halsey recorded wind chill values as low as 32 below during the early morning hours on March 3rd. Wind chills values of 30 to 35 below were common across Thomas County from the early morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours march 4th.
A nearby mesonet site located 6 miles east of Halsey recorded wind chill values as low as 32 below during the early morning hours on March 3rd. Wind chills values of 30 to 35 below were common across Loup County from the early morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours march 4th.
A nearby mesonet site located 6 miles east of Halsey recorded wind chill values as low as 32 below during the early morning hours on March 3rd. Wind chills values of 30 to 35 below were common across Garfield County from the early morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours march 4th.
The O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 32 below during the morning hours March 3rd. Wind chill values of 30 to to 35 below were common across Holt County from the morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours March 4th.
The nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 32 below during the morning hours March 3rd. Wind chill values of 30 to to 35 below were common across Boyd County from the morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours March 4th.
The nearby O'Neill AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 32 below during the morning hours March 3rd. Wind chill values of 30 to to 35 below were common across Wheeler County from the morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours March 4th.
The Ainsworth AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 31 below during the morning hours March 3rd. Wind chill values of 30 to to 35 below were common across Brown County from the morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours March 4th..
A mesonet site 10 miles southeast of Mills recorded a lowest wind chill of 36 below during the morning hours on March 3rd, while the nearby Valentine ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 30 below during the evening hours on March 3rd into the early morning hours on March 4th across Keya Paha County.
The nearby Ainsworth AWOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 31 below during the morning hours March 3rd. A mesonet site located 8 miles northwest of Rose recorded a lowest wind chill of 37 below during the morning hours March 3rd. Wind chill values of 30 to to 37 below were common across Rock County from the morning hours March 3rd into the early morning hours March 4th.
The Valentine ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 30 below during the evening hours on March 3rd into the early morning hours on March 4th across eastern Cherry County.
The Valentine ASOS recorded a lowest wind chill of 30 below during the evening hours on March 3rd, while a mesonet site 13 south of Merritt Reservoir recorded a lowest wind chill of 34 below during the early morning hours March 4th. Wind chill values of 30 below to 35 below were common across western Cherry County.
A nearby mesonet site located 9 miles south of Arthur recorded wind chill values as low as 34 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Wind chills values of 30 below to 35 below were common across McPherson County.
The nearby North Platte ASOS recorded a wind chill value of 38 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Wind chills values of 35 below to 40 below were common across Logan County.
The North Platte ASOS recorded a wind chill value of 38 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Wind chills values of 35 below to 40 below were common across Lincoln County.
The nearby North Platte ASOS recorded a wind chill value of 38 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. A mesonet site 3 miles south southwest of Merna recorded a wind chill value of 35 below. Wind chills values of 35 below to 40 below were common across Custer County during the early morning hours on March 4th.
A RAWS mesonet site located at Crescent Lake recorded wind chill values as low as 34 below during the early morning hours on March 4th across Garden County.
A mesonet site located 5 miles east northeast of Whitman recorded wind chill values as low as 31 below during the early morning hours on March 4th across Grant County.
A nearby mesonet site located 5 miles east northeast of Whitman recorded wind chill values as low as 31 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Wind chills values of 30 to 35 below were common across Hooker County.
A mesonet site located 9 miles south of Arthur recorded wind chill values as low as 31 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Wind chill values from 30 below to 35 below were common across Arthur County.
A mesonet site located 6 miles east southeast of Keystone recorded a wind chill value of 34 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Wind chills values of 30 below to 35 below were common across Keith County.
A nearby mesonet site located 6 miles east southeast of Keystone recorded a wind chill value of 34 below during the early morning hours on March 4th. Another nearby mesonet site located 6 miles southwest of Brule recorded a wind chill value of 32 below. Wind chills values of 30 below to 35 below were common across Deuel County.
A nearby mesonet site located located 6 miles southwest of Brule recorded a wind chill value of 32 below. Another nearby mesonet site located 9 miles north of Dickens recorded a wind chill value of 31 below. Wind chills values of 30 below to 35 below were common across Perkins County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, March 2019
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: 806030, 806042, 806043, 806044, 806045, 806037, 806038, 806046, 806033, 806034, 806036, 806031, 806032, 806048, 806049, 806050, 806054, 806039, 806040, 806041, 806047, 806051, 806052, 806053.