Nebraska, 2020

Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 17, 2020

January 17, 2020 · NWS GLD · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A light freezing rain and dense freezing fog event occurred between the 16th and 17th of January in southwest Nebraska. Ice accumulations and poor visibility led to dangerous driving conditions across the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 GLD wrote it up.

A light freezing rain and dense freezing fog event occurred between the 16th and 17th of January in southwest Nebraska. Ice accumulations and poor visibility led to dangerous driving conditions across the area. Although numerous minor car accidents were reported in McCook, roads largely remained open.

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 Goodland, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 17, 5:30 AM CST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 17, 5:30 AM CST, 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 17, 3:39 AM CST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 17, 2:26 AM CST, 3 hours 34 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 2:30 AM CST, 3 hours 30 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 17, 2:37 AM CST, 3 hours 23 minutes 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

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Red Willow

When
January 17, 6:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where
Red Willow forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
40.176, -100.477 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The McCook Police Department reported that light freezing rain and dense freezing fog had led to icy road surfaces which caused numerous minor accidents across the city of McCook throughout the day on January 17th.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Nebraska in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, January 2020

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 873700.