Extreme Cold in Nebraska, February 21 to 22, 2022

Name: Extreme Cold in Nebraska, February 21 to 22, 2022
Start: 2022-02-21T19:00
End: 2022-02-22T11:00
Location: Nebraska

February 21 to 22, 2022 · NWS LBF · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

An arctic airmass brought very cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills to north central Nebraska beginning during the evening hours on February 21st until the morning hours on February 22nd. Wind chills as low as 39 below zero were recorded across the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 17 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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 LBF wrote it up.

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 North Platte, NE wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 21, 4:49 PM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 4:49 PM MST, 2 hours 11 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 21, 3:01 PM MST, 3 hours 59 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

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Sheridan

When: February 21, 7:00 PM MST to February 22, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Sheridan forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.505, -102.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Sheridan County. The Gordon AWOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 38 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Cherry

When: February 21, 7:00 PM MST to February 22, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Western Cherry forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.545, -101.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across western Cherry County. The nearby Gordon AWOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 38 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Grant

When: February 21, 7:00 PM MST to February 22, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Grant forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.915, -101.740 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Grant County. A mesonet site near Whitman recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 39 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hooker

When: February 21, 7:00 PM MST to February 22, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Hooker forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.916, -101.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Hooker County. A nearby mesonet site near Whitman recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 39 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Garden

When: February 21, 7:00 PM MST to February 22, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Garden forecast zone
Reported by: RAWS
Coordinates: 41.619, -102.335 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to around 35 below zero across Garden County. A RAWS site at Crescent Lake recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 36 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Arthur

When: February 21, 7:00 PM MST to February 22, 11:00 AM MST
Where: Arthur forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.569, -101.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to around 35 below zero across Arthur County. A mesonet site near Arthur recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 35 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Eastern Cherry

When: February 21, 9:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Eastern Cherry forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 42.545, -101.119 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across eastern Cherry County. A mesonet site near Valentine recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 38 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Keya Paha

When: February 21, 9:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Keya Paha forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 42.879, -99.712 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 30 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Keya Paha County. A nearby mesonet site near Valentine recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 38 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Brown

When: February 21, 9:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Brown forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 42.430, -99.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Brown County. A mesonet site 20 miles south of Long Pine recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 39 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Rock

When: February 21, 9:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 42.421, -99.450 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Rock County. A nearby mesonet site 20 miles south of Long Pine recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 39 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Thomas

When: February 21, 10:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Thomas forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 41.914, -100.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 35 below zero across Thomas County. The Thedford AWOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 34 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Blaine

When: February 21, 10:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Blaine forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 41.913, -99.977 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 5 below to near 10 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 40 below zero across Blaine County. A mesonet site near Dunning recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 38 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Loup

When: February 21, 10:00 PM CST to February 22, 11:00 AM CST
Where: Loup forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.914, -99.454 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 0 to 5 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 35 below zero across Loup County. The nearby Broken Bow AWOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 33 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Holt

When: February 22, 12:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Holt forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 42.456, -98.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 5 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 35 below zero across Holt County. The O'Neill AWOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 34 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Boyd

When: February 22, 12:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Boyd forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 42.900, -98.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures to around 5 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 35 below zero across Boyd County. A mesonet site near Naper recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 35 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Custer

When: February 22, 12:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Custer forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.394, -99.726 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 0 to 5 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 35 below zero across Custer County. The Broken Bow AWOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 33 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Garfield

When: February 22, 12:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Garfield forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 41.914, -98.991 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Temperatures from 0 to 5 below zero combined with north winds of 20 to 35 mph to produce dangerous wind chills from 30 below to near 35 below zero across Garfield County. The nearby Ord ASOS site recorded dangerous wind chills as low as 31 below zero during the early morning hours on February 22nd.

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

Every storm in Nebraska in 2022 Every state in 2022 This day in weather history Warnings in Nebraska, February 2022

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: 1002566, 1002567, 1002568, 1002576, 1002582, 1002583, 1002569, 1002570, 1002571, 1002572, 1002577, 1002578, 1002579, 1002574, 1002575, 1002580, 1002581.