Narrow band of heavy snow developed over portions of the southern Nebraska Panhandle during the morning of the 2nd just south of the North Platte River valley. Heavy, wet snowfall resulted in power outages near Kimball due to tree and power line damage.
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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 CYS wrote it up.
Narrow band of heavy snow developed over portions of the southern Nebraska Panhandle during the morning of the 2nd just south of the North Platte River valley. Heavy, wet snowfall resulted in power outages near Kimball due to tree and power line damage.
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 May 1, 9:16 PM MST, 5 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cheyenne WY 1016 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 355 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022 The main focus of the short term forecast remains the widespread precipitation event expected tonight through Monday. The key points are as follows: * High confidence that widespread substantial precipitation will fall along and east of the Laramie range. * Low to medium confidence in the extent and timing of the potential transition to snow. This event can be split into two phases, with the initial spring time shower phase beginning this afternoon through the night, and then transitioning to a more stratiform wintry event by the morning. Currently, GOES satellite imagery shows the circulation associated with the upper level low centered over roughly the Great Salt Lake and slowly pushing eastward. Increasing mid to high level cloud cover is moving in from the southwest on the leading edge of the trough, while low level cumulus clouds can be seen streaming from southeast to northwest. Flow in each level will contribute significant moistening of the atmosphere over the next 12 hours. PWAT is expected to increase from around one quarter inch this morning (0.28" on the 12z DEN sounding) to about 0.5 to 0.7" east of the Laramie range by 09z Monday. Radar shows some showers popping up over the higher terrain in SE Wyoming and N Colorado, but no lightning has been detected yet with these. As the surface cyclone strengthens over SE Colorado and advects more low level moisture northward, some weak elevated instability may develop in NE Colorado and then drift to the north-northeast, potentially creeping into our southern areas. Instability is more limited in our area, but some MUCAPE around 100 to 500 J/kg could be present in the SE Corner of the CWA including roughly Cheyenne to Scottsbluff to Alliance and points south. Thus, isolated elevated convection that develops to our south could bring some lightning and small hail late this evening, mainly between about 02z and 09z, although thunder may remain possible in the Sidney area through Monday. Overnight, we transition to the stratiform side of the system. The deepening 700-mb low will lead to substantial warm air and moisture advection from the south. Models show excellent lift associated with isentropic upglide on top of the moist upslope easterly flow at the surface. The best lift appears likely to occur between about 09z and 15z, after which time the 700-mb low drifting off of the Rockies will reduce the warm air advection in the lower free troposphere, while the surface winds simultaneously turn more northerly. However, with a good clear lifting mechanism and sounding showing deep saturation throughout the column, we have high confidence in substantial total liquid precipitation. Liquid totals of one half inch or more are likely for points east of roughly I-25 and south of roughly US-20. There is also upside potential for an area of more than one inch of precip. Hires guidance continues to be rather aggressive, showing up to 1.5" liquid precipitation in an area centered around a west to east line from about Wheatland to Alliance. Odds are lower that this high end scenario occurs, but certainly remains a possibility considering the strong lift and deep saturation. With low level easterly flow, liquid totals are expected to drop off significantly heading west of the Laramie range, with most spots receiving less than one quarter inch of liquid, though the Snowy range could receive more. While confidence is high in liquid totals, the precipitation type remains uncertain. This system will not be wrapping in very much cold air. Forecast 700-mb temperatures range from about -3 to -5C, although hires models differ in the extent of the cold air at the surface. The HRRR remains the most bullish on cold and snow, transitioning KCYS to snow shortly after midnight. The current forecast reflects a scenario on the colder side of guidance but not as cold as the HRRR. Leaning towards a slushy 1-3 inches in the higher elevations including the Cheyenne and Pine ridges, with less than an inch elsewhere. The most likely spot for travel impacts is the I-80 summit, where the higher elevation could result in precipitation falling as mostly snow, but QPF totals are more uncertain in this area. Winter weather advisories were considered for the I-80 summit in the south Laramie range as well as the Snowy range, but don't quite have the confidence to go with it at this time. The colder and snowier scenario remains possible, which would lead to 3 to 6 inches over a more widespread area and possible travel impacts. The key signal to watch for will be a changeover to snow occurring several hours before sunrise rather than around or shortly after sunrise as is currently expected. We will be watching the progression of this system closely to see if this scenario starts to become more likely as we head into the evening and overnight hours. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday night through Sunday) Issued at 355 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022 Key Impact Messages: 1) Another healthy mixed precipitation generating system likely late Tuesday night into early Thursday across southeast Wyoming and Nebraska Panhandle. Cooler and blustery conditions Wednesday appear probable with High Plains rain and mountain snow. Will need to monitor snow levels for possible localized travel impacts west of the Laramie range. 2) Drier spell and nice warm up late week into early weekend but breezy. Pacific cold front appears likely late Saturday to Sunday with next round of precipitation and cooler temperatures. Weather Details: On the heals of the Sunday/Monday shortwave trough will be another, more potent closed low shifting across the Central Rockies into WY/CO by mid-week. Multi-model guidance with temporal consistency points to a moderate confidence of another round of precipitation likely Tuesday evening through late Wednesday night to early Thursday. However, nuances in H5-H7 closed low positioning with GFS farther north and faster with lower theta-e post frontal dry slotting the region moreso then farther south and slower ECMWF that highlights higher precipitation totals. Despite these variations and lack of consistent precipitation timing in the larger envelope, overall totals are not too dissimilar. All in all, the moisture will be quite welcomed. Temperature profiles during this time frame will support High Plains rain and mountain snows. Will need to monitor for possible impacts along I-80 west of the Laramie Range during this time if colder solutions are realized. Shortwave ridging will quickly move in late Thursday through Friday as H7-H5 flow becomes more zonal. H7 temperatures moderate from -4C Wednesday to +5C to +8C Friday and +6C to +10C Saturday ahead of another likely Pacific cold front late Saturday to early Sunday with another round of precipitation. These two rounds, plus the one over the next 24 hours will lead to above normal precipitation for the region and assist with some improvement of drought conditions. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Monday night) Issued at 1010 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022 Wyoming TAFS...VFR at Rawlins until 12Z, with occasional MVFR, then IFR until 17Z, then VFR. MVFR at Laramie until 08Z, then IFR until 18Z, then MVFR until 00Z, then VFR. Wind gusts to 25 knots until 08Z. MVFR at Cheyenne until 08Z, then IFR until 18Z, then MVFR. Nebraska TAFS...VFR at Chadron and Alliance until 09Z, with occasional MVFR, then MVFR until 14Z, then IFR until 19Z, then MVFR until 00Z, then VFR. MVFR at Scottsbluff until 11Z, then IFR until 20Z, then MVFR. MVFR at Sidney until 10Z, then IFR until 18Z, then MVFR until 00Z, then IFR. Wind gusts to 27 knots until 08Z. && .FIRE WEATHER... Issued at 355 PM MDT Sun May 1 2022 Minimal fire concerns over the next several days with frequent precipitation opportunities and cooler temperatures expected. Widespread precipitation is expected along and east of the Laramie range tonight through Monday. Precipitation will likely start as rain and then transition to snow for areas above about 4 kft, although precise snow levels and transition timing remain uncertain. && .CYS WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WY...None. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...MN LONG TERM...JSA AVIATION...RUBIN FIRE WEATHER...MN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Received report of 15 inches of snow accumulation 8 miles north of Kimball. Additionally, local emergency manager reported power outages in Kimball due to heavy, wet snow causing tree and power line damage.
CoCoRaHS site 9 miles southwest of Harrisburg measured 8 inches of snow accumulation.
Received report of 11 inches of snow accumulation 8 miles north of Potter. Additionally, CoCoRaHS site 1 mile west of Gurley measured 8 inches of snowfall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, May 2022
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: 1021941, 1021939, 1021943.