High winds of 30 to 40 mph with a few gusts to around 60 mph occurred across portions of western and north central Nebraska during the late morning and afternoon hours on March 4th. Peak wind gusts reached 60 mph or higher at the Imperial, Broken Bow and North Platte ASOS stations.
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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 LBF wrote it up.
High winds of 30 to 40 mph with a few gusts to around 60 mph occurred across portions of western and north central Nebraska during the late morning and afternoon hours on March 4th. Peak wind gusts reached 60 mph or higher at the Imperial, Broken Bow and North Platte ASOS stations.
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 4, 5:21 AM CST, 4 hours 39 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service North Platte NE 521 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Blizzard Warning in effect across much of western and north central Nebraska from early Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning. Whiteout conditions could lead to potentially life- threatening travel. - Damaging north wind gusts at or above 60 miles per hour are expected across all of western and north central Nebraska Tuesday. - High confidence for an additional round of snow Thursday into Friday across central and western Nebraska, though amounts remain uncertain. && .SHORT TERM /THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Issued at 405 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 A potent storm system continues to evolve across the Plains early this morning. The center of the vertically stacked system is over northwest KS and water vapor satellite imagery shows good moisture transport with plumes for the Pacific and the Gulf being wrapped into the circulation and bringing 90th percentile integrated vapor transport values into the region from the north. Radar returns also continue to blossom as the moisture combines with robust forcing from significant midlevel deformation and FGEN, with occasional lightning from embedded thunderstorms south of I-80. Thus far ptype is liquid but expect a combination of cooler air advecting and dynamic cooling will result in a fairly quick changeover to snow. The latest guidance has shifted QPF further to the east but anticipate a persistent deformation band will become established this morning into this afternoon. Given the strong forcing and embedded convective elements this narrow band will support localized bursts of snowfall with rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour with potential for snow totals to equal or exceed 90th percentile values. The difference of a few miles will be significant in determining exactly where the snowfall will be maximized. Current ensembles are indicating the band will be near or to the east of Hwy 83 though confidence in this precise location is not high. Snowfall amounts will taper off quickly heading further westward into the panhandle. Wind dynamics are essentially maxed out above the 99th percentile as the axis of the amplifying northerly low level jet moves across Nebraska today. There is high confidence the low level winds 50 to 60kt just above the surface will mix down and create a prolonged period of very strong winds spreading from west to east across the area. Anticipate widespread gusts of 60mph or more with potential for gusts around 70mph especially east of Hwy 83 later this afternoon into this evening. Given the high confidence in significant winds and expectation for at least a couple inches of snow for the majority of the area especially along/east of Hwy 83, the potential for blowing/drifting snow to create very hazardous travel due to slick roads and extremely poor visibility is high. At this time will maintain the Blizzard Warning for all of central and western Nebraska. Will monitor satellite/radar trends and later guidance closely to see if any changes to the current headlines are warranted later this morning. Snow diminishes from west to east fairly quickly this afternoon with any lingering flurries moving out this evening. However winds and blowing snow will be slow to diminish and peak winds east of Hwy 83 will likely not occur until this evening into early tonight. Conditions Wednesday will be much improved with diminished winds though temperatures will be running a good bit below normal especially east of Hwy 83. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Issued at 405 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 Ensemble guidance is in good agreement in bringing another low out of the Rockies and across the southern Plains Thursday into Friday. Moisture is limited with this system but mid level forcing is robust and the potential for several inches of snow accumulation is trending up. Probabilistic guidance shows a better than even chance for 4 inches or more of accumulation mainly north of I-80 and west of Hwy 83 with lower amounts further to the south and east. Thereafter, an upper level ridge starts to build over the western US with a warming trend to temperatures above normal through the weekend. && .AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 520 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 Widespread IFR/locally LIFR CIGs and visibilities will persist through much of today across all of western and north central Nebraska. Rain changes to snow by late morning, and will lead to very low visibility with very strong north winds. North winds gust as high as 50 to 60kts this afternoon, before gradually weakening late tonight. && .LBF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Blizzard Warning until noon CST /11 AM MST/ Wednesday for NEZ004>006-008-009-022>026-035>037-056>059-069-070-094. Blizzard Warning from noon today to noon CST Wednesday for NEZ007-010-027>029-038-071. && SHORT TERM...MBS LONG TERM...MBS AVIATION...Brown
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service North Platte NE 435 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-051045- 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- 435 AM CST Tue Mar 4 2025 /335 AM MST Tue Mar 4 2025/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of western and north central Nebraska. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Potential exists for scattered thunderstorms south of Highway 2 this morning though severe thunderstorms are not expected. A Blizzard Warning remains in effect through Wednesday afternoon across all of western and north central Nebraska. Very strong northerly winds gusting to 65 miles per hour or greater today are expected across all of central and western Nebraska. There is potential for damage to trees and power lines which may cause some power outages. Accumulating snow is also expected late this morning into this afternoon. Blowing snow will likely lead to blizzard conditions for mainly portions of central and southwestern Nebraska with hazardous travel due to slippery roads and periods of very low visibility. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Potential exists for another round of accumulating snow Thursday into Friday though any impacts at this time are uncertain. At this time, the greatest accumulations look to occur north of Interstate 80 and west of Highway 83. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Broken Bow ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 66 mph at 448 pm CST. Northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusty occurred across Custer County during the late morning, through the afternoon hours on March 4th.
The North Platte ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 61 mph at 1150 am CST. Northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusty occurred across Lincoln County during the late morning, through the afternoon hours on March 4th.
The Imperial ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 63 mph at 1255 pm MST. Northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusty occurred across Chase County during the late morning, through the afternoon hours on March 4th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, March 2025
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: 1248436, 1248437, 1248435.