EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA IS DIGGING OUT FROM THE WORST
WINTER STORM SO FAR THIS SEASON.  THIS STORM DROPPED THE HEAVIEST
SNOW IN OMAHA...13.5 INCHES...SINCE THE WINTER STORM OF MARCH 28-29
1987 WHEN 14.1 INCHES FELL.

THIS STORM WAS VERY UNIQUE.  IT ACTUALLY CONSISTED OF TWO DIFFERENT
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS THAT MOVED THROUGH THE PLAINS...WHICH IS WHY
THE STORM APPEARED TO LAST SO LONG.  THIS FIRST SYSTEM MOVED OUT OF
THE SOUTHWEST AND SET THE STAGE FOR OUR MAJOR WINTER STORM.  IT
HELPED BRING MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH INTO THE REGION...RESULTING IN
AN ICE STORM FOR AREAS SOUTH OF NEBRASKA AND IOWA.  THERE WERE ALSO
BRIEF PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET THROUGHOUT MUCH OF
SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA SUNDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY
NEAR THE KANSAS AND MISSOURI BORDERS.  ACCUMULATING SNOW BEGAN TO
FALL ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION SUNDAY MORNING AND SUNDAY
AFTERNOON...WITH A FEW HEAVY SNOW-BANDS SETTING UP FROM THE ELKHORN
AREA INTO SOUTHEAST NEBRASKA.

THEN THE SECOND LOW PRESSURE MOVED OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
SUNDAY NIGHT...WHICH BROUGHT THE ARCTIC AIR FROM CANADA.  THE
COMBINATION OF ARCTIC AIR WITH THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH
RESULTED IN THE HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES.  ALL OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND
SOUTHWEST IOWA RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT SNOWS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY.
THE SECOND SYSTEM ALSO MOVED RATHER SLOWLY THROUGH THE PLAINS...AND
CONTINUED TO PUSH COLDER AIR INTO THE REGION. EVENTUALLY THE LOW
MOVED TO OUR EAST...WHICH CAUSED THE WINDS TO INCREASE DRASTICALLY.
WITH FAIRLY LIGHT AND FLUFFY SNOW...THE GUSTY WINDS WERE ABLE TO BLOW
THE SNOW AROUND AND CREATE LOW VISIBILITIES...LARGE SNOW DRIFTS...AND
DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS.

...SNOW DEPTH FROM THE JANUARY 25-26 WINTER STORM...

                                     TUE AM          SELECTED
COUNTY           CITY/TOWN       SNOWDEPTH/INCHES    SNOWFALL
                                                   (STORM TOTAL)

ANTELOPE         NELIGH               6
BOONE            LORETTO              4
BUTLER           DAVID CITY          11
CASS             PLATTSMOUTH         14
CEDAR            RANDOLPH             5
COLFAX           SCHUYLER             9
CUMING           WEST POINT           9
DODGE            FREMONT             12
DODGE            UEHLING             12
DOUGLAS          ELKHORN             15                15.0
DOUGLAS          EPPLEY AIRPORT      13                13.5
DOUGLAS          DODGE PARK AREA     12
DOUGLAS          BEMIS PARK          12
DOUGLAS          BENNINGTON          12
DOUGLAS          FLORENCE            12
DOUGLAS          VALLEY              13                13.8
GAGE             BEATRICE             9
GAGE             VIRGINIA             9
GAGE             WYMORE               8
JEFFERSON        FAIRBURY             9
JOHNSON          TECUMSEH             8
KNOX             BLOOMFIELD           4
LANCASTER        NE LINCOLN          13
LANCASTER        SW LINCOLN          12
LANCASTER        HICKMAN             12
LANCASTER        LINCOLN AIRPORT     10                10.1
LANCASTER        RAYMOND             12
MADISON          MADISON              8
MADISON          NORFOLK              5                 5.5
NEMAHA           AUBURN               8
OTOE             SYRACUSE             9
PAWNEE           PAWNEE CITY          5
PAWNEE           TABLE ROCK           7
PIERCE           PIERCE               4
PLATTE           COLUMBUS            10
RICHARDSON       SALEM                6
RICHARDSON       RULO                 5
SARPY            GRETNA              15                15.5
SARPY            OFFUTT AFB          11
SARPY            PAPILLION           12
SARPY            SPRINGFIELD         12
SALINE           FRIEND              12
SEWARD           SEWARD               7
SEWARD           UTICA                7
STANTON          STANTON              7
THURSTON         WALTHILL            11
WAYNE            WAYNE                6
WASHINGTON       FORT CALHOUN        12
FREMONT IA       SIDNEY               7
FREMONT IA       RANDOLPH            10
HARRISON IA      LITTLE SIOUX        12
HARRISON IA      LOGAN               10
MILLS IA         GLENWOOD            14
MONONA IA        MAPLETON            11
MONONA IA        KENNEBEC             9
MONONA IA        CASTANA             12
MONTGOMERY IA    RED OAK              6
PAGE IA          SHENANDOAH           6
PAGE IA          CLARINDA             6
POTTAWATTAMIE IA UNDERWOOD           11
POTTAWATTAMIE IA OAKLAND             13
SHELBY IA        HARLAN              12

FALLING SNOW DECREASED IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY FROM WEST TO EAST
ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA MONDAY EVENING.
OFFICIAL STORM TOTALS AND A SNOWFALL MAP SHOULD BE AVAILABLE BY 
LATE TUESDAY MORNING...AFTER REPORTS HAVE BEEN COLLECTED. 

IN THE MEANTIME...HERE ARE SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR SOME LOCATIONS
WHICH ARE IN AND AROUND OMAHA/COUNCIL BLUFFS. AGAIN...THESE ARE 
NOT OFFICIAL TOTALS YET.

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL AMOUNT (TO THE NEAREST INCH) 
ELKHORN                 15
GRETNA                  14
PACIFIC JUNCTION IA     14
BOYSTOWN                13
PAPILLION               13
FT. CALHOUN             13
VALLEY NWS              12
FLORENCE IN OMAHA       12
HORNICK IA              12
OMAHA EPPLEY            11
BENNINGTON              11
OFFUTT AFB              11
NEOLA IA                11
MAPLETON IA             11 
SIDNEY IA                7
SHENANDOAH IA            6

THIS WINTER STORM WAS SIGNIFICANT...BUT NOT A RECORD BREAKER FOR 
24 HOUR SNOWFALL.  THE HEAVIEST 24 HOUR SNOWFALL FOR THE OMAHA METRO 
AREA IS 18.3 INCHES WHICH OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 11 1965.

SOME RECENT STORM TOTAL SNOWFALLS FOR THE OMAHA AREA OF OVER EIGHT
INCHES INCLUDE...

DATE                       SNOWFALL
MARCH 28-29 1987          14.1 INCHES 
MARCH 7-8 1998            12.7 INCHES
APRIL 20-21 1992           9.3 INCHES
OCTOBER 25-26 1997         9.2 INCHES
FEBRUARY 14-15 2003        8.6 INCHES
 

HEAVY SNOW ALSO FELL AROUND LINCOLN FROM SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...AND 
SOME AMOUNTS (STILL UNOFFICIAL) INCLUDE...

LOCATION          SNOW TOTAL AMOUNT (TO THE NEAREST INCH)
NORTHEAST LINCOLN       13
SOUTHWEST LINCOLN       12
HICKMAN                 12
RAYMOND                 12
LINCOLN AIRPORT         10

THE 24 HOUR RECORD SNOWFALL FOR THE LINCOLN AREA IS 19.0 INCHES
ON FEBRUARY 11 1965.  THE JANUARY WITH THE MOST SNOW AT LINCOLN
WAS IN 1965 WHEN 26.1 INCHES WAS RECORDED.

$$

MILLER/KING/LANDSVORK

ABUS34 KOMA 261752
PNSOMA

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OMAHA/VALLEY
1151 AM CST MON JAN 26 2004

THE STRONGEST WINTER STORM SO FAR THIS SEASON CONTINUES TO BLAST EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA WITH HEAVY SNOW...AS WELL AS GUSTY WINDS CAUSING BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.  SIGNIFICANT SNOW HAS ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS THE REGION...HOWEVER ADDITIONAL SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS TODAY.   SOME LOCATIONS
MAY RECEIVE ANOTHER 2 INCHES OF SNOW...ESPECIALLY FROM LINCOLN AND OMAHA THROUGH ONAWA IOWA.  IN ADDITION...THE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AND TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY FALL.

ANOTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT WILL BE SENT THIS EVENING WITH UPDATED SNOWFALL TOTALS.

...SNOWFALL REPORTS RECEIVED BY NWS VALLY AS OF 8 AM JAN. 26...

COUNTY           CITY/TOWN           SNOWFALL/INCHES

ANTELOPE         NELIGH               4.2
ANTELOPE         CLEARWATER           3.0
BOONE            LORETTO              3.8
BURT             LYONS                9.0
BUTLER           DAVID CITY           8.0
CASS             PLATTSMOUTH         10.0
COLFAX           HOWELLS              5.7
COLFAX           SCHUYLER             8.0
CUMING           WEST POINT           6.5
DODGE            FREMONT              7.0
DODGE            UEHLING              7.0
DOUGLAS          ELKHORN             11.5
DOUGLAS          DODGE PARK AREA      9.0
DOUGLAS          35TH AND CHARLES     8.7
DOUGLAS          BEMIS PARK           8.7
DOUGLAS          BENNINGTON           8.4
DOUGLAS          32ND AND TUCKER      8.2
DOUGLAS          FLORENCE             8.2
DOUGLAS          BOYS TOWN            7.7
DOUGLAS          VALLEY              10.0  (AS OF 1145 AM)
GAGE             BEATRICE             7.0
GAGE             VIRGINIA             9.0
GAGE             WYMORE               7.0
JEFFERSON        FAIRBURY             8.0
JOHNSON          TECUMSEH             8.0
KNOX             BLOOMFIELD           3.6
LANCASTER        SW LINCOLN          10.5  (AS OF 1145 AM)
LANCASTER        HICKMAN              9.2
LANCASTER        LINCOLN AIRPORT      5.1
LANCASTER        RAYMOND              7.0
LANCASTER        MALCOLM              5.0
MADISON          MADISON              5.0
MADISON          NORFOLK              3.0
NEMAHA           AUBURN               6.0
NEMAHA           BROWNVILLE           7.0
OTOE             SYRACUSE             7.0
PAWNEE           PAWNEE CITY          4.6
PAWNEE           TABLE ROCK           5.0
PLATTE           COLUMBUS             5.0
PLATTE           HUMPHREY             6.0
RICHARDSON       SALEM                2.5
SARPY            GRETNA              10.5
SARPY            OFFUTT AFB          10.0
SARPY            PAPILLION            9.2
SARPY            SPRINGFIELD          9.1
SALINE           FRIEND               8.0
SALINE           WESTERN              8.0
SAUNDERS         WESTON               7.0
SEWARD           SEWARD               6.0
SEWARD           UTICA                5.7
STANTON          STANTON              5.5
WAYNE            WAYNE                6.0
WASHINGTON       FORT CALHOUN         7.6
FREMONT IA       SIDNEY               6.0
FREMONT IA       RANDOLPH             7.5
HARRISON IA      LITTLE SIOUX         9.4
HARRISON IA      LOGAN                8.0
MILLS IA         PACIFIC JUNCTION     9.3
MILLS IA         GLENWOOD             9.0
MONONA IA        MAPLETON             8.0
MONONA IA        KENNEBEC             8.0
MONTGOMERY IA    RED OAK              3.4
PAGE IA          SHENANDOAH           4.0
POTTAWATTAMIE IA UNDERWOOD            7.3
POTTAWATTAMIE IA OAKLAND              7.8
SHELBY IA        HARLAN               8.0