Heavy Snowfall in Southwest Nebraska


Map of Snowfall produced by the North Platte NWS Office

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE

1238 PM CST MON NOV 29 2004

RECORD SNOWFALL FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA SUNDAY. 

SUNDAY EVENING AS THE SNOW BEGAN TO TAPER OFF OBSERVED SNOW AMOUNTS ACROSS SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA INDICATED A RECORD SNOWFALL EVENT WAS IN THE MAKING. 

FRIDAY MODELS BEGAN TO SHOW CONSISTENT POTENTIAL FOR SNOW ACCUMULATION TO OCCUR ON SUNDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA. A WINTER STORM WATCH WAS ISSUED AT 249 AM CST SATURDAY ...FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THE WATCH WAS THEN UPGRADED AT 313 PM CST SATURDAY TO A WINTER STORM WARNING THAT RAN FROM 4 AM CST SUNDAY TO 4 AM CST MONDAY. 

AS THE SNOW BEGAN TO FALL EARLY SUNDAY MORNING OVER OF THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER VALLEY...NORTH INTO THE SANDHILLS...ORGANIZED LIFT RESULTED IN ENHANCED SNOW RATES OVER A SEVEN HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL SLOWED AS HEAVY SNOWFALL REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AND PRODUCED HOURLY SNOWFALL AMOUNTS UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR. ON SUNDAY AS RADAR AND MODEL DATA BEGAN TO SHOW MORE ORGANIZED LIFT FURTHER NORTH THE WATCH AREA TO THE NORTH WAS UPGRADED AT 928 AM CST TO A WINTER STORM WARNING. THE WINTER STORM WARNING AREA THEN ENCOMPASSED SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA NORTH TO HIGHWAY 2...AND EAST INTO WHEELER COUNTY. 

WHILE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OCCURRED IN A CORRIDOR FROM ALONG INTERSTATE 80 NORTH TO HIGHWAY 92...MANY LOCATIONS RECEIVED 6 TO 10 INCHES WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS TO AROUND A FOOT. 

THE STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA INCLUDED:

COUNTY, LOCATION, SNOW DEPTH 
ARTHUR 10 SE ARTHUR 10" 
BLAINE 3 SW DUNNING 3-5" 
5 WSW DUNNING 5" 
12 S BREWSTER 4" 
CHASE IMPERIAL 4-5" 
ENDERS DAM 3" 
WAUNETA 7" 
CUSTER MASON CITY 11" 
ARNOLD 9" 
2 SE ANSELMO 5" 
DEUEL 1 SE BIG SPRINGS 8-10" 
FRONTIER CURTIS 4" 
2 NW EUSTIS 4" 
17 NNW MCCOOK 6" 
GARDEN LEWELLEN 9" 
10 NE OSHKOSH 9" 
OSHKOSH 10" 
GARFIELD 6 SSW ALMERIA 4-5" 
9 ESE BURWELL 5-6" 
GRANT 12 SE HYANNIS 8" 
HAYES HAYES CENTER 10" 
1 N PALISADE 6" 
HOOKER 25 SW MULLEN 8" 
20 S MULLEN 8" 
KEITH OGALLALA 8-11" 
PAXTON 12-13" 
LINCOLN NWS NORTH PLATTE 10" 
DICKENS 8" 
WELLFLEET 6" 
BRADY 11" 
LOGAN STAPLETON 9" 
LOUP TAYLOR 5" 
MCPHERSON 4 SE TRYON 10" 
PERKINS MADRID 6" 
THOMAS 20 SE SENECA 6" 
13 S THEDFORD 10" 
WHEELER 13 SE BARTLETT 3-4"