915
NOUS43 KLBF 311222
PNSLBF
NEZ004>010-022>029-035>038-056>059-069>071-094-021230-
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTH PLATTE NE
622 AM CST TUE DEC 31 2024 /522 AM MST TUE DEC 31 2024/
...TOP 10 WEATHER EVENTS FROM WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA FOR
2024...
THIS PAST YEAR STARTED OUT WITH BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES ACROSS
THE AREA IN MID JANUARY. AFTER A COLD JANUARY, THE WEATHER PATTERN
TRANSITIONED TO UNSEASONABLY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS IN FEBRUARY.
DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS LED TO LARGE WILDFIRE IN NORTHERN LINCOLN
COUNTY IN LATE FEBRUARY. WINTER CONDITIONS RETURNED TO THE AREA IN
MARCH AS A TANDEM OF WINTER STORMS IMPACTED THE AREA. AFTER A QUIET
APRIL, EPISODES OF SEVERE STORMS HIT THE AREA IN MAY, JUNE, JULY AND
AUGUST. THIS INCLUDED A COUPLE OF TORNADO OUTBREAKS, ONE IN KEITH
COUNTY IN MAY AND A SECOND OVER THE CENTRAL SANDHILLS IN JUNE.
CONDITIONS BECAME VERY DRY DURING THE FALL WHICH LED TO DROUGHT
DEVELOPMENT OVER THE SANDHILLS AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THE YEAR
ENDED WITH VERY MILD CONDITIONS IN DECEMBER AND ZERO MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL FOR NORTH PLATTE THIS 2024-2025 WINTER SEASON. BELOW ARE
THE TOP 10 MOST NOTABLE WEATHER EVENTS ACROSS WESTERN AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA FOR 2024.
BITTER COLD AND DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS JANUARY 12TH-16TH
TWO CONSECUTIVE ARCTIC AIRMASSES BROUGHT AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF
BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AS COLD AS 10 TO 25 DEGREES BELOW ZERO.
DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 30 TO 50 BELOW ZERO DEVELOPED ACROSS
ALL OF WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO
30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH OCCURRED ON THE 12TH AND PERSISTED
THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF JANUARY 16TH. WIND CHILLS WERE
COLDEST DURING THE MORNING HOURS OF THE 13TH INTO THE MORNING OF THE
14TH. VALENTINE RECORDED THE LOWEST WIND CHILL AT 53 BELOW ZERO THE
MORNING OF JANUARY 13TH.
BETTY'S WAY FIRE OF FEBRUARY 26TH-27TH
A RANGE FIRE STARTED ALONG BETTY WAY ROAD NORTH OF NORTH PLATTE AT
AROUND 1030 AM CST ON FEBRUARY 26TH. AIDED BY 40+ MPH WESTERLY
WINDS, THE FIRE RACED 26 MILES EAST INTO SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF
CUSTER COUNTY. A FARMSTEAD NORTH OF MAXWELL WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED
BY THE FIRE. IN ADDITION TO THE FARMSTEAD, APPROXIMATELY HALF A
DOZEN OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED ALONG WITH NUMEROUS WIND BREAKS
AND FENCING. APPROXIMATELY 71000 ACRES WERE CONSUMED BY THE FIRE.
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA HEAVY SNOW EVENT MARCH 7-8
A SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM BROUGHT RAIN TO SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA
DURING THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 7TH. AS TEMPERATURES COOLED, HEAVY
SNOW DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON
AND EVENING OF MARCH 7TH. SNOW CONTINUED INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS
BEFORE ENDING ON MARCH 8TH. SNOWFALL RANGED FROM 6 TO 18 INCHES FROM
DEUEL COUNTY EAST TO SOUTHERN CUSTER COUNTY. NORTH PLATTE RECORDED
15.3 INCHES ON THE 7TH, MAKING THIS THE SNOWIEST DAY ON RECORD FOR
NORTH PLATTE. THE 15.3 INCH AMOUNT ECLIPSED THE RECORD OF 13.9
INCHES SET PREVIOUSLY ON JANUARY 18TH 2023. AN ADDITIONAL 2.1 INCHES
OF SNOW FELL ON THE 8TH, LEADING TO 17.4 INCHES OF SNOWFALL OVER THE
TWO DAY PERIOD FOR NORTH PLATTE. IN ADDITION TO SNOW, NORTHERLY
WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH LED TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH DRIFTS
UP TO 3 FEET. THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW LED TO THE CLOSURE OF
INTERSTATE 80 AND TRAVEL WAS NOT ADVISED ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN
NEBRASKA.
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IMPACT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL INTO PORTIONS OF
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA MARCH 24TH-25TH.
AN INTENSE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TRACKED FROM SOUTHWESTERN INTO
CENTRAL AND EASTERN NEBRASKA ON MARCH 24TH INTO THE 25TH. SNOW AND
BLOWING SNOW DEVELOPED ON THE NORTHERN FLANK OF THE STORM SYSTEM
LEADING TO 8 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW FROM EASTERN LINCOLN INTO ROCK AND
HOLT COUNTIES. THE HEAVY SNOW COMBINED WITH 30 TO 40 MPH WINDS,
LEADING TO BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND SNOW DRIFTS UP TO 6 FEET. SEVERAL
HIGHWAYS WERE CLOSED AS WELL AS INTERSTATE 80. SNOW AMOUNTS WERE
HEAVIEST OVER NORTHWESTERN CUSTER COUNTY WHERE 16 INCHES OF SNOW
FELL IN ARNOLD.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND TORNADOES IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA MAY
23RD.
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER THE SOUTHERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE AND
TRACKED INTO GARDEN, KEITH, PERKINS, HAYES AND LINCOLN COUNTY DURING
THE EVENING HOURS OF MAY 23RD. A TOTAL OF 11 TORNADOES WERE REPORTED
WITH 8 IN KEITH COUNTY, 1 IN GARDEN COUNTY, 1 IN PERKINS COUNTY AND
1 IN HAYES COUNTY. LOCATIONS ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF LAKE MCCONAUGHY
WERE HARDEST HIT. AN EF2 TORNADO CAUSED DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE DWELLINGS
IN THE LAKEVIEW SUBDIVISION. DAMAGE ESTIMATES WITH THIS TORNADO WERE
BETWEEN 3 AND 4 MILLION DOLLARS. TWO OTHER TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN IN
SOUTHWESTERN KEITH COUNTY, WHERE NUMEROUS CENTER PIVOT IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS WERE OVERTURNED ALONG WITH DAMAGE TO GRAIN BINS AND
OUTBUILDINGS. DAMAGE WITH THESE TORNADOES WAS ESTIMATED AT 1 MILLION
DOLLARS. TORNADOES IN GARDEN, PERKINS AND HAYES COUNTIES, WERE BRIEF
TOUCHDOWNS WITH NO DAMAGE REPORTED.
SEVERE WIND STORM ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA JUNE 2ND.
THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED OVER THE NEBRASKA PANHANDLE DURING THE LATE
AFTERNOON HOURS OF JUNE 2ND. AS THIS ACTIVITY PUSHED EAST INTO THE
WESTERN SANDHILLS AND SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA, IT ORGANIZED INTO A
LINE OF SEVERE STORMS WITH STRONG DAMAGING WINDS. WIND GUSTS
ESTIMATED AT 105 MPH WERE REPORTED IN THE NORTH PLATTE AREA. WIND
GUSTS WERE ALSO ESTIMATED AT 85 MPH IN IMPERIAL AS WELL AS MEASURED
WIND GUSTS OF 81 MPH AND 97 MPH AROUND NORTH PLATTE. NUMEROUS TREES
WERE UPROOTED IN THE INDIAN HILLS SUBDIVISION AND A METAL BUILDING
WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED IN THE JANDEBEUR SUBDIVISION. IN ADDITION,
WIND GUSTS ESTIMATED AT 105 MPH, SNAPPED OFF 15 HIGH VOLTAGE
TRANSMISSION POLES JUST TO THE SOUTHEAST OF NORTH PLATTE.
WHITMAN TORNADO OF JUNE 25TH.
A LONE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPED DURING THE EARLY EVENING
HOURS OF JUNE 25TH OVER WESTERN PORTIONS OF CHERRY COUNTY. AS THIS
STORM TRACKED TO THE SOUTH-SOUTHEAST, IT PRODUCED 4 INCH DIAMETER
HAIL 39 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MERRITT RESERVOIR. THE STORM TRACKED
FURTHER SOUTH-SOUTHEAST INTO GRANT COUNTY PRODUCING A TORNADO NEAR
WHITMAN. THE TORNADO REACHED PEAK EF-3 INTENSITY SOUTH OF WHITMAN,
DESTROYING A BUNK HOUSE AND NUMEROUS OUTBUILDINGS AT THIS LOCATION.
TWO ADDITIONAL TORNADOES WERE REPORTED WITH THIS SUPERCELL
THUNDERSTORM. THE FIRST WAS OVER PORTIONS OF HOOKER COUNTY AND
WESTERN PORTIONS OF MCPHERSON COUNTY. THE TORNADOES WERE RATED EF-2
IN HOOKER AND EF-1 IN MCPHERSON COUNTY. THERE WAS ONE INJURY IN
ASSOCIATION WITH THE WHITMAN TORNADO AND DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT A
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
LARGE HAIL EVENT IN ROCK AND HOLT COUNTIES ON AUGUST 26TH.
A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPED OVER CENTRAL ROCK COUNTY DURING
THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF AUGUST 26TH. TRACKING EAST, THE STORM
IMPACTED CENTRAL PORTIONS OF HOLT COUNTY INCLUDING AROUND O'NEILL.
BASEBALL TO SOFTBALL SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED IN HOLT COUNTY AND LED
TO SEVERE CROP AND PROPERTY DAMAGE AROUND THE O'NEILL AREA.
DROUGHT CONDITIONS DEVELOP THIS FALL OVER THE SANDHILLS AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA.
A VERY DRY LATE SUMMER AND FALL SEASON, LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
SEVERE TO EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS ACROSS THE SANDHILLS AND NORTH
CENTRAL NEBRASKA. MODERATE DROUGHT CONDITIONS DEVELOPED IN LATE
AUGUST OVER THE NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA PANHANDLE, AND MIGRATED EAST
INTO SEPTEMBER. BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER, MODERATE TO SEVERE DROUGHT
CONDITIONS EXTENDED FROM SHERIDAN COUNTY, EAST TO ROCK AND LOUP
COUNTIES. THANKS TO A VERY DRY AND UNSEASONABLY WARM OCTOBER,
DROUGHT CONDITIONS SPREAD AND INTENSIFIED ACROSS MOST OF WESTERN AND
NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA BY THE END OF OCTOBER. BY HALLOWEEN,
LOCATIONS NORTH OF THE NORTH PLATTE RIVER WERE IN SEVERE DROUGHT
CONDITIONS. LOCATIONS IN SHERIDAN COUNTY AND AROUND VALENTINE WERE
IN EXTREME DROUGHT CONDITIONS BY THE END OF OCTOBER. THROUGH THE END
OF THIS YEAR, DROUGHT SEVERITY HAS REMAINED LARGELY UNCHANGED ACROSS
WESTERN AND NORTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA. LOCATIONS NORTH OF A LINE FROM
NORTH PLATTE, TO ARTHUR, TO OSHKOSH WERE IN SEVERE DROUGHT WITH
CONTINUED EXTREME DROUGHT NOTED OVER SHERIDAN COUNTY AND THE
VALENTINE VICINITY.
NORTH PLATTE HAS RECEIVED ZERO MEASURABLE SNOWFALL THROUGH THE END
OF DECEMBER FOR THE 2024-2025 SEASON.
NORTH PLATTE BROKE THE RECORD FOR LATEST SEASONAL MEASURABLE
SNOWFALL ON DECEMBER 23RD. MEASURABLE SNOWFALL IS DESIGNATED AS A
SNOWFALL OF 0.1 INCH OR GREATER. SO FAR THIS SEASON, AS OF DECEMBER
31ST, A TRACE OF SNOWFALL HAS BEEN REPORTED IN NORTH PLATTE. THE
PREVIOUS RECORD WAS DECEMBER 23RD SET DURING THE 1939-1940 WINTER
SEASON. WITH NO SNOW IN THE FORECAST THROUGH FRIDAY JANUARY 3RD, IT
IS LIKELY THIS RECORD WILL EXTEND INTO JANUARY 2025. TYPICALLY BY
THE 31ST OF DECEMBER, NORTH PLATTE SHOULD SEE JUST UNDER 10 INCHES
OF SNOWFALL AT THIS POINT IN THE WINTER SEASON.
CLB
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