Widespread Precipitation and Snow Across the Pacific Northwest; Heavy Rain and Severe Thunderstorms Across the Central and Southern U.S.

Widespread precipitation is expected across the Northwest and northern Rockies through Monday, including heavy mountain snow for parts of the region. A powerful storm is expected to bring periods of heavy rain, gusty winds, and the potential for severe thunderstorms throughout the southern to central Plains between tonight and Monday. Read More >

Widespread Snow and Gusty Winds

February 4, 2014

Event Summary

A winter storm system emerged from the Rocky Mountains early in the morning on Tuesday, February 4, 2014 and tracked northeastward across Kansas during the day, before departing during the overnight hours. The track of the storm system brought the heaviest accumulations across portions of Kansas, where amounts of over a foot of snow were reported. Snowfall across south central Nebraska and north central Kansas ranged from around two inches in the Ord and Greeley areas, to much higher amounts of four to eight inches in areas south of a line from Phillipsburg, KS to Hebron, NE. An arctic cold front pushed south during the day on Feburary 4th, and temperatures dropped into the single digits and teens behind the front. North winds averaged 20 to 20 mph and wind gusts were in the 30 to 35 mph range while the snow was falling. The combination of the falling snow combined with the gusty winds caused areas of blowing and drifting snow and reduced visibilities as low as one quarter of a mile. Once the snow ended, the arctic airmass and frigid temperatures remained. The winter storm caused events to be cancelled, and many schools were delayed or cancelled classes on February 5th. Low temperatures on both mornings of February 5th and February 6th saw low temperatures in single to double digits below zero, with the coldest low temperature of -21 degrees reported at Ravenna, NE on February 6th. A new record low temperature of -14 degrees was set in Hastings, NE the morning of February 6th, and the previous record was 100 years old, set back in 1914. Wind chill readings during the overnight and early morning hours on the February 5th and 6th averaged 20 to 30 degrees below zero.

500 mb and Surface Maps
500mb map at 6 am Tuesday, February 4, 2014.	Surface map at 6 am Tuesday, February 4, 2014.

The precipitation maps below display where the heavier snowfall occurred across north central Kansas into far southern Nebraska. Where the heavier precipitation fell, the liquid precipitation (or melted snowfall) averaged one quarter of an inch to over one half of an inch.

Snow and Precipitation Maps
Storm Total Snow Accumulation Reported.	Storm Total Precipitation (melted snow).

Event Photos
NDOR Web Cam View near Lexington, NE.	KDOT Web Cam View near Russell, KS.
Snow in McCool Junction Bus Picture. (Photo Courtesy of Steve Green)	View from the NWS Office in Hastings, NE.
Visible Satellite Image on February 5th of the widespread snowpack (and a few clouds).	Sundogs were visible the day after the snow on Februrary 5, 2014.

Snowfall reports of three inches or greater are listed in the table below:

Location	Storm Total Snowfall
Hubbell, NE	8.0"
Osborne, KS	7.5"
Plainville, KS 4WNW	7.2"
Beloit, KS	6.5"
Hunter, KS	6.5"
Alton, KS 2SW	6.0"
Natoma, KS	5.5"
Ruskin, NE 3W	5.5"
Mankato, KS	5.0"
Oxford, NE	5.0"
Clay Center, NE 2W	5.0"
Superior, NE 4E	4.8"
Burr Oak, KS	4.6"
Lawrence, NE	4.5"
Cawker City, KS	4.5"
Lebanon, KS	4.0"
Bladen, NE 4SW	4.0"
Smith Center, KS	3.9"
Hebron, NE	3.6"
Red Cloud, NE 4E	3.5"
NWS Hastings, NE	3.2"
Osceola, NE	3.0"
Ionia, KS	3.0"
Wilsonville, NE	3.0"
Hastings, NE 2WNW	3.0"

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Widespread Precipitation and Snow Across the Pacific Northwest; Heavy Rain and Severe Thunderstorms Across the Central and Southern U.S.

February 4, 2014: 4-8" Of Snow Fall Near And South Of Nebraska-Kansas State Line