National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Hastings, NE

Weather Forecast Office

2011-12 Snowfall Season Recap

Weather.gov > Hastings, NE > 2011-12 Snowfall Season Recap

Now that a notably hot stretch of early-summer weather has settled into South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas, it's time to "chill out" and take a look back at the 2011-2012 snowfall season, which officially comes to an end on June 30th (for climatological purposes, the annual snowfall season runs from July 1st through June 30th of the following year)...

The maps and tables below reflect the 2011-2012 seasonal snowfall for dozens of locations across the NWS Hastings coverage area, based on reports from official NWS cooperative observers. According to official 30-year "normals" from 1981-2010, typical seasonal snowfall within the 30-county area is:

26-30 inches for most Nebraska counties along and north of Interstate 80
20-28 inches for most Nebraska counties south of Interstate 80 to the Kansas border
17-23 Inches for the North Central Kansas area

During the 2011-2012 snowfall season, the majority of the 30-county area fell between 5-13 inches short of "normal" seasonal snowfall, with far northwest counties such as Valley and Sherman noting the largest departures from normal. Put another way, the majority of the area only realized between 50-75 percent of normal seasonal snowfall. The only limited area that reported seasonal snowfall totals very close to or even slightly exceeding normals was centered over York County. The month of January was notably short on snowfall, with most of the area realizing no more than 2-3 inches for the month. The lack of late-season snowfall in March and April was also quite notable, with only a handful of sites reporting a non-measurable trace.

- The highest seasonal snowfall reported in the Nebraska portion of the coverage area was 26.5" in Bradshaw (York County), and the lowest total was a mere 6.8" in Red Cloud (Webster County)

- The highest seasonal snowfall reported in the Kansas portion of the coverage area was 15.5" in Palco (Rooks County), and the lowest total was 3.2" in Cawker City (Mitchell County)

For a sizable chunk of South Central Nebraska, around HALF of the seasonal snowfall fell during a single, significant winter storm on February 3rd-4th. During this storm, the highest amounts of 7-15 inches focused roughly 25 miles either side of a line extending from near Holdrege-Doniphan-Benedict, including Grand Island and Hastings.



Click on images for larger version.

Seasonal Snowfall Snowfall Departure From Normal

2011-12 Seasonal Snowfall

2011-12 Departure from Normal Snowfall



WINTER 2011-2012 SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER SNOWFALL 
* The highest reported amount under each month indicated in blue BOLD, lowest amount in red BOLD

Station
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Season
Arcadia
0.0
 0.0 0.0 7.7 0.5 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
17.2
Beaver City
0.0
 0.0 3.0 7.5 0.5 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
18.0
Belgrade
0.0
 0.0 0.0 7.7 1.5 8.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
17.2
Blue Hill 4SW
0.0
 0.0 Trace 5.5 1.1 11.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
18.0
Bradshaw
0.0
 0.0 0.0 9.5 1.5 15.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
26.5
Bruning
0.0
 0.0 0.0 2.5 4.0 12.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
18.7
Cambridge
0.0
 0.0 2.7 10.0 1.5 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
15.4
Lexington 6SSE (Canaday)
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 10.5 0.5 6.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
17.5
Central City
0.0
 0.0
0.1
 9.3 2.3 11.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
23.3
Clay Center 6ESE
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 5.8 2.0 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
14.8
Clay Center
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 5.5 2.0 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
16.5
Cozad
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 6.7 Trace 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
8.7
Dannebrog 4NW
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 11.0 3.0 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
23.0
Edison
0.0
 0.0
1.0
 5.0 1.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.0
Elwood 8S
0.0
 0.0
0.5
 10.5 2.2 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
18.2
Fairmont
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 5.5 MSG MSG MSG MSG MSG
MSG
Franklin
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 3.9 Trace 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
8.9
Fullerton
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 8.0 1.0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
19.0
Geneva
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 4.0 2.0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
16.0
Genoa 2W
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 8.6 1.4 11.7 0.0 0.0 0.0
21.7
Gothenburg
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 MSG MSG MSG 0.0 0.0 0.0
MSG
Grand Island
 0.0 0.0 Trace 8.3 1.6 10.2 Trace 0.0 0.0
20.1
Greeley
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 8.0 2.0 7.4 Trace 0.0 0.0
17.4
Gresham 3W
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 9.0 1.2 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
20.2
Harlan Lake
0.0
 0.0
MSG
 4.0 Trace 4.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
MSG
Hastings NWS
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 9.4 1.7 11.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
22.5
Hebron
0.0
 0.0
0.4
 2.5 4.3 6.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
13.6
Holdrege
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 6.5 1.0 12.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
19.5
Hubbell
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 Trace 4.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
8.0
Kearney Airport
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 6.6 Trace 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
13.6
Loup City
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 7.4 0.5 8.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
16.4
Miller
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 9.0 1.0 5.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
15.4
Minden
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 7.9 Trace 12.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
20.7
Naponee
0.0
 0.0
0.5
 3.9 Trace 5.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
9.4
Nelson
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 2.4 2.1 7.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.6
Ord
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 8.5 1.5 8.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
18.0
Orleans 2W
0.0
 0.0
3.0
 7.0 1.2 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
15.2
Osceola
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 9.1 2.0 12.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
23.9
Oxford 6NNW
0.0
 0.0
1.1
 5.2 1.4 5.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
13.3
Polk
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 8.0 2.0 13.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
23.0
Ravenna
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 9.9 Trace 11.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
20.9
Red Cloud
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 2.8 1.5 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
6.8
St. Paul
 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.2 2.0 11.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 22.2
Shelby 3NE
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 10.5 2.4 11.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
24.7
Shickley 4S
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 4.2 1.0 9.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
14.7
Superior 4E
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 3.1 MSG MSG MSG 0.0 0.0
MSG
Upland 2NE
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 5.0 0.0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
15.0
Wilsonville
0.0
 0.0
1.0
 8.0 1.0 7.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
17.0
Wolbach
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 8.3 2.4 8.4 0.0 0.0 0.0
19.1
York 3N
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 9.2 2.0 13.4 Trace 0.0 0.0 24.6



WINTER 2011-2012 NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER SNOWFALL
* The highest reported amount for the month indicated in blue BOLD, lowest amount in red BOLD

Station
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Season
Alton 2SW
0.0
 0.0 1.5 7.0 Trace 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.5
Beloit
0.0
 0.0 1.0 2.0 1.0 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
4.0
Burr Oak 1N
0.0
 0.0 0.5 5.2 1.6 3.7 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.0
Cawker City
0.0
 0.0 1.0 1.5 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
3.2
Covert Rural
0.0
 0.0 0.0 9.0 Trace 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.5
Damar
0.0
 0.0 Trace 4.0 Trace 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
8.0
Glen Elder Dam
0.0
 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5 MSG 0.0 0.0 0.0
MSG
Hunter
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 6.0 0.5 Trace 0.0 0.0 0.0
6.5
Ionia
0.0
 0.0
0.5
 4.0 0.4 0.9 0.0 0.0 0.0
5.8
Jewell
0.0
 0.0
0.3
 4.2 3.3 3.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.6
Kirwin Dam
0.0
 0.0
0.0
 3.0 MSG MSG 0.0 0.0 0.0
MSG
Lebanon
0.0
 0.0
1.0
 4.6 0.5 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
10.1
Logan
0.0
 0.0
0.5
 3.0 Trace 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
6.0
Long Island 1 N
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 6.0 0.0 9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
15.0
Mankato
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 4.5 3.5 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
11.0
Natoma
0.0
 0.0
1.0
 9.0 Trace 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
12.0
Palco
0.0
 0.0
2.0
 9.0 0.0 4.5 0.0 0.0 0.0
15.5
Plainville 4 WNW
0.0
 0.0
1.0
 6.8 0.3 5.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
13.3
Smith Center
0.0
 0.0
0.6
 3.7 Trace 4.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
8.9
Webster Dam
0.0
 0.0
Trace
 4.5 0.0 4.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
8.6

 
Follow us on Twitter  Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on YouTube  Follow us on YouTube
GID RSS Feed  GID RSS Feed

Hazardous Weather
Experimental Graphical Hazardous Weather Outlook
Submit A Storm Report
Storm Prediction Center
Local Storm Reports

Forecasts
Activity Planner
Area Forecast Discussion
Regional Weather Summary
Fire Weather
Aviation Weather Center
Winter Weather
Winter Storm Severity Index
Experimental Winter Storm Outlook

Current Conditions
Current Area Observations
Text Products
Satellite
Rivers and Lakes
Local 24 Hour Precip Maps
Local Archived Precip Maps
NWPS Precipitation Analysis
Local Snowfall Maps
Snowfall Analysis
Snow Cover

Climate
Local Database (NOWData)
Local Climate Webpage
Hastings/G. Island Records
Local Historical Tornado Info
U.S. Drought Monitor
Grand Island - Daily
Grand Island - Monthly
Hastings - Daily
Hastings - Monthly
Kearney - Daily
Kearney - Monthly
Ord - Daily
Ord - Monthly

Weather Safety
Thunderstorm Safety
Lightning Safety
Flood Safety
Winter Weather Safety
Other Weather Safety

Additional Items
NOAA Weather Radio
Cooperative Observers
CoCoRaHs
Archived Weather Events
NWS Enterprise Resources