National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heat Continues for the East and South-Central U.S.; Strong to Severe Storms Across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

The extremely dangerous heat wave continues across the East Coast and much of the South-Central U.S. today. Record high temperatures are expected for some areas especially across the Mid-Atlantic where extreme heat risk conditions reside. There is a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) of severe thunderstorms today for the northern Mid-Atlantic into portions of southern New England. Read More >

Overview:

An upper level disturbance sliding across the Central Plains brought a narrow band of heavy snow to portions of the NWS Hastings coverage area (see map here) Saturday night into at least the first half of the day on Easter Sunday (also April Fool's Day). 

Snowfall started working into the area from the west-northwest shortly before midnight, spreading east-southeast across the heart of south central Nebraska by 2 AM. The heaviest snowfall set up in a narrow band approximately 20-30 miles wide, running roughly from Gosper County to the Fillmore/Thayer County line. In this band, snowfall totals of 6 to 11 inches were common.

Snowfall totals quickly dropped off south of this band, with locations running along/south of a Beaver City, Nebraska to Burr Oak, Kansas line receiving little if any snow. North of the heaviest band, totals tapered off more gradually, with locations including Ord and York topping out at just over 1 inch.

Thankfully, wind was not a significant factor with this snowfall. East-northeast winds topped out around 10 MPH, helping keep significant reductions in visibility confined to the narrow band of heaviest snow. While some slick spots occurred, especially into the early morning hours of Sunday/Easter morning, by mid-late afternoon snow  had melted off of area roadways and travel impacts were minimal/if any. 


(Please refer to the tabs below for more detailed information regarding this event, including maps, tables and photos from our social media pages)

Image
NWS Radar loop from 10 PM on Mar. 31 through 2 PM on Apr. 1. The NWS Hastings coverage area is within the orange outlined area labeled "GID" and Interstate highways are the red lines. 

Snowfall Information

The image of storm total snow amounts below was compiled from a combination of reports from
NWS Cooperative Observers and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)

Storm total (48 hour) snowfall image ending the morning of April 2nd. NOTE: This image a "general estimate" of totals and may not be exact at every location on this map.


The table of storm total snow amounts below was compiled from a combination of reports from
NWS Cooperative Observers and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS)

Location Snowfall (inches)
2 WSW Tobias 8.0
Minden 8.0
2 ENE Juniata 7.5
Holdrege 6.0
6 ESE Clay Center 5.5
NWS Hastings (4 N Hastings) 5.1
Geneva 5.0
8 S Elwood 4.7
Miller 4.6
7 E Cozad 4.5
Hebron 4.0
Kearney 3.8
Arcadia 3.1
1 E Lexington 2.8
4 SW Bladen 2.5
1 ENE McCool Junction 2.5
4 N Litchefield 2.3
Grand Island 2.0
Ord 1.8
Aurora 1.6
3 N York 1.5

 


The table below is of "unofficial" snow amounts from various sources, including public and social media.

Location Snowfall (inches)
Carleton 11.0
3 N Belvidere 10.8
Bruning 9.5
5 N Lawrence 8.5
6 ESE Pauline 8.5
3 S Deweese 8.0
Shickley 8.0
Axtell 8.0
1 W Alexandria 7.5
Blue Hill 7.5
Heartwell 7.0
Davenport 7.0
1 NNE Pauline 6.5
Gothenburg 4.0
Stockham 4.0
1 ESE Doniphan 4.0

 

Photos:

 

Photo
Pauline, NE
photo by Jesse Wirtes
Axtell, NE
photo by Shawn Thames
Fairfield, NE
photo by Don Olson
Photo Photo Photo Photo
Shickley, NE
photo by John Plock
Pauline, NE
photo by Jesse Wirtes
Edgar, NE
photo by Shayla Fuller
Hastings, NE
photo by Shawn Rossi
Photo Photo Photo
Johnson Lake, NE
photo by Kathy Larson
Loomis, NE
photo by Charles Rowell
Phelps County
photo by Joyce Voigt
Photo Photo Photo Photo
Gibbon, NE
photo by Denise Fenster
Gothenburg, NE
photo by Adam Bean
Hastings, NE
photo by Joyce Lovett
Hastings, NE
photo by Tiffany Peck
Photo Photo Photo Photo
2 South of Aurora, NE
photo by Angie Himmelberg Ziggafoos
3 South of Bruning, NE
photo by Michelle Naiman Sybrant
8 South of Glenvil, NE
photo by Mark Haba
Hastings, NE
photo by Rachael Eizabeth Mehaffie

 


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