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Back-to-Back Pacific Storms to Impact the West Coast; Heavy Snow in the Central Appalachians

Back-to-back powerful Pacific storm systems to impact the Pacific Northwest and northern California through the end of this week with heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and higher elevation mountain snow. A strong, long-duration atmospheric river will accompany the Pacific storms, bringing excessive rainfall and flash flooding to southwest Oregon and northwest California through the week. Read More >

Blizzard conditions were widespread over northeat Nebraska into west central Iowa much of Groundhog Day, Tuesday.  The snow began in earnest before sunrise, and was falling at a rate of an inch or two per hour along Interstate 80 and north, helped by atmospheric instability that produced areas of Thundersnow that made the morning drive-time very dangerous.  

By mid morning, much of the snow had pushed north of the Interstate, but moderate to heavy snow continued much of the day in northeast Nebraska into west central Iowa.  Thus the highest snowfall totals wound up being there, with many locations reporting 10 to 18 inches of total snowfall.

Here's a map of the Storm Total Snowfall across the local area, created with data from our volunteer COOP and COCORAHS weather observers. 


Groundhog Day Storm Total Snowfall

 
  

Snow Lat Lon Location
18 42.2 -97.5167 Piecre, NE
15.8 42.0413 -97.1747 Stanton, NE
15.7 42.5938 -97.6436 Bloomfield, NE
14.5 40.27 -98.67 Wakefiled, NE
14.4 42.202 -96.8227 NE-TN-1
14.4 41.7613 -98.2138 Loretto, NE
14.2 41.986 -97.435 Norfolk, NE Airport
14 42.2333 -97.0092 Wayne, NE
13.6 41.53 -98.51 Greely, NE
13 41.46 -97.35 Columbus, NE
13 42.1297 -98.0267 Neligh, NE
12.5 42.41 -96.39 Sioux City, IA
12.4 40.9 -97.62 York, NE
12 42.93 -97.38 Yankton, SD
12 41.45 -96.53 Fremont, NE
11 41.8422 -96.7164 West Point, NE
10.5 41.43 -96.4669 Fremont, NE
10 41.4314 -96.4921 NE-DD-3
10 40.9 -97.0833 Seward, NE
10 41.8263 -96.0505 Little Sioux, IA
10 41.3894 -95.6811 Underwood, IA
9.7 40.6558 -97.2208 Friend, NE
9.5 41.3536 -96.2094 Bennington, NE
9 42.48 -98.67 Oneill, NE
9 41.7 -94.92 Audubon, IA
8.5 41.2491 -97.1327 David City, NE
8.4 41.2853 -95.8336 IA-PT-2
8.4 41.4466 -96.0919 Fort Calhoun, NE
8 41.32 -96.3669 Valley, NE NWS
8 41.98 -95.38 Denison, IA
7.8 40.8486 -96.6601 NE-LA-26
7.7 41.1586 -96.1922 Gretna, NE
7.4 41.6783 -95.3222 Harlan, IA
7.1 41.1271 -96.2474 NE-SY-9
7 41.11 -95.92 Offut AFB
7 41.4 -95.05 Atlantic, IA
7 41.5495 -95.5722 IA-HR-4
7 41.0408 -96.3775 Ashland, NE
7 41.15 -96.05 Papillion, NE
6.9 41.2108 -96.2067 NE-DG-6
6.4 40.851 -96.759 Lincoln, NE Airport
6.3 40.8337 -96.7967 NE-LA-21
6.2 40.7494 -96.5928 NE-LA-19
6.1 41.2745 -96.1463 NE-DG-8
6.1 42.0747 -95.9944 Kennebeck, IA
6 41.1364 -96.0596 NE-SY-1
5.8 40.85 -96.63 NE-LA-32
5.5 41.0639 -96.0069 Springfield, NE
5.2 42.718 -98.209 Verdel, NE
5 41.0516 -95.7491 Glenwood, IA
5 41.6333 -95.7833 Logan, IA
4.9 41.303 -95.894 Omaha Eppley
4.7 40.15 -97.59 Hebron, NE
4.7 39.55 -97.65 Concordia, KS
4.5 41.0105 -95.889 NE-CA-3
4.5 41.2116 -95.848 IA-PT-13
4.2 43.59 -96.74 Sioux Falls, SD
4.1 40.0891 -97.1959 NE-JF-1
4 40.7708 -96.6279 NE-LA-1
4 40.1836 -96.4813 Virginia, NE
3.5 40.1355 -97.1713 Fairbury, NE
2.7 40.8756 -95.5664 Randolph, IA
2.5 40.2994 -96.75 Beatrice, NE
2 40.7647 -95.3803 Shenandoah, IA
1 40.2353 -96.0861 Table Rock, NE
1 40.7244 -95.0191 Clarinda, IA
0.1 40.24 -95.68 Shubert, NE

 

Here is a link to some of the reports we have received through midnight from around eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. 

https://nwschat.weather.gov/lsr/#OAX/201602021000/201602030800/0101

 

Strong winds were also noted with this storm, causing blizzard conditions across a good part of the area as the snow was falling.  Here is a list of some of the higher wind reports we received during the storm:

 

LOCATION                     SPEED     TIME/DATE       LAT/LON              

...IOWA...

...FREMONT COUNTY...
4 E NEBRASKA CITY            57 MPH    0542 AM 02/02   40.69N/95.78W        
SHENANDOAH AIRPORT           48 MPH    0535 AM 02/02   40.77N/95.41W        

...HARRISON COUNTY...
5 SSW BLENCOE                43 MPH    0741 PM 02/02   41.87N/96.10W        

...MONTGOMERY COUNTY...
RED OAK AIRPORT              51 MPH    0735 AM 02/02   41.01N/95.26W        

...PAGE COUNTY...
CLARINDA AIRPORT             44 MPH    0135 AM 02/03   40.72N/95.03W        

...POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY...
COUNCIL BLUFFS AIRPORT       54 MPH    0735 AM 02/02   41.26N/95.76W        
3 ENE AVOCA                  48 MPH    0900 AM 02/02   41.50N/95.29W        
4 N CRESCENT                 39 MPH    0911 AM 02/02   41.42N/95.85W        

...SHELBY COUNTY...
HARLAN AIRPORT               51 MPH    0915 AM 02/02   41.59N/95.34W        

...NEBRASKA...

...BOONE COUNTY...
ALBION AIRPORT               44 MPH    1115 AM 02/02   41.73N/98.06W        
1 WSW CEDAR RAPIDS           40 MPH    1122 AM 02/02   41.55N/98.17W        

...BURT COUNTY...
TEKAMAH AIRPORT              49 MPH    1012 PM 02/02   41.76N/96.18W        

...BUTLER COUNTY...
3 NE GARRISON                36 MPH    0612 PM 02/02   41.21N/97.13W        

...CASS COUNTY...
1 WSW MANLEY                 41 MPH    0537 AM 02/02   40.91N/96.18W        
PLATTSMOUTH AIRPORT          41 MPH    0435 AM 02/02   40.95N/95.92W        

...COLFAX COUNTY...
2 W SCHUYLER                 42 MPH    1100 AM 02/02   41.45N/97.11W        

...DODGE COUNTY...
2 E ROGERS                   38 MPH    1100 PM 02/02   41.46N/96.87W        

...DOUGLAS COUNTY...
OMAHA EPPLEY AIRFIELD        51 MPH    1012 AM 02/02   41.30N/95.89W        
MILLARD AIRPORT              35 MPH    1140 PM 02/02   41.20N/96.12W        

...GAGE COUNTY...
BEATRICE AIRPORT             43 MPH    0855 PM 02/02   40.30N/96.75W        
4 W BARNESTON                35 MPH    0342 AM 02/03   40.04N/96.65W        

...JEFFERSON COUNTY...
1 W HARBINE                  36 MPH    1032 PM 02/02   40.19N/96.98W        

...LANCASTER COUNTY...
LINCOLN AIRPORT              49 MPH    0749 PM 02/02   40.85N/96.76W        

...MADISON COUNTY...
NORFOLK AIRPORT              51 MPH    0241 PM 02/02   41.99N/97.43W        
MADISON                      37 MPH    1140 AM 02/02   41.83N/97.44W        

...NEMAHA COUNTY...
1 SE JULIAN                  41 MPH    0512 AM 02/02   40.51N/95.86W        

...OTOE COUNTY...
NEBRASKA CITY AIRPORT        44 MPH    0535 AM 02/02   40.61N/95.87W        

...PLATTE COUNTY...
COLUMBUS AIRPORT             48 MPH    0915 AM 02/02   41.45N/97.34W        

...RICHARDSON COUNTY...
FALLS CITY AIRPORT           44 MPH    0403 AM 02/02   40.08N/95.59W        
5 S DAWSON                   39 MPH    0227 AM 02/03   40.06N/95.82W        

...SARPY COUNTY...
OFFUTT AFB                   40 MPH    0902 AM 02/02   41.12N/95.92W        

...SAUNDERS COUNTY...
WAHOO AIRPORT                44 MPH    0715 PM 02/02   41.23N/96.60W        

...SEWARD COUNTY...
4 NNW MILFORD                35 MPH    1152 PM 02/02   40.82N/97.07W        

...WASHINGTON COUNTY...
BLAIR AIRPORT                46 MPH    1135 PM 02/02   41.41N/96.11W        

...WAYNE COUNTY...
WAYNE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT      46 MPH    1155 AM 02/02   42.24N/96.98W        

OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING
EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.

$$

NWS OMAHA/VALLEY NE
IRIS SYSTEM