Blizzard — Dodge, Nebraska

2025-03-04 to 2025-03-05 · Dodge, Nebraska

Event narrative

General snowfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches throughout the county. KFET AWOS reported 1/4 mile visibility from 17:15 CST to 17:17 CST. Highway 30 west of Fremont closed to Schuyler, NE with numerous cars in the ditch. Surrounding conditions supporting blizzard criteria. Wind gusts up to 56 mph.

Wider weather episode

A powerful mid-level cutoff low tracking across the central Plains brought heavy snowfall and strong winds to much of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. On the evening of March 4th, the low pressure system moved across Kansas into northern Missouri, where it stalled. Precipitation began as rain during the afternoon, but a strong cold front quickly dropped temperatures, resulting in a transition to snow. The rapid temperature drop led to flash freeze conditions, creating hazardous, slick roads throughout the region. Snowfall persisted through the overnight hours, with the heaviest band developing over east-central Nebraska and west-central Iowa. Wind gusts exceeding 60 mph were recorded in parts of the area, producing blizzard conditions with blowing snow and significantly reduced visibility. Snow tapered off by the morning of March 5th, with widespread accumulations of 4 to 6 inches reported across eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1243822. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.