Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in Hayes, Nebraska

Across Hayes County, a long duration of dangerous wind chill values of 20 below or colder began during the early morning hours on January 18th through the early morning hours on February 20th. Although winds remained generally light throughout the event, winds combined to produce a lowest wind chill of 30 below zero at a mesonet site near Hayes Center at 300 am CST on February 20th.

An arctic airmass brought an extended period of bitter cold temperatures as cold as 20 to 34 below zero and dangerous wind chills as low as 30 below to around 50 below zero to all of western and north central Nebraska. Although winds remained generally light throughout the event, winds combined to produce a long duration of dangerous wind chills beginning during the early morning hours on February 18th through the early morning hours on February 20th. The lowest wind chill values from 40 below to 52 below zero occurred during early morning hours on February 19th and again during the early morning hours on February 20th.