High Wind — Dakota, Nebraska

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

Event narrative

Northwest winds were sustained from 40 to 47 mph with a peak gust of 62 mph near Ponca and a peak gust of 60 mph in Sergeant Bluff.

Wider weather episode

A strong negatively tilted trough lifted northeast through the Central Plains and resulted in the rapid intensification of low pressure as it moved from Kansas to northern Illinois. Conditions started on the warmer side with mainly light rain, drizzle, and a few thunderstorms on the morning of March 4, but a quick transition to snow occurred by evening and was accompanied by a drastic increase in winds to 45 to 60 mph. While snowfall ended up generally 1 to 4 inches, the lack of snow cover prior to this system limited the areas for which the strong winds resulted in blizzard conditions. Much of southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa, and far northeast Nebraska saw closed or impassible roads by the early morning of March 5.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1252283. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.