High Wind — Platte, Nebraska

2025-12-18 · Platte, Nebraska

Event narrative

Personal weather station measured wind gust of 61 mph near Monroe, NE.

Wider weather episode

A deepening surface low tracking across the Northern Plains tightened the pressure gradient across the region on December 18, 2025. A cold front associated with this system swept through eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa during the day. Behind the front, strong cold air advection and subsidence steepened low-level lapse rates, facilitating the mixing of 45 to 60-knot momentum from the low-level jet down to the surface. This resulted in widespread wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph, with scattered gusts exceeding 60 mph.

Peak wind gusts recorded during the event included 64 mph measured by Emergency Management in Stanton, NE, and a 64 mph gust measured by a public weather station near Millard, NE. Additional public reports included gusts of 63 mph near both Creighton, NE, and Nickerson, NE. Winds gradually diminished during the evening hours as the pressure gradient relaxed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1305518. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.