Winter Weather — Lancaster, Nebraska

2011-01-09 to 2011-01-10 · Lancaster, Nebraska

Event narrative

A prolonged period of light to moderate snow fell over the county with snow totals between 6 and 8 inches. Lincoln reported 6.7 inches and Raymond 7.6 inches for two of the highest amounts received. The snow fell over a 36 hour period and caused several accidents, including one on the 10th which claimed a life after the truck he was driving lost control on snowy roads hitting a pole and flipping over a steep embankment. Many area schools were closed on the 10th and 11th. Winds during much of the snow were relatively light, but they did pick up some toward the end of the event which caused some drifting and blowing snow.

Wider weather episode

Pacific moisture and warm air wrapped around a large upper level low pressure system that moved from the northern Rockies slowly southeast into the eastern Dakotas from Saturday January 8 into the morning of January 11th. This brought a 36 to 48 hour period of snow to eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Although the snow was mostly light, periods of moderate snow were observed. In addition, since the snow fell for an extended time, total amounts over most of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa reached 7 to 10+ inches. Most of the heavier amounts, centered on a 24 hour period from the morning of the 9th through the morning of the 10th, were in northeast Nebraska. Winds during much of the event were 10 to 20 mph which limited blowing and drifting. However, winds did pick up during the afternoon and evening of 1/10 and into the early morning hours of 1/11. This caused drifting snow across most of the region with some reduced visibilities in blowing snow as well. The stronger winds, and temperatures that dropped to zero or below, caused wind chill values to fall to 20 below to 29 below zero over northeast Nebraska on 1/11 and early on 1/12. Heavier storm total snowfall amounts included...12 inches in Columbus and Oakdale, Nebraska, 11 inches near Verdel, Loretto, and Bloomfield, Nebraska and Little Sioux, Iowa and 10 inches at Norfolk, Wayne, Ft. Calhoun, Gretna, David City, Lyons, Neligh, and Weston, Nebraska and Castana, Iowa.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 268210. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.