During a roughly 30-hour period starting on Wednesday the 20th, but peaking in intensity on Thursday the 21st, the majority of the 24-county area experienced its heaviest snowfall of the 2012-2013 winter season. For some locations near the Kansas border this was actually one of the largest storm-total snowfalls on record. This included Red Cloud, where 13.5 inches ranked as the sixth-highest two-day total since 1894. According to NWS cooperative observers, essentially the entire area totaled at least 6-10, with the highest amounts of 10-14 concentrated in southwestern counties generally south of a line from Cozad-Holdrege-Nelson. In addition to 13.5 at Red Cloud, a few of the biggest totals included 14 at Harlan County Lake and Beaver City, 13.5 eight miles south of Elwood, 12.5 at Naponee and Nelson, and 12 near Blue Hill and Upland. The overall lowest amounts affected eastern areas near the Highway 81 corridor, including 6.5 at Osceola, 6 near York and 7 at Geneva and Bruning. In between these lowest and highest extremes were places such as Grand Island and Holdrege (10), and Hastings (9.5). Although the heavy snow itself created considerable impact across the region with very poor visibilities and at least minor drifting, the magnitude of blowing snow was held in check by sustained easterly to northerly winds that generally topped out around 20 MPH and mainly gusted under 25 MPH, keeping this storm from reaching blizzard status. Liquid-equivalent moisture between one-half inch and one inch was common, and also welcome across the drought-stricken area, with locally higher totals including 1.25 at Red Cloud.
Although accumulating snow fell off-and-on for roughly 30 hours across all of South Central Nebraska, the timing of the most intense snowfall varied. For most places, the first light accumulations got underway between the mid-morning and late afternoon hours on the 20th. Then from the evening of the 20th into the pre-dawn hours of the 21st, a heavier snow band affected primarily southwestern counties. By sunrise on the 21st, southern and western locations such as Cozad, Cambridge and Red Cloud had already totaled 5-8, while the majority of South Central Nebraska reported no more than 1-3. That changed in a big way during the daytime hours on the 21st, as the most intense snow bands of the event blossomed across the area, accompanied by steady northeast winds and temperatures generally hovering between 18-22 degrees. These snow bands gradually weakened and dissipated from south-to-north during the evening, with most of South Central Nebraska void of falling snow by 9 PM as a closed mid level low pressure system lifted farther north. On the synoptic scale aloft, this prolonged winter storm was forced by the approach and eventual passage of an expansive, amplified mid-upper level trough. The primary mid-level 700-500 millibar closed low tracked from southern California on the morning of the 20th, to the Texas Panhandle on the morning of the 21st, before deepening and lifting slowly north-northeast across central Kansas into southeast Nebraska during the daytime and evening hours. Periods of isentropic lift associated with smaller-scale shortwave troughs lifting out ahead of the main system were responsible for snowfall from the 20th into the morning of the 21st, with the most intense snow bands during the day on the 21st driven by pronounced deformation on the northwest periphery of the mid level low track. From a forecast perspective, although northern and eastern portions of South Central Nebraska did not receive quite as much snow as originally expected, this winter storm was overall one of the best-anticipated in recent memory thanks to unusually high consistency in computer model solutions. Although the finer details of timing and full snowfall potential did not come into focus until a few days out, signs of a potentially significant winter storm were recognized over one week in advance.

Heavy Snow in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 11:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 10.9 inches of snow fell at Franklin, 12.5 inches of snow fell at Naponee and 12 inches of snow fell at Upland.

Heavy Snow in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 11:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 12 inches of snow fell at Blue Hill and 13.5 inches of snow fell at Red Cloud.

Heavy Snow in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 12:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 10.8 inches of snow fell at Minden and 11 inches fell at Wilcox.

Heavy Snow in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 12:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 12.5 inches of snow fell at Nelson and 10.8 inches of snow fell four miles east of Superior.

Heavy Snow in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 12:15:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 7 inches of snow fell at Bruning, 8.5 inches of snow fell at Hebron and 7 inches of snow fell at Hubbell.

Heavy Snow in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 13:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 11.5 inches of snow fell at Clay Center and 8 inches of snow fell 6 miles east southeast of Clay Center.

Heavy Snow in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 13:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 12 inches of snow fell at Holstein. Also, 9.5 inches of snow fell at the National Weather Service Office located 4 miles north of Hastings.

Heavy Snow in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 14:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 9.3 inches of snow fell at Rockville.

Heavy Snow in FILLMORE, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 14:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 7 inches of snow fell at Geneva, 5 inches fell 4 miles south of Shickley and 5.5 inches of snow fell two miles southwest of Tobias.

Heavy Snow in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 15:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 19:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 7 inches of snow fell at Arcadia and 6.5 inches fell at Ord.

Heavy Snow in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 15:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 12 inches of snow fell at Dannebrog and 10 inches fell at St. Paul.

Heavy Snow in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 15:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 6.8 inches of snow fell near Aurora and 8.5 inches of snow fell at Hordville.

Heavy Snow in YORK, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 15:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 6.2 inches of snow fell at Bradshaw, 7 inches of snow fell near Gresham and 6 inches of snow fell at York.

Heavy Snow in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 16:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 8.5 inches of snow fell at Greeley and 8.4 inches of snow fell at Wolbach.

Heavy Snow in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 16:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 8 inches of snow fell at Belgrade, 8.7 inches of snow fell at Fullerton and 9.5 inches of snow fell at Genoa.

Heavy Snow in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 16:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 8.9 inches of snow fell at Central City.

Heavy Snow in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 16:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 22:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 6.5 inches of snow fell at Osceola, 8 inches of snow fell at Polk and 6.1 inches of snow fell three miles northeast of Shelby.

Heavy Snow in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 09:15:00 to 21-FEB-13 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 14 inches of snow fell at Beaver City, 11.7 inches of snow fell at Cambridge, 10 inches of snow fell at Edison, 9 inches of snow fell 6 miles north northwest of Oxford and 11 inches of snow fell at Wilsonville.

Heavy Snow in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 10:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 10 inches of snow fell at the Canaday Power Plant (6 miles south-southeast of Lexington) and 13.5 inches of snow fell 8 miles south of Elwood.

Heavy Snow in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 12:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 20:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 7.7 inches of snow fell at Kearney Regional Airport, 12 inches of snow fell at Miller and 10 inches of snow fell at Ravenna.

Heavy Snow in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 10:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 14 inches fell at Harlan County Lake and 11.5 inches of snow fell at Alma.

Heavy Snow in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 10:30:00 to 21-FEB-13 19:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 10.3 inches of snow fell at Cozad and Gothenburg.

Heavy Snow in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 11:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A storm total of 10 inches of snow fell at Holdrege.

Heavy Snow in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 20-FEB-13 14:00:00 to 21-FEB-13 21:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

A storm total of 10 inches of snow fell at Grand Island.