In the midst of one of the top-10 coldest months of April on record for much of South Central Nebraska, a late-season winter storm brought a widespread 1-4 inches of snow to most counties during a roughly 15-hour period between the late evening of Wednesday the 17th and the early-mid afternoon of Thursday the 18th. Areas west of Highway 281, which saw the greatest coverage of localized 3+ inch amounts, observed most accumulating snow during the overnight hours. Meanwhile, for most counties along and east of Highway 281, snow began during the night but peaked in intensity after sunrise before ending or diminishing to flurries during the afternoon. Adding to the mid-April misery were brisk north-northwest winds sustained 20-30 MPH and gusting 35-40 MPH, resulting in occasional visibility restrictions to one-half mile or less and wind chill temperatures between 10-20 degrees. The majority of the 24-county area measured at least 1-2 of snow from this event, except for far southeast counties such as Nuckolls and Thayer that averaged less than 1. According to NWS cooperative observers and NeRAIN observers, 3+ inch amounts primarily focused within the far western counties of Furnas, Dawson and Gosper, including 4 at Wilsonville, 3.5 eight miles south of Elwood and six miles south-southeast of Lexington, and 3 at Beaver City and three miles west of Sumner. However, even farther east, narrow bands of post-sunrise snow pushed Grand Island up to 4, which set a daily record for the 18th and resulted in the largest April snowfall in 10 years. Temperature-wise, daytime highs across South Central Nebraska on the 18th only averaged 33-37 degrees, which was around 30 degrees below normal for the date and established record-cold daily maximums at Grand Island and Hastings.
On the synoptic scale aloft, this event was powered by a highly amplified and slightly positively tilted mid-upper trough slowly lumbering across the Central United States. As a 100+ knot upper level jet streak rounded the base of the trough and took aim on the Central Plains, a mid level low and resultant area of enhanced frontogenesis became increasingly organized at 700 millibars, resulting in widespread snowfall. At mid-morning on the 18th, surface maps revealed that strong north-northwest winds were being promoted by a tight pressure gradient between a still-deepening 1000 millibar low over northeast Missouri and a 1028 millibar high centered over the Wyoming area.

Winter Weather in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A total of 3.5 inches of snow fell 8 miles south of Elwood.

Winter Weather in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A total of 3.5 inches of snow fell 6 miles south-southeast of Lexington, at the Canaday plant.

Winter Weather in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A total of 2.8 inches of snow fell 1 mile east of Cambridge.

Winter Weather in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A total of 4.0 inches of snow fell 10 miles north northeast of Arapahoe. This report was from an NERAIN observer.

Winter Weather in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 12:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A total of 4.0 inches of snow fell in Grand Island.

Winter Weather in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A total of 3.0 inches of snow fell in Beaver City.

Winter Weather in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

A total of 4.0 inches of snow fell in Wilsonville.

Winter Weather in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

A total of 3.0 inches of snow fell 1 mile east of Lexington. This report was from an NERAIN observer.

Winter Weather in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

A total of 3.2 inches of snow fell 7 miles east of Cozad. This report was from an NERAIN observer.

Winter Weather in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 17-APR-13 22:30:00 to 18-APR-13 08:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: CoCoRaHS

A total of 3.0 inches of snow fell 3 miles west of Sumner. This report was from an NERAIN observer.