Periods of light snow began during the very early morning hours before sunrise Saturday, January 31st, primarily along and east of Highway 281. The temperature profile was very marginal, but snow continued to fall through the day. Due to its persistence, some wet accumulations of 1 to 2 inches occurred on grassy surfaces along Highway 81 from Geneva south to Hebron. During the evening hours, snow became widespread as an organized snow band formed in the deformation zone of an intensifying low pressure center. Snow fell over nearly all of south central Nebraska for a time, but the heaviest and most persistent snow fell where it had been snowing during the daylight hours of Saturday, east of Highway 281. By 4 am CST Sunday, the accumulating snow ended and exited into southeast Nebraska. However, some smaller bands of light snow lingered through mid-morning. Storm total snowfall was generally 4 to 8 inches along and east of Highway 281. The highest amount of 9 inches was measured just north of Aurora. As the snow ended, north winds dramatically increased as the low pressure system organized. Winds were sustained around 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. The cooling of the temperature profile allowed for the snow character to become drier after sunset. The result was significant blowing and drifting that lasted through the afternoon hours. Blizzard conditions occurred, at times, with the visibility down to one-quarter mile. Significant impacts occurred with several portions of Interstate 80 being closed due to numerous traffic accidents. Some roads were restricted to one lane while other highways were closed due to white-out conditions over Clay, Fillmore, Nuckolls, Thayer, Webster counties. Adams county issued a no travel advisory. Nearly every school was closed Monday, February 2nd, east of a line from Ord to Franklin. This included the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Central Community College near Hastings.
The initial wet snow Saturday occurred in warm air advection, in the entrance region of a 150 kt upper-level jet streak. The forcing for precipitation changed, however, as an arctic cold front sagged through Nebraska with lee cyclogenesis occurring ahead of it over southeastern Colorado. As the front continued moving south into Kansas Saturday night, the weak low left Colorado and progressed east along the front. It was located near Kansas City by daybreak Sunday and advanced east into Indiana by sunset. It was this low that was responsible for the majority of the snowfall accumulation which occurred Saturday night. The central pressure never lowered to less than 1005 mb and there was no deepening. However, the pressure gradient was significant northwest of the low, resulting in the strong winds. As with much of this winter, the flow aloft was split with a ridge along the West Coast, a closed low over the Desert Southwest, and confluent flow into the trough over the eastern United States. This low formed as a result of a shortwave trough that came out of western Canada and amplified as it approached the longwave trough.

Winter Weather in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 06:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 05:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 08:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 10:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 10:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 08:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 3 to 6 inches.

Winter Weather in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 10:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 3 to 6 inches.

Winter Storm in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 04:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 7 inches.

Winter Storm in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 04:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 7 inches.

Winter Storm in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 05:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 7 inches.

Winter Storm in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 05:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm in FILLMORE, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 05:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 06:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 7 inches.

Winter Storm in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 06:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm in YORK, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 06:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 08:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 6 to 9 inches.

Winter Storm in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 08:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 8 inches.

Winter Weather in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 04:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 4 inches.

Winter Weather in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 31-JAN-15 04:00:00 to 31-JAN-15 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 6 inches.