Strong winds, snow and blowing snow occurred on this Wednesday. Evolution of precipitation associated with this system was complex. Through the morning hours, a long, skinny band of frontogenetic/WAA precipitation formed and was oriented west-east from the Great Lakes westward across Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, then southwest across the Nebraska panhandle into eastern Colorado. This band was north of the polar front and its western fringe wrapped cyclonically around the northern and western periphery of a developing upper-level low. This system entrained significant dry air in the mid-upper levels. So, precipitation in the warm sector was initially non-existent. It wasn't until mid-late afternoon that a comma-shaped band of scattered showers and a few embedded thunderstorms developed within and in the eastern semi-circle of the vorticity maximum over Kansas and Nebraska. Around 4 p.m., a storm over northern Hamilton county produced half inch hail near Hordville. This storm occurred on the cool side of the front, with temperatures in the middle 30s. The initial band of showers and storms quickly exited south central Nebraska by late afternoon. The small area of lingering rain in the center of the upper-level low (primarily over Buffalo, Hall, Kearney, Adams, Franklin, and Webster counties) changed to snow by early evening, and thunder was associated with it. Two to 5 inches of snow fell in these areas. As the low moved to the east during the night, the deformation band north and west of the low finally moved into and across south central Nebraska with a gradually diminishing trend. The band remained very skinny. Some of the initial showers that developed in the afternoon rotated to the northwest across Greeley and Valley counties, merging with the deformation band over the Sandhills. This, combined with the band moving through during the night, resulted in snowfall persisting along enough for a small area of 4 to 5 inches of accumulation over much these counties. There were a couple spots that received as much as 8 inches, including Ord. This was the highest amount associated with this storm. Across the rest of south central Nebraska, snowfall amounts were under 2 inches. There was a lot of wind with this system. Northeast winds were sustained between 30 and 40 mph for much of the day, with widespread gusts generally between 45 and 55 mph. There were a couple locations that had higher gusts, with 61 mph recorded at Evelyn Sharp Airport in Ord. These windy conditions did result in some wind damage in a couple locations, with a metal roof blown off a saloon in Giltner and a tree that fell onto a house in Arcadia.
A polar cold front dropped into Nebraska on Tuesday the 22nd and became stationary across northern Kansas on the 23rd. Lee cyclogenesis occurred over Colorado, with a strong 990 mb surface low heading east-northeast along the front. By 9 p.m., this low was over the Kansas City area. It continued advancing through northern Missouri during the night. In the upper levels, split flow was over North America. A moderate amplitude shortwave trough was advancing through the western U.S., with a broad ridge in the East. Confluent flow extended from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes. As cyclogenesis occurred, a closed mid-level low formed briefly over Nebraska and Kansas, before opening back up into a trough by daybreak on the 24th.

Winter Weather in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 18:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility.

Winter Weather in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 19:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with the highest totals across the northern third of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility.

Winter Storm in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 15:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 01:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches. Wind gusts at times were between 50 and 60 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Storm in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 20:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 01:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches, with the highest totals being across far north-northwestern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Storm in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 20:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 01:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches, with the highest totals being across far northern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Storm in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 20:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 01:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches, with the highest totals being across far northern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Storm in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 17:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 01:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 3 to 5 inches, with the highest totals being across far south-southeastern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Storm in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 17:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 01:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 3 to 5 inches, with the highest totals being across far eastern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Storm in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 17:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches, with the highest totals being across far western portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions.

Winter Weather in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 23:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with the highest totals being across far west-northwestern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility.

Winter Weather in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 22:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility.

Winter Weather in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 19:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with the highest totals across the northern third of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility.

Winter Weather in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 18:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility. The ASOS at the Grand Island Central Nebraska Regional Airport reported gusts to 52 and 54 MPH.

Winter Storm in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 15:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 4 to 8 inches. Wind gusts at times were between 50 and 60 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions. A mesonet site near Arcadia recorded sustained wind speeds near 45 MPH between 6-7:30 p.m. CDT. The ASOS at the Ord Airport recorded a peak gust of 61 MPH at 8:02 p.m. CDT.

Winter Weather in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 23:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:30:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals generally ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with the highest totals being across far west-northwestern portions of the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50 MPH, resulting in periods of reduced visibility. The AWOS at the Aurora Airport reported a peak gust of 53 MPH. Wind damage was reported in Giltner, with a business losing its metal roof.

Winter Storm in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 23-MAR-16 17:00:00 to 24-MAR-16 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 10.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Snowfall totals ranged from 3 to 5 inches across the county. Wind gusts at times were near 50, resulting in periods of reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions. Numerous cars slid off roadways and semi trucks jackknifed.