Weather-wise, the end of 2017 across South Central Nebraska will be most-remembered for bitter cold. Based on data from a number of official NWS weather stations (both automated airports and coop observer), the entire 24-county area endured one of the top-3 coldest finishes to December on record (specifically the final eight days from the 24th-31st), with several sites notching their outright-coldest. Two of these sites included Grand Island and Hastings airports, which averaged 3.9 and 3.4 degrees (respectively) between the 24th-31st, or roughly 21-22 degrees below normal! Not only did this establish the coldest finish to any December on record, but it was also the outright-coldest 8-day stretch in almost 22 years (since early 1996)! During this stretch, four days at Grand Island and Hastings featured high temperatures of 10 degrees-or-colder, and three days featured lows of -14 degrees-or-colder. The overall-coldest day across the area (in terms of highs) was New Year's Eve the 31st, which also marked the first time since early 1996 that both Grand Island and Hastings airports failed to climb above zero. A few of the very coldest official lows (on the morning of the 27th) included -20 degrees near York and -19 degrees at Kearney airport and Gothenburg. Not surprisingly, a few of these days/nights (mainly the 27th and 31st) featured Wind Chill Advisories and/or Wind Chill Warnings, as values dropped into at least the -20 to -30 range. Although not as severe as the last week of December, below normal temperatures persisted into the first several days of January 2018 before a brief-but-welcomed warm-up finally boosted readings back into the 40s-50s from Jan. 7-10.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

At Hastings airport, the final 8-days of December featured an average temperature of 3.9 degrees, marking the coldest ending to the year out of 109 on record. During this stretch, three days featured low temperatures of at least -14 degrees.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

At Grand Island airport, the final 8-days of December featured an average temperature of 3.4 degrees, marking the coldest ending to the year out of 123 on record. During this stretch, three days featured low temperatures of at least -14 degrees.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

At Ord airport, the final 8-days of December featured an average temperature of 3.2 degrees, likely one of the coldest endings to a year on record.  During this stretch, three days featured low temperatures of at least -14 degrees.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Kearney airport, the final 8-days of December featured an average temperature of 4.1 degrees, marking the coldest ending to the year out of 115 on record.  During this stretch, three days featured low temperatures of at least -13 degrees.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Gothenburg, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 4.3 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 124 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in HAMILTON, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: AWOS

At Aurora airport, the final 8-days of December featured an average temperature of 3.8 degrees, likely one of the coldest endings to any year on record.  During this stretch, three days featured low temperatures of at least -15 degrees.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Minden, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 7.4 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 2nd-coldest finish to the year out of 121 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Hebron, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 7.4 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 2nd-coldest finish to the year out of 126 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in CLAY, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Clay Center, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 8.0 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 3rd-coldest finish to the year out of 47 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in FILLMORE, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Geneva, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 7.1 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 3rd-coldest finish to the year out of 125 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Franklin, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 8.2 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 28 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Cambridge, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 8.2 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 2nd-coldest finish to the year out of 91 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Based on NWS stations in nearby counties, the final 8 days of December likely averaged among the Top-3 coldest on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Greeley, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 2.4 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 79 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Harlan County Lake, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 8.4 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the 2nd-coldest finish to the year out of 70 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Based on NWS stations in nearby counties, the final 8 days of December likely averaged among the Top-3 coldest on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Based on NWS stations in nearby counties, the final 8 days of December likely averaged among the Top-3 coldest on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Genoa (2 miles west), the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 3.9 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 123 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in NUCKOLLS, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Superior, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 7.0 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 65 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Holdrege, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 3.8 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 117 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in POLK, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Osceola, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 4.8 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of roughly 100 years with complete records.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Loup City, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 3.3 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of roughly 100 years with complete records.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in WEBSTER, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At Red Cloud, the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 4.6 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 115 on record.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in YORK, NEBRASKA
From 24-DEC-17 00:00:00 to 31-DEC-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

At York (3 miles north), the NWS cooperative observer recorded an average temperature of 4.2 degrees through the final 8-days of December, marking the coldest finish to the year out of 117 on record.