This Monday was one of the overall-windiest days of the 2017-18 winter season across South Central Nebraska, featuring late-morning through late-afternoon northwesterly sustained speeds commonly 25-40 MPH, frequent gusts 45-55 MPH, and sporadic gusts into the 60-65 MPH range. However, there were no confirmed reports of wind damage. Six automated weather stations with readily available data breached High Wind Warning criteria of 58+ MPH (two official airport ASOS and four privately-owned mesonets). This included Ord airport with a 64 MPH gust at 404 PM, and Hastings airport which notched separate peak gusts of 60 MPH (at 326 PM) and 59 MPH (444 PM). The majority of 50+ MPH gusts focused between 1-5 PM, with speeds slowly-but-surely-easing up after dark, and sustained values/gusts finally easing below 30 MPH/40 MPH (respectively) by 9 PM. Precipitation-wise, a few flurries or sprinkles accompanied the strong winds, but certainly nothing measurable.
Although the magnitude of peak gusts slightly exceeded forecasted expectations, this was overall a fairly classic/well-anticipated wind event. In the mid-upper levels, a rather potent shortwave trough tracked over Nebraska from west-to-east. In the lower levels, steady cold air advection was noted at 850 millibars, aiding downward momentum transfer to the surface. And at the surface itself, a tight pressure gradient and steady pressure rises developed over Nebraska as the day went on. This occurred as a well-defined low pressure center strengthened from around 996 millibars over eastern Nebraska at daybreak, to around 990 millibars over northern Wisconsin by sunset. During the height of the strongest afternoon winds, the state of Nebraska featured a roughly 16-millibar surface pressure gradient, ranging from around 1021 millibars in the western Panhandle, to around 1005 millibars along the Missouri River.

High Wind in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 16:04:00 to 04-DEC-17 16:04:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 56.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 64 mph occurred at Evelyn Sharp Field in Ord.

High Wind in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 16:38:00 to 04-DEC-17 16:38:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 54.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 62 mph occurred two miles north northeast of Norman.

High Wind in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 14:58:00 to 04-DEC-17 14:58:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 61.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph occurred two miles north northeast of Norman.

High Wind in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 15:26:00 to 04-DEC-17 15:26:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph occurred at the Hastings airport.

High Wind in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 15:02:00 to 04-DEC-17 15:02:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 52.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph occurred three miles south southeast of Johnson Lake.

High Wind in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 16:44:00 to 04-DEC-17 16:44:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 51.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 59 mph occurred at Hastings airport.

High Wind in THAYER, NEBRASKA
From 04-DEC-17 15:53:00 to 04-DEC-17 15:53:00 (CST-6)
Magnitude: 50.00 MG
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Mesonet

A non-thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph occurred two miles south southeast of Davenport.