Between the evening hours of Friday the 13th and the early morning of Sunday the 15th, a powerful, late-season winter storm took aim on South Central Nebraska, featuring an impactful mix of intense north winds, blizzard conditions (especially in northern/western counties), fairly significant icing (especially in northern counties) and record-cold temperatures. To be sure, this was a complex storm precipitation-wise, as snow totals fell short of forecasted expectations across much of the area. Nonetheless, the combination of strong winds, slick roads and pockets of drastically-reduced visibility made travel treacherous in many counties. In addition, power outages were fairly widespread, especially north and west of the Tri Cities, where communities such as Arcadia went over 24 hours without power (closer to 48 hours in rural areas). As just a sampling of various known impacts: 1) Interstate 80 was closed from Grand Island westward to Wyoming through much of the 14th, and did not completely re-open until the morning of the 15th...2) In the Howard/Greeley Rural Public Power District, a 40-year veteran employee stated this storm damaged more power poles than any in his career...3) The Region 26 EMA communications tower north of Ord toppled during the early morning hours of the 14th due to heavy ice accrual and intense north winds.
As for official snow amounts from NWS observers, the majority of South Central Nebraska received no more than 2, especially from the Tri Cities and south/east from there, including only 1.4 at Grand Island and 1.2 at Hastings. However, most locations generally west of a line from Greeley-Minden saw more of a snow/blizzard impact, with higher totals mainly in the 3-5 range. Of all local counties, Valley, Sherman and Buffalo seemed to receive the most snow, including totals of 5.5 in Ord, 4.7 in Kearney and 4.0 at Arcadia. Mainly preceding the snow, much of the area also had at least a few tenths of an inch of accretion (likely in excess of one-half inch in northwestern counties), due to a combination of flash freeze from rapidly falling temperatures and also at least a few hours of steady freezing drizzle/freezing rain. Above all else though, the key element that really defined this storm was intense north winds, with most places enduring at least 12-18 hours of sustained speeds generally 30-40 MPH and frequent gusts at least 50-60 MPH. Most of the peak gusts occurred during the pre-dawn hours of the 14th, including the following at primary airport sites: 64 MPH at Ord, 63 MPH at Hastings, 59 MPH at Grand Island and 58 MPH at Kearney. Also of note were the record-cold temperatures that accompanied this system. High temperatures on both the 14th and 15th only topped out between the upper 20s and mid 30s in most of South Central Nebraska, or roughly 30 degrees below normal for mid-April. Grand Island and Hastings established new record-cold maximum temperatures on both days (30-31 degrees), which also marked the latest-on-record spring occurrence of sub-freezing max temperatures!
Finishing up with a closer look at storm timing and meteorological background: Things starting getting underway on the afternoon and evening of the 13th, as pockets of mainly non-freezing rain/drizzle developed in advance of a powerful, closed mid-level low migrating along western sections of the Nebraska-Kansas border. By later evening and into the morning of the 14th, temperatures gradually fell below freezing from northwest-to-southeast, transitioning rain/drizzle over to freezing rain/freezing drizzle in many areas, while the primary snow band set up in north-south fashion through the Ord-Kearney-Holdrege areas. Also during the night, north winds began roaring in response to an intense surface pressure gradient on the backside of a roughly 1000 millibar low centered in far southeast Nebraska (the pressure difference across the entire state at this time was at least 25 millibars!) During the daylight hours on the 14th, several loosely organized snow bands continued rotating north-to-south across the area on the backside of the parent upper low pressure system, which reached the KS/NE/IA/MO border area by sunset. Finally, that evening into the early morning of the 15th, the last few bands of light snow/flurries pushed out of the region and winds continued to diminish, with gusts largely under 30 MPH by this time.

Blizzard in GOSPER, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 18:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous. Three inches of snow were reported on the north side of Johnson Lake, and one inch accumulation with 18 inch snow drifts was reported on the east side of Johnson Lake.

Winter Storm in ADAMS, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 63 mph at 1:34 a.m. CST on the 14th at the Hastings Airport. Visibility was frequently down to one mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was difficult.

Winter Storm in HARLAN, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 56 mph at 1:20 a.m. CST on the 14th at a mesonet site 6 miles east-southeast of Oxford. Visibility was frequently down to one mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was difficult.

Winter Storm in FRANKLIN, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 54 mph at 3:54 a.m. CST on the 14th at a mesonet site one mile southwest of Naponee and at 51 mph at 4:42 a.m. CST on the 14th at a mesonet site two miles north of Franklin. Visibility was frequently down to one mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was difficult.

Blizzard in VALLEY, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 16:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 750.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: ASOS

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 64 mph at 2:45 a.m. CST on the 14th at the Ord Airport. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. The Region 26 communication tower was brought down from the combination of accumulated ice from freezing rain, and snow along with the severe winds, bringing down the local NOAA All Hazards Radio transmitter with it. Travel was perilous. Snowfall totals of 5.5 inches at Ord and 4.0 inches at Arcadia were reported by cooperative observers.

Blizzard in GREELEY, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 16:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 400.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous. A snowfall total of 3.2 inches was reported in Greeley by a cooperative observer.

Blizzard in SHERMAN, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 16:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. A snowfall total of 2.5 inches was reported by a cooperative observer in Loup City. Travel was perilous.

Blizzard in HOWARD, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 18:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 125.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous.

Blizzard in DAWSON, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 18:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 125.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 52 mph at 12:35 a.m. CST on the 14th at the Lexington Airport. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous.

Blizzard in BUFFALO, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 18:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 125.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 58 mph at 6:37 a.m. CST on the 14th at the Kearney Regional Airport and 57 mph at 2:45 a.m. CST at a mesonet site  one mile east of Odessa. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous. Snowfall totals of 4.7 inches occurred 4 miles northeast of Kearney, 2.7 inches fell in Ravenna, and 2.3 inches fell in Miller reported by cooperative observers.

Blizzard in HALL, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 59 mph at 1:49 a.m. CST on the 14th at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less around Hall County with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous.

Blizzard in PHELPS, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 51 mph at 12:55 a.m. CST on the 14th at the Holdrege Airport. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous. Snowfall totals of 2.5 inches occurred at Holdrege by a cooperative observer.

Blizzard in KEARNEY, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 60 mph at 2:30 a.m. CST on the 14th at a mesonet site two miles east of Axtell and 55 mph at 5:53 a.m. CST at a mesonet site two miles north-northeast of Norman. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous.

Blizzard in FURNAS, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 75.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred, peaking at 63 mph at 2:09 am CST on the 14th at a mesonet site 5 miles north-northwest of Oxford. Visibility was frequently down to one quarter mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was perilous.

Winter Storm in NANCE, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred. Visibility was frequently down to one mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was difficult.

Winter Storm in MERRICK, NEBRASKA
From 13-APR-18 19:00:00 to 14-APR-18 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Law Enforcement

Frequent wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph occurred. Visibility was frequently down to one mile or less with blowing, drifting, and falling snow. Travel was difficult.