Power Outage in Grafton, NE

Winter Storm. Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 1 to 4 inches across the county. A few of the highest amounts included the following: 4 inches, measured by NWS Cooperative Observers located in Geneva and four miles south of Shickley; 1.8 inches, measured by a CoCoRaHS observer located four miles east of Ohiowa. The local power district noted that 400 power poles were damaged due to icing.

January 18, 2023

Thunderstorm Wind. A large swath of wind gusts estimated to be between 70 and 85 MPH, with localized gusts near 95 MPH, swept across far southeastern Clay County into southern Fillmore County. Along and near this path, widespread tree damage and power outages occurred, with emergency management reporting at least 250 pivots overturned. Numerous power poles were snapped, several grain bins were destroyed, and a few outbuildings were destroyed. The strongest of these gusts was focused in an area from near the Clay/Fillmore County line west of Shickley to approximately three miles northeast of Shickley. This area had the majority of the power pole, grain bin, and outbuilding damage. Mesonets in this area measured the following gusts: 78 MPH, four miles northeast of Shickley; 77 MPH, four miles south of Geneva; 76 MPH, three miles east of Shickley; 68 MPH, three miles south-southeast of Geneva.

April 29, 2022

Thunderstorm Wind. Measured wind gusts along this path included the following: 61 MPH from three miles east-northeast of Geneva; 60 MPH from four west of Geneva; 58 MPH from five miles west of Geneva. Power outages were reported in Geneva.

April 29, 2022

Ice Storm. Freezing rain and freezing drizzle resulted in a coating of ice at least one-quarter inch thick. Travel was hazardous, and numerous tree limbs were downed. Power lines were also affected, causing power outages.

November 09, 2020

Although snow totals across the majority of this 24-county South Central Nebraska area fell well-short of expectations from a few days beforehand, amounts as high as 1-3 inches materialized within the far southeast counties of Clay, Fillmore, Nuckolls and Thayer. Nearly all snow accumulation occurred during the pre-dawn hours of Monday the 14th as rain finally transitioned to slushy, wet snow before precipitation ended. According to a combination of NeRAIN observers and NWS cooperative observers, a few of the highest totals featured 3.0 two miles northwest of Ohiowa, six miles northeast of Superior and four miles east-southeast of Edgar, and 2.0 at various locations including Clay Center, Geneva and Byron. Outside the aforementioned four-county area, the majority of South Central Nebraska observed no more than a non-measurable trace of snow, as precipitation type largely prevailed as rain. Despite north-northwest winds gusting up to around 30 MPH, the very wet nature of any snow greatly minimized blowing/drifting. Speaking of wet, when all was said and done, the wintry aspect of this event was not even the big story locally. Instead, it will be most remembered for soaking rainfall (and even a few thunderstorms initially), which was the primary precipitation type from when precipitation first broke out on the evening of the 12th until the eventual changeover to pockets of snow on the morning of the 14th. For locations generally east of a line from Alma-Kearney-Wolbach, storm total precipitation averaged 1.00-2.00 and locally higher in far southeast counties, providing very beneficial early-winter moisture. Just to name a few, two-day precipitation totals included 2.49 at Hebron and 1.60 at the Hastings NWS Office. Put another way, to the east of the aforementioned line this event alone yielded generally two to two-and-a-half times as much December precipitation as the 30-year monthly normal/average. ||Breaking down timing, steady rain got underway on the evening of the 12th into the early morning of the 13th primarily within the southeastern half of South Central Nebraska and persisted through most of the day before a brief lull arrived later in the afternoon. This first wave of precipitation focused well out ahead of a powerful, closed mid level low pressure system that churned across the Texas Panhandle into western Oklahoma during the day of the 13th. Then, round two of the event, during which all snow accumulation occurred, began on the evening of the 13th in the form of a classic, generally north-south oriented deformation band tied to the northwest quadrant of the mid level low. All local precipitation ended by daybreak on the 14th as the center of this mid level circulation departed east-northeast to the IA/MO/IL border area. From a forecast perspective, it appeared 36 to 48 hours in advance that a more widespread snowfall of 2-6 could occur in much of South Central Nebraska. However, as time went by it became increasingly-apparent that most of the area would be spared appreciable snow as the parent low pressure system shifted slightly southeast and low-level temperatures remained quite marginal for snow production.

December 14, 2015