It was a scene of great disappointment...or relief...for many as they looked out the windows to find bare ground. Although it did snow for some periods Saturday night, it was not enough to accumulate. For Omaha and points north and east, the total snow was 0". Yet, it was a different story for others in our viewing area. One town probably saw one of its biggest snows on record! How did this happen?
Two words, dry air. Eastern Nebraska and western Iowa were between a low-pressure system to our south (the winter storm), and high pressure to our north (the cold air). The steering patterns around these systems brought air from the northeast, otherwise known as dry Canada. This dry air would meet up with the more moisture-laden air coming from the south, and the battle would ensue. Yet, as we all know, the dry air won out. The storm track was too far south for enough moisture to overcome the dry air, leaving many lawns bare.
So was the woeful story in Omaha and north, so where did the snow fall? We forecasted that there would be a tight northern gradient in terms of snowfall, and there was. Omaha saw nothing, Nebraska City received around 1", Auburn just under 4", and Falls City shot up to an eye-popping 16". That's not a typo, 16" fell in Falls City, just a 90-minute drive from Omaha.
For Falls City, this total was huge, and according to snowfall data measured at Brenner Field (Falls City Airport) between 1912 and 2003 it is one of the biggest snows of all time:
1. 17" - March 4-5, 1915
2. 15" - Dec 23-24, 1935
3. 14.5" - March 5-6, 1948
4. 13" - Dec 24- 25, 1948
5. 12.5" - Feb 12-13, 1978
Although unofficial, the 16" reported in the city would place the January 4-5, 2025, snowstorm in 2nd place for the biggest Falls City snow event!
Heading south of our neighborhoods into Kansas and Missouri, the winter storm showed its full fury. Up to 18" of snow fell in northeast Kansas, paralyzing the region and prompting emergency services to activate the EAS to urge drivers to be off the roads. A round of ice in Kansas City brought the city to a standstill, nearly delaying the Chiefs from departing from the airport. Upwards of 12" of snow and a crippling ice storm moved into Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and to the east coast.
It was a winter storm, that although leaving many of our neighborhoods dry, brought major impacts to those along the I-70 corridor of the country.
