In a typical winter, Omaha will experience around 1 to 2 snowstorms exceeding 6" of snow or greater. It is even rarer to have back-to-back snowstorms produce 6" of snow or greater within a week or two of each other. Most recently, January 2024 had two large snowstorms produce over 6" in our viewing area.
If we thought January 2024 was rough, 20 years before Omaha was hit by not one, not two, but three major snowstorms within two weeks. The accumulation of snow became so great it broke snow depth records, and produced so much snow that many residents didn't know what to do with it. In this installment of This Week in Weather History, look at the unrelenting string of major snowstorms that dumped over 2' of snow on Omaha.
THE WINTER UP TO JANUARY 25
Before January 25, the winter of 2003-2004 was nothing to write home about. It was warm. People enjoyed a warm spell following Christmas when temperatures rose into the upper 50s. Likewise, New Year's Day was warm, with highs in the 50s. On January 23, just two days before the first big snowstorm, Omaha hit 61 degrees. Hitting the 60s in January is rare, even rarer when the low temperature that morning was 11 degrees!
Despite the warm spells, snowfall in winter was right around average. Snowfall through January 24 was around 13.5", just a few tenths shy of the average snowfall of 13.8". One snow event in mid-December dropped 4.1" in Omaha. A larger snowstorm came through on January 4, dropping 6.4" of snow at Eppley Airfield.
SNOWSTORM 1: JANUARY 25-26
The first of the three snowstorms would prove to be the largest snowfall-wise, but in the days leading up to the event it seemed to be just another run-of-the-mill snow event. The primary concern was due to freezing rain which was expected to fall on January 25, then change over to snow producing 1-3" in Omaha and surrounding areas.
However, on January 24 the storm system that would produce the wintry weather was much stronger than first thought. This turned what would be a few inches to around 6-8" area-wide, and Winter Storm Warnings were issued on the evening of the 24th.
System 1 moved from New Mexico to Ohio, and that would be responsible for bringing up the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. System 2 moved from Washington to Michigan and brought the arctic air with it. Both of these systems interacted perfectly right over eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
The storm began as sleet and freezing rain early on January 25, causing slippery road conditions across Nebraska into Iowa. The icy conditions led to several accidents, a few of them fatal. In Omaha, a woman was killed when her car slid into a pole off Abbott Drive. Near Waco in York County, a driver along I-80 hit the median and was struck by a semi. Near Gothenburg, west of Kearney, another motorist was killed when they were thrown from the vehicle after rolling. Most tragically, a family was driving along I-80 near Atlantic when their car slid into the oncoming lanes right into a semi, killing 4 people.
During the day on January 25, the mixed precipitation changed over to snow, and the snow began to fall at a heavy clip from the afternoon of January 25 into January 26. By the time the snow ended, it left a huge toll in its wake. The Omaha metro received the most of the snow, with the entire metro receiving over 1' of snow. The highest snow total was in Elkhorn to Gretna, where 15.5" of snow fell!
That Monday, January 26, area schools were closed as plows got to work. That night, the wind began to increase, blowing the snow and causing visibility issues for Tuesday morning. Many area schools were closed again on Tuesday. Outside of Omaha, schools were closed into the middle of the week as plows worked to clear county roads.
Once the snow ended, the temperatures dropped. By Tuesday morning, Eppley Airfield recorded a low of -9 with wind chills well into the -20 to -30 range. Highs on January 27 only reached 4 degrees, to drop to -9 the morning of the 28th. This arctic air continued through the end of the month.
SNOWSTORM 2: FEBRUARY 1-2
As the snow fell on January 26, forecasters were eyeing the next potential storm that would impact the following weekend. Over the next few days, computer models ran all over the place, giving meteorologists headaches as it swung from a major snowstorm to almost nothing. By January 30, it was becoming more clear that another major snowstorm would sweep through the Midlands. The question was, how heavy would the snow be? And who would see the most snow? On January 30, it was believed that the most significant snow would fall over southeast NE into southwest IA, mostly missing the Omaha metro. By January 31, the forecast pushed the band of heavy snow further north into Omaha. Forecasts by the morning of February 1 called for 6-12" of snow for the Omaha metro.
The culprit for the second major snowstorm was a slow-moving low-pressure system located over Texas. This storm system would move through Texas into Arkansas and Missouri, placing the band of heavy snow from Kansas to Minnesota. The second key ingredient was a boundary that was situated over eastern Nebraska into western Iowa, once again placing the bulls-eye for totals around Omaha.
City crews prepared for the second storm by pushing snow around to allow room for more snow, sidewalks became a casualty as several feet of snow were piled onto them from the roads. As the storm system came through on a weekend, many could stay at home and watch the second round of snow begin.
Snow began falling on the morning of February 1 and continued through the evening of February 2. Despite what initial forecasts predicted with the band of heavy snow being over southeast NE into southwest IA, the band of snow parked itself right on Omaha and produced very heavy snow for several hours.
Sunday, February 1 was the Super Bowl XXXVIII, where the Carolina Panthers played against the New England Patriots. The Patriots beat the Panthers 32-29. In Omaha, the Super Bowl might be remembered as the one where many stayed home. Although there were a few crowded bars where people braved the streets to travel out. For the second Monday in a row, February 2, children got the day off school as upwards of one foot of snow fell over the Omaha metro. Eppley Airfield recorded 11" from the storm, with totals exceeding 10" in Aksarben to Papillion. Snowfall totals decreased closer to Elkhorn and Glenwood, where 8" fell in those locations. Roads became hazardous, and those who tried to venture out found themselves stuck. 38 vehicles slid off I-80 between Omaha and the Platte River, with dozens more stuck on side streets. Tragically, the storm took two lives. One was an Omaha man who died while shoveling snow, and the other was a Schuyler resident who got in a car accident near Valley.
By the time the new foot of snow ended, Omaha had over 20" of snow on the ground. The Snow Depth recorded at Eppley Airfield was 21", a new record for February. Snow plow crews struggled to find a place to put the snow, piling it up on road shoulders and sidewalks. Residents dealt with walls of snow to shovel, some snow mounds as tall as children. By Tuesday, February 3, most roads were plowed and some children went back to school. However, Omaha was bracing for yet another winter storm to begin the next day.
SNOWSTORM 3: FEBRUARY 4-6
As the second snowstorm was happening, meteorologists were warning of the third snowstorm to come through midweek. It was clear another round of heavy snow was coming. The duration of the storm was a factor, where snow would begin that Wednesday, February 4, and last through Friday, February 6. Forecasts were calling for yet another round of 7-10" for Omaha and points east.
The storm system responsible for the third snowstorm would move farther south than the first two, taking a path from Texas into Mississippi. Attached to the low-pressure system was a cold front that stretched northward into Nebraska, which helped to produce snow. Moisture was plenty, and the slow-moving storm would keep Nebraska and Iowa in the band of heavier snowfall.
The thought of an additional 7-10 inches of snow brought a collective groan from the city. People were struggling to find places to put the snow as over 20" was already on the ground. Plow drivers continued to work around the clock to remove snow, and prepare for the third snowstorm. The city reluctantly braced for a third impact.
The snow began Wednesday night, but it was not coming down as hard as expected. The reason for this was two-fold. 1.) A layer of dry air above the ground was much stronger than forecast, meaning much of the snow evaporated before it reached the ground. And 2.) A line of severe thunderstorms over Mississippi was preventing the moisture from moving northward into the plains, meaning the snow would stay on the lighter side. By the early morning, under 1" of snow fell when there was expected to be 2-3", so the weather service lowered the totals.
Due to this, many schools and businesses remained open on Thursday. The morning commute on Thursday was slow but manageable. By 9 am, things changed for the worse once again. The dry air was gone, and the moisture began streaming northward at a fast rate as the storms over Mississippi weakened. The snowfall totals were again in the 7-10" range.
As the snow fell, Omaha Public Schools dismissed secondary schools 30 minutes early to give buses ample time to drop off kids before picking up the elementary students at 3:40 pm. As the snow continued to fall, several buses got stranded in the snow, and the last OPS student to be dropped off was around 6 pm. Schools called off on Friday due to the snow, and the city once again fell into a slumber.
Total snowfall amounts were between 6-9" in the metro, with Eppley Airfield picking up just under 7" but locations like Millard and Gretna totaled over 8". Amounts were highest over northeast Nebraska into western Iowa, where between 6-8" fell. South of I-80, a pronounced dry slot cut down on totals, with many cities seeing under 5" of snow.
AFTERMATH
The third and final snowstorm brought the snow depth at Eppley Airfield to 26" on the ground, just one inch shy of the record snow depth of 27" measured in the winter of 1960. The highest snow depth ever recorded in Nebraska was 44" in Fremont back in 1936, which you can read about here.
The Mayor of Omaha, Mike Fahey, ordered a parking ban in the city that weekend to allow the plows to clear the snow from the streets. Most people obliged and moved their cars. By Monday, February 9, many residential streets were mostly clear of snow. The relentless snow also put dents in the budgets, by February 5 over half of the snow removal budget for the city of Omaha was gone. If winter did not slow down, there was concern the money allocated for snow removal would burn up.
Luckily, winter did slow down. The snowstorm of February 4-6 was the last big snowstorm for Omaha. It did not snow again for the entire month of February. Temperatures turned around too, with highs in the 40s and 50s by the middle of the month. The snow, 26" on February 6, was completely gone by February 23. Luckily, the risk of flooding was somewhat low as soil absorbed the moisture. Except for a couple of inches in March, the winter ended quite suddenly after February 5.
The snowfall in Omaha for the winter of 2003-2004 was 47.9" of total snow, the 15th snowiest winter on record. Since 2004, the winters of 2018-2019 and 2020-2021 were snowier in terms of snowfall amounts. The impressive part of the winter of 2003-2004 was the timing of the three intense snowstorms within two weeks, something that is incredibly rare to see in Omaha.
