2018-19 Seasonal Snow Summary for Our Coverage Area (Includes Totals And Graphics)

Now that the 2019-20 snowfall season is underway (many places have already seen a few rounds of light snow), it's time to rewind and examine our last snowfall season (2018-19) within our 30-county coverage area. As outlined in more detail below, the "big story" from last winter is that pretty much our entire area received above-average snowfall.

Below are graphics and tables that reflect seasonal totals, departures from normal/average etc. for the 2018-2019 season. Before continuing though, and in order to give last season's snow totals some perspective, official 30-year normals/averages for our area are:

"Normal"/average seasonal snowfall within our coverage area (based on 1981-2010 data):

24-30" for most Nebraska counties along/north of the Highway 6 corridor
20-24" for most local counties along the NE/KS border
16-20" for the majority of our North Central Kansas area|

** Note: You can access daily and seasonal local snow total maps (updated DAILY) at this page: https://www.weather.gov/gid/Snow

2018-19 Snow Season Total/Departure From Normal
Nebraska 2018-19 Snowfall Table
Kansas 2018-19 Snowfall Table

South Central Nebraska/North Central Kansas
2018-19 Seasonal Snow and Departure From Normal
(click image to enlarge)


2018-19 Snow Season Totals	2018-19 Snow Departure From Normal

Regional (Central Plains)
2018-19 Seasonal Snow and Departure From Normal
(click image to enlarge)


2018-19 Snow Season Totals	2018-19 Snow Departure From Normal

WINTER 2018-2019 SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER SNOWFALL
The highest reported amount under each month indicated in BLUE, the lowest amount in RED.
(T* indicates hail and not "true" snow)

Station	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Season
Arcadia	0.0	1.5	3.7	11.1	1.5	13.0	16.4	4.5	T*	51.7
Aurora 4N	0.0	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG
Beaver City	0.0	0.0	6.6	10.0	2.0	7.5	3.0	2.0	0.0	31.1
Belgrade	0.0	T	1.2	5.3	1.4	9.2	7.7	2.0	0.0	26.8
Blue Hill 4SW	0.0	3.7	4.5	3.9	3.1	13.8	6.4	0.9	0.0	36.3
Bradshaw	0.0	3.0	4.5	4.0	1.5	14.5	7.4	T	0.0	34.9
Bruning	0.0	MSG	MSG	2.0	11.1	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG
Cambridge	0.0	0.9	8.3	12.0	4.0	5.1	2.2	2.1	0.0	34.6
Lexington 6SSE (Canaday)	0.0	1.0	4.5	9.2	0.2	7.5	6.0	2.0	0.0	30.4
Clay Center 6ESE	T	5.0	5.8	1.7	3.8	12.5	4.2	T	T*	33.0
Clay Center	0.0	4.0	7.8	2.8	4.2	12.1	4.0	T	0.0	34.9
Edison	0.0	T	4.9	10.5	2.0	10.0	2.0	2.0	0.0	31.4
Elwood 8S	0.0	0.5	9.5	8.9	5.0	12.3	6.2	2.2	0.0	44.6
Franklin	0.0	2.0	4.0	5.0	4.0	9.0	6.5	0.8	0.0	31.3
Geneva	0.0	7.0	6.0	1.0	7.0	15.5	2.5	0.0	0.0	39.0
Genoa 2W	0.0	0.5	2.0	6.8	1.5	12.5	8.5	1.0	0.0	32.8
Grand Island Airport	0.0	1.5	7.9	4.2	1.6	10.9	8.2	1.0	0.0	35.3
Greeley	0.0	0.2	1.5	12.9	0.8	12.7	12.5	4.1	T*	44.7
Gresham 3W	0.0	3.0	5.0	3.2	0.7	17.4	6.5	T	T*	35.8
Harlan County Lake	0.0	3.0	4.0	5.0	5.0	7.5	3.5	0.5	0.0	28.5
Hastings NWS	0.0	1.1	5.5	4.3	0.9	11.6	5.3	0.5	T*	29.2
Hebron	0.0	4.6	3.6	1.6	12.0	17.3	4.1	0.0	0.0	43.2
Holdrege	0.0	0.5	10.5	10.5	2.0	12.5	5.5	2.0	0.0	43.5
Hubbell	0.0	4.1	12.0	1.9	11.0	17.5	3.6	0.0	0.0	50.1
Kearney Airport	0.0	1.4	5.7	8.7	1.5	12.9	8.6	3.1	T*	41.9
Loup City	0.0	T	2.3	11.9	1.2	8.2	8.0	0.8	T*	32.4
Miller	0.0	0.2	3.1	8.9	0.3	11.0	8.1	3.2	T*	34.8
Minden	0.0	T	10.0	7.5	1.2	12.2	8.5	2.0	T*	41.4
Naponee	0.0	2.5	2.4	3.0	4.6	7.7	4.7	0.4	T*	25.3
Ord	0.0	0.3	3.8	10.5	2.4	16.0	13.6	6.0	0.0	52.6
Osceola	0.0	1.3	3.6	5.8	1.0	14.2	7.8	T	T*	33.7
Oxford 6NNW	T	T	5.9	8.0	1.8	9.7	3.8	2.6	0.0	31.8
Polk	0.0	1.5	5.3	4.5	0.8	10.9	7.5	0.5	T*	31.0
Ravenna	0.0	2.0	3.5	7.6	1.7	10.3	8.6	1.6	T*	35.3
Red Cloud	0.0	2.5	2.1	2.5	4.5	10.5	3.5	T	0.0	25.6
St. Paul	0.0	1.4	1.3	6.4	1.3	11.8	10.9	2.3	0.0	35.4
Shelby 3NE	0.0	1.2	3.8	7.7	2.0	16.0	7.3	T	0.0	38.0
Shickley 4S	0.0	6.8	5.0	1.5	9.0	15.0	2.7	T	T*	40.0
Superior	0.0	0.4	4.0	1.5	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG	MSG
Wilsonville	0.0	T	4.0	11.0	6.0	10.0	3.5	2.5	0.0	37.0
York 3N	0.0	3.0	5.9	3.8	1.8	17.2	8.0	T	0.0	39.7

WINTER 2018-2019 NORTH CENTRAL KANSAS
COOPERATIVE OBSERVER SNOWFALL
The highest reported amount under each month indicated in BLUE, the lowest amount in RED.
(T* indicates hail and not "true" snow)

Station	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Season
Beloit	0.0	0.5	9.5	3.0	9.0	13.1	3.0	0.0	0.0	38.1
Burr Oak 1N	0.0	1.4	4.6	1.6	8.1	11.7	6.5	T	T*	33.9
Cawker City	0.0	2.0	7.5	1.0	5.6	9.5	3.0	0.0	0.0	28.6
Covert Rural	0.0	3.0	5.0	8.5	10.0	13.0	5.1	0.0	0.0	44.6
Glen Elder Dam	0.0	T	5.0	2.0	5.9	MSG	MSG	0.0	0.0	MSG
Ionia	0.0	2.5	7.4	2.2	5.7	10.4	4.5	T	0.0	32.7
Jewell	0.0	2.0	9.0	6.0	7.0	MSG	MSG	2.0	0.0	MSG
Kirwin Dam	0.0	MSG	3.5	2.3	7.3	10.8	3.0	0.5	0.0	MSG
Lebanon	0.0	2.0	6.2	4.0	7.4	11.8	7.1	T	T*	38.5
Logan	0.0	1.5	3.0	4.0	6.0	6.0	4.0	1.0	T*	25.5
Lovewell Dam	0.0	1.0	4.0	2.0	8.5	11.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	28.5
Natoma	0.0	3.0	7.5	3.0	7.0	10.0	4.4	T	T*	34.9
Phillipsburg	0.0	MSG	MSG	2.9	6.6	9.1	3.1	1.5	0.0	MSG
Plainville 4WNW	0.0	3.1	12.1	2.8	10.6	12.3	5.5	T	T*	46.4
Smith Center	0.0	1.2	5.8	2.4	7.0	12.4	7.0	1.0	0.0	36.8
Webster Dam	0.0	1.1	3.7	MSG	9.1	9.7	MSG	T	0.0	MSG

The 2018-2019 snowfall season was highlighted/defined by the following points:

For our coverage area as a whole, the winter of 2018-19 was fairly different than the previous one of 2017-18. Most notably, most places received at least a little more snow (many locations 5-15" more). This was especially the case in North Central Kansas, which received a LOT more snow than the previous winter (generally 10-25" more). As a result, almost our entire coverage area measured at least slightly above-normal snow for the winter, including some NWS sites significantly above normal, such as: 4WNW Plainville KS (28.1" above normal), Beloit KS (20.7" above normal), Hebron (19.2" above normal) and Greeley (18.4" above normal). For a number of these locations that were significantly above normal, it was the snowiest season in at least 18 years (since at least 2000-2001).
Although nearly all locations saw above-normal snow, there were several smaller-scale variations over fairly short distances. As a few prime examples:
1) In Nebraska: Kearney (41.9") received 12.7" more than Hastings (29.2")...a decent difference for sites only ~ 35 miles apart.
2) In Kansas: 4WNW Plainville (46.4") received 20.9" more than Logan (25.5")...a BIG difference for places only ~ 30 miles apart.
Within our 24 South Central Nebraska counties (per NWS observers): the highest 2018-2019 seasonal snow totals were both in Valley County, featuring 52.6" at Ord and 51.7" near Arcadia, while the lowest totals included 25.3" at Naponee (Franklin County) and 25.6" in Red Cloud.
Within our six North Central Kansas counties (per NWS observers): the highest 2018-2019 seasonal totals featured 46.4" near Plainville in Rooks County (an incredible 28.1" above normal!) and 44.6" near Covert (Osborne County), while the lowest amounts included 25.5" at Logan and 28.5" at Lovewell Dam.
In the Nebraska Tri Cities: official seasonal totals included: Kearney 41.9" (18.5" above normal)...Grand Island 35.3" (6.3" above normal)...Hastings 29.2" (0.4" above normal). For Kearney, it was the snowiest winter in 18 years, since 2000-2001 (44.2").
The earliest measurable snow occurred on Oct. 14 (much of the area), and the latest measurable snow occurred on April 30 (mainly only affected northern Valley County...up to 2.5" north of Ord).

These Were a Few of Our "Bigger" Snow Events From The 2018-19 Season (click red links for detailed stories)...

December 26-27, 2018: Winter Storm Brings Heavy Snow to Mainly Northern/Western Areas

January 11-12, 2019: 4-8" of Heavy, Wet Snow Targets Southeast Counties

February 23, 2019: Blizzard Impacts Much of the Southeast Half of the Area

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