2025 Weather Thread

[Cermak]

W. Center rd just west of I-680 it seems like we have least 4 inches possibly more, on the grass and streets, it really is just a slushy heavy snow. It’s not snowing as hard as it was a few hours ago.

[stormchaser]

Yeah, west of 680 some heavier snow totals. Even some approaching 7 inches of snow.

Where I'm at along 72nd currently nowhere close to that much - maybe 3 inches of snow?

Snow reports here: https://www.weather.gov/source/crh/snowmap.html

[swinquest]

Per Julie Cornell's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AUri3ZzDr/):

If you shovelled, did you notice the dirty layer of snow underneath the clean snow? Bill says it's from a dust storm in Texas.

I noticed dirt under my heavy wet snow....crazy storm system.

[Cermak]

W. Center rd just west of I-680 it seems like we have least 4 inches possibly more, on the grass and streets, it really is just a slushy heavy snow. It’s not snowing as hard as it was a few hours ago.

I’m going to up my total to probably 6 inches. It’s been a while since we had a storm like this, just a classic blizzard.

[stormchaser]

W. Center rd just west of I-680 it seems like we have least 4 inches possibly more, on the grass and streets, it really is just a slushy heavy snow. It’s not snowing as hard as it was a few hours ago.

I’m going to up my total to probably 6 inches. It’s been a while since we had a storm like this, just a classic blizzard.

Yep - with the sharp gradient in southeast Omaha from 72nd on east to Bellevue....from what I can tell anyway. I'd say we have about 4 inches here in Aksarben currently with the back edge of snow pushing into Elkhorn currently so the snow should end soon.

[Brad]

W. Center rd just west of I-680 it seems like we have least 4 inches possibly more, on the grass and streets, it really is just a slushy heavy snow. It’s not snowing as hard as it was a few hours ago.

I’m going to up my total to probably 6 inches. It’s been a while since we had a storm like this, just a classic blizzard.

Jim Flowers lives in Prairie Lane near 114th and Center and he says he has 8.1"

[nativeomahan]

The bottom half is all a mucky mess of mostly sleet. Our dog struggled to walk in it. I’m not even thinking of shoveling any of it. Mother Nature should take care of it very quickly.
I looked out the window at almost 8 am and all the street lights were still on, and it looked almost dark. Except when flashes of lightning illuminated the falling sleet. Close to Armageddon compared with how beautiful yesterday was. Talk about a 180 degree weather whiplash.

[Cermak]

W. Center rd just west of I-680 it seems like we have least 4 inches possibly more, on the grass and streets, it really is just a slushy heavy snow. It’s not snowing as hard as it was a few hours ago.

I’m going to up my total to probably 6 inches. It’s been a while since we had a storm like this, just a classic blizzard.

Jim Flowers lives in Prairie Lane near 114th and Center and he says he has 8.1"

I think it’s been 3 or 4 years since we had a snow storm this big. Maybe 2021 if I remember that February was brutal.

[Cermak]

The bottom half is all a mucky mess of mostly sleet. Our dog struggled to walk in it. I’m not even thinking of shoveling any of it. Mother Nature should take care of it very quickly.
I looked out the window at almost 8 am and all the street lights were still on, and it looked almost dark. Except when flashes of lightning illuminated the falling sleet. Close to Armageddon compared with how beautiful yesterday was. Talk about a 180 degree weather whiplash.

I’m thinking let it melt as well, hopefully it’s mostly gone by Saturday. My snowblower was getting clogged because it’s such a heavy slush. Not a pretty snow with all the brown dirt. It’s almost more slush than snow. Bring on Spring!

[stormchaser]

The bottom half is all a mucky mess of mostly sleet. Our dog struggled to walk in it. I’m not even thinking of shoveling any of it. Mother Nature should take care of it very quickly.
I looked out the window at almost 8 am and all the street lights were still on, and it looked almost dark. Except when flashes of lightning illuminated the falling sleet. Close to Armageddon compared with how beautiful yesterday was. Talk about a 180 degree weather whiplash.

I’m thinking let it melt as well, hopefully it’s mostly gone by Saturday. My snowblower was getting clogged because it’s such a heavy slush. Not a pretty snow with all the brown dirt. It’s almost more slush than snow. Bring on Spring!

Yeah I’m not shoveling. This is “heart attack” snow. I’ll just let it melt in a few days.

[skinzfan23]

With the temps it will definitely be gone. A lot is already melting. Granted we didn’t get nearly as much in Bellevue but the streets are mostly dry already. We only got 1 1/2-2” at most.

[iamjacobm]

Pretty cool sunset out in west Omaha after a wild day.

[stormchaser]

Not trying to turn things political so please don't bother trying to do so - I think most people here know how I feel about this.

I just hope people understand that this ultimately means forecasting quality will be reduced and not just because they are reducing/eliminating them here, but across the area and probably across the country due to budget cuts.

If you've noticed that forecast accuracy tends to increase a fair amount once we are within 3 days of an event for our area. That isn't just because we are "closer" to the event - it's because the storm system is coming on shore at that point and consequently means we are able to sample the atmosphere associated with the system which is mostly done by deploying weather balloons. Now that data will be unavailable or way less frequently updated anyway.

Long story short, expect forecast accuracy to drop - and not only for the NWS, for EVERY source since all sources rely on data from the NWS. A reduction in data quality will mean a reduction in forecast quality. Plain and simple.

https://www.ketv.com/article/national-w ... a/64246070

[almighty_tuna]

Really I think around here we're okay with some guy with a pair of binoculars watching for storms on the horizon. I don't see the need to spend $$ on anything more than that as long as we know there's one on the way.

That said, please visit my Etsy page and buy my new patriotic weather rock. Put America first while you save tax dollars observing the weather yourself.

[Louie]

Really I think around here we're okay with some guy with a pair of binoculars watching for storms on the horizon. I don't see the need to spend $$ on anything more than that as long as we know there's one on the way.

That said, please visit my Etsy page and buy my new patriotic weather rock. Put America first while you save tax dollars observing the weather yourself.

I nearly drowned in the sarcasm dripping off this post

[BRoss]

Yeah, this cut is ridiculous and dangerous.

[stormchaser]

Really I think around here we're okay with some guy with a pair of binoculars watching for storms on the horizon. I don't see the need to spend $$ on anything more than that as long as we know there's one on the way.

That said, please visit my Etsy page and buy my new patriotic weather rock. Put America first while you save tax dollars observing the weather yourself.

Lol - SOLD!!!

Yeah, this cut is ridiculous and dangerous.

Only a matter of time before it will cost lives unfortunately though the scape goat will be the NWS and not the budget cuts, etc even though I think it's pretty obvious that it will be a huge contributing factor. Personally I believe this is the first step in the idiotic idea of "privatizing" the system (which is a TERRIBLE idea IMO). Loss of life will happen due to failed warnings and then they will have their ammunition to call for privatization.

[GenX]

Government services should not be privatized.

[Busguy2010]

I'm not here to say it's a good idea or that I agree with cutting staff... but we do have to look in the mirror. MOST of the time a long term forecast doesn't affect our daily lives. People tend not to listen anyway, or put precautions off til the last minute, honestly. Heck, a lot of us are standing outside watching as a potentially tornadic storm is approaching, and only get inside when it feels dangerous. People just don't prepare for weather. We're reactionary to a fault. We did okay with just 3 day forecasting for forever. Having a better guess at whats gonna happen 8
7-10 days in advance won't really change the physical result.

[almighty_tuna]

We did okay with just 3 day forecasting for forever. Having a better guess at whats gonna happen 7-10 days in advance won't really change the physical result.

I think you have it reversed. This will significantly impact those 3-day and sooner forecasts because they rely heavily on the balloon soundings that won't be performed anymore.

For example, the skew-T diagrams that measure the energy in the air giving us the potential for violent storms on a given day will no longer be possible.

[stormchaser]

I'm not here to say it's a good idea or that I agree with cutting staff... but we do have to look in the mirror. MOST of the time a long term forecast doesn't affect our daily lives. People tend not to listen anyway, or put precautions off til the last minute, honestly. Heck, a lot of us are standing outside watching as a potentially tornadic storm is approaching, and only get inside when it feels dangerous. People just don't prepare for weather. We're reactionary to a fault. We did okay with just 3 day forecasting for forever. Having a better guess at whats gonna happen 8
7-10 days in advance won't really change the physical result.

I understand that - but this will affect short range forecasting the most. Long range forecasting is done mostly with historical data, satellites, and computer model guidance. The computer model guidance for long range forecasts WILL be affected too since it's trained off of the weather data from balloon launches - but not to the same extent as short range forecasting (i.e. within 3 days of an event).

The lack of sampling data from weather balloons will make it so weather forecasters and short range models have no basis for what things are doing aloft which is CRUCIAL in determining what scenario is likely to play out (and one of the main reasons why forecasting is so insanely difficult - even before these changes we'd only get a couple updates per day so in-between we were just guessitmating what's going on up there). What's the temperature or wind speed/direction aloft? Is there veering winds and/or shear? How strong is the capping? What are the dewpoints aloft? Will precip fall as rain? Is there a layer of cold air aloft that may cause freezing rain or sleet? Should we expect giant hail due to a cold pool aloft? Etc, etc, etc. On top of it, it'll be impossible to know the trends of things aloft. Is it increasing, decreasing, suddenly a giant spike?

This lack of data will affect every location downwind so the weather stations west of us not doing balloon launches regularly will decrease our ability to forecast, our lack of doing so will affect those to our east, etc, etc.

[Busguy2010]

I'm just saying a lot of people merely check the forecast on the morning of, if that. A lesser awareness of notification won't have an affect on what people are going to do about it than they do now. It'll remain to be seen if it affects safety, but I also am open to the idea that at the bottom line, it won't make a difference, essentially, because people generally don't pay a lot of attention.

[Mr.Nuke]

I'm not here to say it's a good idea or that I agree with cutting staff... but we do have to look in the mirror. MOST of the time a long term forecast doesn't affect our daily lives.

Yeah OAX weather balloon launches for us aren't about long term forecast (sp)" The OAX ballon launches and those immediately to our West are literally what impacts our near term forecasts. Any lack of OAX launch is going to negatively impact anyone to the East of us which happens to be a large portion of the American population... Your entire post seems to misunderstand (being generous) the value that the 2 radiosonde balloon launches from the existing network of stations (much less Valley to us directly) provides to everyone on a daily basis; and it isn't just 2 launches here, they're killing multiple other stations outright too.

I'm just saying a lot of people merely check the forecast on the morning of, if that.

The thing is your daily forecast is going to get less accurate by this change...

We did okay with just 3 day forecasting for forever. Having a better guess at whats gonna happen 8
7-10 days in advance won't really change the physical result.

The 3 day forecasting for nearly 100 years has been influenced initially and later based on these balloon launches.

I understand that - but this will affect short range forecasting the most. Long range forecasting is done mostly with historical data, satellites, and computer model guidance. The computer model guidance for long range forecasts WILL be affected too since it's trained off of the weather data from balloon launches - but not to the same extent as short range forecasting (i.e. within 3 days of an event).

I was going to say even if you want to make this argument, the primary driver of data for long range forecasting was historical radiosonde balloon launches, and arguably still is, because we are generally comparing what the data from the balloons see right now (obviously as well as surface and other observations) is telling us compared to some point in the past. There isn't a scenario there where less balloons either time (i.e. once every 24 hours instead of 12) or location wise is better.

[Busguy2010]

Again, I wasn't defending such a change. I'm just saying it might not be that big a deal.

[Mr.Nuke]

Again, I wasn't defending such a change. I'm just saying it might not be that big a deal.

It is though is the thing... And the people that know are telling you that. You can ignore people like stormchaser and I that like to look at weather and weather forecasting as amateurs, but when you see the television meteorologists that have access to private data sources (and hint said private data sources are relying on the balloons too) saying this is b.s. you may want to pay attention.

[Busguy2010]

Again, I wasn't defending such a change. I'm just saying it might not be that big a deal.

It is though is the thing... And the people that know are telling you that. You can ignore people like stormchaser and I that like to look at weather and weather forecasting as amateurs, but when you see the television meteorologists that have access to private data sources (and hint said private data sources are relying on the balloons too) saying this is b.s. you may want to pay attention.

Forgive my hairbrain. I do recall I was pretty much the OG weather guy here and started many of the weather threads over the years, and kept track of all the main weather events, but I guess most of this goes over my head. It's not my main hobby.

[Mr.Nuke]

Forgive my hairbrain. I do recall I was pretty much the OG weather guy here and started many of the weather threads over the years, and kept track of all the main weather events, but I guess most of this goes over my head.

I'm not trying to make this personal at all, but if you at are all interested in weather on even a basic amateur level as I am, I'd think you'd understand the implications that not collecting data to feed weather models are going to have and I'll leave it that.

[stormchaser]

Forgive my hairbrain. I do recall I was pretty much the OG weather guy here and started many of the weather threads over the years, and kept track of all the main weather events, but I guess most of this goes over my head. It's not my main hobby.

No need to be defensive. Posting online for years and keeping track of weather events is great and a perfectly fine hobby to have - but that doesn't equate to an expert level understanding of all things weather (just to be clear). Heck, I've been obsessed with weather nearly my entire life (and I'm 46 now). I've chased storms and forecast/nowcast for myself on a fairly regular basis for ~20 years now and there are TONS of people out there who know far more than I do. That's part of the reason why I love weather, just when I think I have a solid understanding of something, it slaps me in the face and reminds me I really don't - especially considering I'm self taught. It drives me to learn more.

All we are trying to say is it's evident this is one of those topics you don't really have an expertise in and consequently you don't fully understand the implications of not regularly collecting data like the NWS had been. It's fine. Like I said, plenty of things I don't know or completely understand either. I also hope you understand my responses on here have never been intended to be an attack on you (or anyone). But at the same time, if I disagree or believe someone is sharing something inaccurate (and with weather if someone is uninformed about a topic, it's usually pretty obvious), I'm going to say something. Not to try to embarrass or somehow act like I'm better - simply to share my knowledge that I've gained over the years.

[Busguy2010]

I never said I had a deep understanding of the subject. I've been well aquiainted and interested with the weather around here for a long time. Maybe I don't get super deep into the data aspect like you guys. It's all good. I was just saying maybe at the end of the day it won't make much of a difference between life and death for the average Joe and Jane. Not because your data doesn't matter, but because people generally don't take according action.

[Busguy2010]

I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers here, I'm just saying no matter how much yall and I wanted to pound the analytics, it doesn't change what will happen, and it doesn't change how people will choose to, or choose not to protect themselves. We all know mother nature is gonna do her thing.

[stormchaser]

and it doesn't change how people will choose to, or choose not to protect themselves.

I disagree. The more failed forecasts (which will happen more frequently now) will cause an increasing number of people to ignore the weather entirely. THIS is what will lead to a catastrophe like we’ve not seen before - at least not in recent history anyway.

Just wait for those surprise tornado outbreaks or unexpected ice storms. It’s only a matter of time IMO.

[orangeboots]

Why is Valley not sending up a balloon? Did they close completely? Isn't this what you are referring to?https://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/disp ... duration=0
This says it is from today. How many people does it take to release a balloon that sends info to a server?

[stormchaser]

Why is Valley not sending up a balloon? Did they close completely? Isn't this what you are referring to?https://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/disp ... duration=0
This says it is from today. How many people does it take to release a balloon that sends info to a server?

Thats for KLBF (Hastings) not for KOAX (Valley/Omaha).

The following link is for the Valley/Omaha office:

https://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/disp ... duration=0

[Mr.Nuke]

I disagree. The more failed forecasts (which will happen more frequently now) will cause an increasing number of people to ignore the weather entirely. THIS is what will lead to a catastrophe like we’ve not seen before - at least not in recent history anyway.

Just wait for those surprise tornado outbreaks or unexpected ice storms. It’s only a matter of time IMO.

Exactly.

Why is Valley not sending up a balloon? Did they close completely? Isn't this what you are referring to?https://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/disp ... duration=0
This says it is from today. How many people does it take to release a balloon that sends info to a server?

Like stormchaser said that isn't an Omaha/Valley balloon. LBF is the NWS North Platte office. And it only takes 1 person to release the balloon...

[orangeboots]

This shttps://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/displayUpper.php?img=KLBF.png&endDate=-1&endTime=-1&duration=0ays kxoa?

[stormchaser]

This shttps://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/displayUpper.php?img=KLBF.png&endDate=-1&endTime=-1&duration=0ays kxoa?

Yep, that’s still a link for KLBF and not KOAX.

Is someone sharing these links somewhere on social media claiming they’re for Omaha? Just trying to figure out how you’re getting the links.

[Mr.Nuke]

This shttps://weather.rap.ucar.edu/upper/displayUpper.php?img=KLBF.png&endDate=-1&endTime=-1&duration=0ays kxoa?

That is still North Platte note the KLBF in your link that I put in bold and again KLBF at the bottom of the image you are linking to. You aren't going to find a sounding for OAX because, again, they stopped releasing balloons.

[orangeboots]

https://www.weather.gov/upperair/sounding

[stormchaser]

https://www.weather.gov/upperair/sounding

Don't click the map - scroll down the page and click on the individual weather stations like shown below. If you click on the one for North Platte, thats the skew-t sounding you've been linking to. If you click on Valley, NE (aka KOAX), then it doesn't display a sounding since there isn't one available to display.

The map at the top of the page is just giving you the closest available sounding to where you clicked on the map and doesn't necessarily represent a skew-t sounding from that specific location.

[stormchaser]

The threat of severe weather will increase again this coming Saturday for parts of the area. The SPC currently has a day 6 outlook for the extreme southeast corner of Nebraska.

However, based on the latest ECMWF model run, I would expect this risk area to be expanded further north to include a larger portion of eastern NE and IA. But that will of course depend on model trends in the coming days.

This is the current day 6 outlook: