County Hazards

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Winter in Pawnee County, Nebraska

56 winter storms and snow events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Winter Storm, Winter Weather, Heavy Snow, Blizzard, Ice Storm, Lake-Effect Snow, Sleet.

56 events · 0 deaths recorded · peak month January · county share of state 0.7%

Winter event locations in and around Pawnee County. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

Pawnee County, Nebraska, has 56 winter events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 26 different years.

January is the busiest month, with 19 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 34 events against 22 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 0.7% of the 8,064 winter events recorded in Nebraska; its 13.0 per 100 square miles compares with 10.5 statewide.

Some winter weather and high wind events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county; zone-recorded events whose zone is named for the county are included and marked "Forecast zone" in the table.

Compared with Nebraska

MeasurePawnee CountyNebraskaUS
Winter events since 1950568,064287,339
Per 100 square miles13.010.58.1
Per 10,000 residents219.841.18.7
Deaths recorded0722,509
Busiest monthJanuaryFebruaryJanuary

By year

195019882026
Winter events recorded in Pawnee County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
19
Feb
14
Mar
4
Apr
1
May
0
Jun
0
Jul
0
Aug
0
Sep
0
Oct
1
Nov
4
Dec
13
Winter events in Pawnee County by month of occurrence, all years.

Recorded events

All 56 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
4 Mar 2025Blizzard—————Forecast zone
11 Feb 2025Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
5 Jan 2025Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
11 Jan 2024Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
8 Jan 2024Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Feb 2023Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
25 Jan 2021Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
29 Dec 2020Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
23 Feb 2019Blizzard—————Forecast zone
21 Jan 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
12 Jan 2019Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
25 Nov 2018Blizzard—————Forecast zone
26 Nov 2015Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2015Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
31 Jan 2015Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
4 Feb 2014Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
21 Dec 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
8 Dec 2013Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
21 Feb 2013Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2011Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
31 Jan 2011Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
19 Jan 2011Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Jan 2011Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
6 Jan 2010Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
6 Jan 2010Winter Weather—————Forecast zone
24 Dec 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
24 Dec 2009Blizzard—————Forecast zone
8 Dec 2009Blizzard—————Forecast zone
7 Dec 2009Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Nov 2009Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
18 Dec 2008Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
10 Dec 2007Ice Storm—$200K———Forecast zone
12 Feb 2007Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
20 Jan 2007Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
20 Mar 2006Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
2 Jan 2005Ice Storm—————Forecast zone
1 Feb 2004Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
25 Jan 2004Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
9 Dec 2003Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
15 Jan 2003Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
30 Jan 2002Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
26 Feb 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
23 Feb 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
8 Feb 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
28 Jan 2001Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
16 Dec 2000Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Feb 1999Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
7 Mar 1998Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
24 Dec 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
9 Dec 1997Heavy Snow—————Forecast zone
10 Apr 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
26 Feb 1997Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
14 Nov 1996Winter Storm—————Forecast zone
22 Oct 1996Winter Storm——$670K——Forecast zone
24 Mar 1996Blizzard—————Forecast zone
26 Jan 1996Winter Storm—————Forecast zone

Questions and answers

How many winter events has Pawnee County had?

56 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of winter storms and snow became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded winter event in Pawnee County?

4 Mar 2025 (Blizzard). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging winter event recorded in Pawnee County?

The winter storm of 22 Oct 1996, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $0 and crop damage at $670K.

How does Pawnee County compare with Nebraska for winter?

13.0 events per 100 square miles against 10.5 statewide; the county holds 56 of the state's 8,064 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Winter hub and the county page.