By Allison Peck | North Platte Post/Sandhills Post
Strong winds swept across western and north-central Nebraska on December 17 and 18, with several locations reporting gusts strong enough to reach hurricane force, according to the National Weather Service in North Platte.
The strongest reported wind gust was 80 miles per hour, recorded 14 miles north of Bingham at 8 a.m. on December 18, based on Mesonet data. Another Mesonet site three miles east-southeast of Tryon reported a 77 mph gust at the same time.
Airports across the region also recorded extreme winds. Valentine Airport measured a 76 mph gust at 8:19 p.m. on December 17, while Broken Bow Airport reported gusts as high as 72 mph on the morning of December 18. North Platte Regional Airport recorded a 71 mph gust at 7:43 a.m. that day.
Multiple locations throughout the Sandhills and southwest Nebraska saw gusts exceeding 70 mph, including areas near Rushville, Whitman, Crescent Lake, Bassett, Cody, Antioch, Merriman, Eli, Brownlee, Kingsley Dam, Ogallala, Grant, Imperial, and Ainsworth.
Wind gusts of 60 mph or greater were widespread, with dozens of observations reported by Mesonet stations, airport weather sensors, trained spotters, and automated weather observing systems. The strongest winds were generally observed late on December 17 and during the early to mid-morning hours of December 18.
The National Weather Service noted that wind observations are collected from a variety of sources with different equipment and exposure levels, and not all reported data are considered official. Officials thanked volunteer weather observers for their contributions.
No immediate damage totals were included with the report, but winds of this magnitude are capable of causing power outages, downed trees, and travel disruptions, particularly for high-profile vehicles.