Weather extremes

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette

Mid-afternoon Monday, Matthew Coulter -- in short sleeves -- hangs Christmas decorations in downtown McCook, Nebraska. The day had started with fog that cleared and the afternoon high was in the low 70s. Within a couple of hours, the weather had changed drastically. The temperature dropped, the wind picked up and cold rain and pea- and marble-size hail pelted the countryside. Schools were closing and events cancelled or postponed because of forecasts calling for moderate-to-heavy snow and winds of 25 to 35 mph gusting to 45 mph. The McCook area is in a winter weather advisory until midnight.

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette