>> Tell the people you are visiting the route you are taking.
>> Pack an emergency kit: snow shovel, kitty litter or sand, cell phone with fully charged battery, flashlight, first-aid kit, jumper cables, water, warning devices such as flares or reflective triangles, fire extinguisher, warm clothes and blankets.
If you're stranded, stay with your car. Run the heater a few minutes every hour; crack your window.
Road conditions
For most states, check www.safetravelusa.com. By phone, dial 511 for Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. For Missouri, call 800-222-6400.
SOURCES: AAA Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Roads, National Weather Service
It doesn't matter if you've been naughty or nice. The Midlands are in for a lot of snow and ice.
Chances of rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow and blizzard-like conditions are in the forecast for much of the central United States beginning today and possibly through Christmas.
In some parts of Nebraska, six inches to a foot or more of snow is possible, depending upon the temperature, meteorologists say.
Emergency officials say this is the worst Christmastime forecast in years — bad enough that they're asking folks to consider canceling or delaying road trips.
“We realize people want to be with family, but this may be the year you stay home,” said Deb Collins, spokeswoman for the Nebraska State Patrol. “That's a tough call to make, but it isn't worth risking someone's health.”
Paying close attention to conditions will be important because difficult-to-forecast, slight changes in temperature will make the difference between rain, ice and snow, said Scott Dergan, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Dergan said Thursday will bring the greatest potential for blizzard-like conditions in central Nebraska. Strong winds could create near whiteout conditions on Interstate 80.
In eastern Nebraska, today and Wednesday may bring freezing drizzle, then a rain-snow-sleet mix. Christmas Eve, on Thursday night, could bring the worst weather to the eastern part of the state: strong winds and heavy snowfall. Omaha could get five to nine inches of snow on Thursday.
Most of Iowa is forecast to receive some rain, ice or snow today, with conditions deteriorating toward Christmas Day, according to the National Weather Service.
As for air travelers, the worst may come Wednesday into Thursday, said Brian Edwards, a meteorologist for AccuWeather Inc.
Nationally, 87.7 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or farther during the two-week holiday period, according to the American Automobile Association. Most will go by vehicle.
What worries officials most is the spotty ice that is forecast for the beginning of the storm, followed by blizzard-like conditions. Forecasters say the first ice to accumulate today is likely to be freezing drizzle — known as “black ice” because it's hard to see.
Nebraska Department of Roads spokeswoman Mary Jo Oie said there's a limit to what road crews can do.
“No plow, no SUV, no vehicle is a match for Mother Nature,” Oie said. “We want people to know it's going to be a good struggle to keep up.”
A large storm blowing in from the Pacific Northwest is meeting up with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to create the snow and ice. Stormy weather is expected to stretch from the Rocky Mountains into the Ohio Valley and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Some people already have rearranged their travel plans.
Bill Kunath of Lincoln said his sister was leaving Lincoln a day early to take her grandkids back to Houston for Christmas. She originally planned to head out Wednesday but instead will leave today, before the worst hits.
Kunath flew to California on Monday to visit his daughter and grandchildren.
“I'm glad I'm gone. I don't even care if I can't get back,” Kunath said as he prepared to leave Omaha's Eppley Airfield. By the way, he noted, the northern California temperature on Monday was 60 degrees.
Wednesday is expected to be the airport's busiest travel day for the holiday.
Because of the storm, the airport is canceling holiday vacations for all operations crews, which includes the workers who plow the runways. The airport will move those crews to 12-hour shifts as soon as the storm starts, said Steve Coufal, executive director of the Omaha Airport Authority.
So with all of this winter weather barreling down on the Midlands, will Santa be delayed?
“I think,” Coufal said, “Santa will make it.”
Contact the writer:
444-1102, nancy.gaarder@owh.com
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
