Omaha-area residents can expect rain Friday and snow from about midnight into Saturday. The total? At least 6 inches.
We'll be bringing you live weather and road conditions updates throughout the day. Check back at Omaha.com for the latest news.
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• See a list of canceled flights
• Follow live updates on Twitter
• See the winter storm map from AccuWeather
• Poll: How do you plan on spending the snowy weekend?
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See a list of area closings, cancellations and postponements here. Have a closing to add to the list? Email it to online@owh.com.
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The City of Papillion has declared a snow emergency, effective through 8 a.m Sunday.
During the emergency, Papillion residents are asked to not park on the street. Residents also are asked to avoid travel during the snow emergency. Those who must travel are asked to use caution around snow removal equipment and personnel.
According to city ordinance, sidewalks must be cleared within five hours after a snowfall or by 8:30 a.m. the next day if the snowfall happens overnight. Residents with a fire hydrant near their property are asked to ensure that it's cleared and visible.
Residents with questions about the snow emergency can log on to the city's website – www.papillion.org – for more information, or call the Mayor's Hotline (402) 827-1111.
City residents with questions about snow removal can call the Public Works Department at (402) 597-2043.
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La Vista residents were asked Friday night to move their vehicles from residential streets to allow plow operators to fully clear all streets in the early-morning hours. A formal snow emergency wasn't declared but city officials left open that possibility, depending on developments.
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Rain mixed with snow was beginning to fall at 6 p.m. Friday when Omahan Kurt Keeler approached the Hy-Vee Supermarket at 108th and Fort Streets.
“It was a comedy scene. The store was packed with people stocking up on storm provisions. Every spot in the parking lot was taken, and cars were bumper to bumper waiting for the next available spot,” Keeler said.
The scene was repeated at the Walmart Supercenter at the Interstate 680 Irvington Exit. “It looked like Black Friday. Crazy.”
-- Chris Christen
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The National Weather Service has placed the Lincoln, Omaha and Council Bluffs areas under a winter storm warning.
The warning goes into effect at midnight and will remain through midnight Saturday.
About 6 to 9 inches of snow is forecast along the Interstate 80 corridor. Amounts of up to a foot or more are possible in some areas.
Travel will become more difficult once the snow begins, the weather service says. Heavy snow and some blowing snow is possible.
Conditions are eventually expected to make travel dangerous. And the warning advises that people travel on Saturday only if they must.
Winds of 15 mph to 30 mph will reduce visibilities to a half mile or less on Saturday.
The weather service advises that anyone traveling carry emergency supplies.
The storm sweeping across Nebraska has a fairly sharp northern and southern boundary in terms of snowfall totals.
According to the National Weather Service, the worst of the snowfall cuts a linear path through the heart of Nebraska, almost hugging Interstate 80.
-- Nancy Gaarder
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Mayor Chris Beutler has declared a snow emergency for the City of Lincoln.
It will take effect at 6 a.m. Saturday. A snow emergency means parking is banned on emergency snow routes, bus routes and other major arterial streets. A map showing these routes can be found on the City website at lincoln.ne.gov and in the blue pages of the Windstream phone directory.
The ban will remain in effect until further notice.
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This map shows Nebraska and northeast Colorado are catching the brunt of the storm sweeping down from the Rockies.
The areas of the map coded in pink, including most of Nebraska, is under a winter storm warning.
The red areas are under a blizzard warning.
The blue areas are under a winter storm watch.
The storm is expected to lose its punch Saturday as it moves into Iowa.
-- Nancy Gaarder
See a map of the latest conditions here
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The weather should remain problem-free for the evening commute and for Friday night activities in the Lincoln and Omaha areas, according to the National Weather Service.
Dave Fobert, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said that damp to drizzly weather will prevail through the drive-time. No serious rainfall is forecast.
Winds during the commute are expected to be about 10 mph, picking up steadily after that,, according to AccuWeather, Inc., the World-Herald's weather consultant.
Temperatures through Friday evening are forecast to remain above freezing and then drop below sometime in the early morning hours, according to AccuWeather.
Fobert said snow should start mixing into the drizzle overnight, with the intensity of the snowfall picking up here around 3 a.m.
-- Nancy Gaarder
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COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The City of Council Bluffs is declaring a snow emergency effective tonight at 9.
A snow emergency parking ban for snow removal will go into effect at that time.
The emergency parking ban applies to all streets posted as snow emergency routes by the City of Council Bluffs. During a snow emergency parking ban, cars are subject to a fine and/or towing at the owner's expense.
During the snow emergency, only snow emergency routes will be cleared. This status will continue until the snow recedes.
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The National Weather Service is discouraging travel in the Omaha area on Saturday because the storm headed this way is expected to reach "major winter storm" status.
The worst of the storm for the Omaha area will occur from Saturday morning into Saturday afternoon.
Snow should begin falling here by about 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. Saturday, said Van DeWald, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office that covers eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
DeWald said a couple inches of snow could be on the ground by daybreak Saturday, and snow will likely continue to fall at a moderate to heavy rate.
DeWald said the snow and winds should die down fairly abruptly Saturday night, which would give snowplow crews the night hours and all day Sunday to clear roads.
No additional snow is forecast for next week, and daytime highs are forecast in the 30s.
DeWald said the weather service has a high degree of confidence that at least 6 inches of snow will fall in the metro area. The high end is harder to pin down, he said.
As of mid-afternoon, the weather service was forecasting totals to top out at nine inches in Omaha, with the possibility of more.
Heavier snow, about 12 inches or so, is expected to fall from about Lincoln westward, he said.
Because the storm has the potential to churn up significantly more snow, some areas of central and eastern Nebraska could see more than a foot of snow.
Travel remains possible Friday afternoon on Interstate 80 west to about Kearney. From that point westward, conditions are deteriorating, said Mike Moritz, meteorologist for the weather service office for south-central Nebraska.
Both Moritz and DeWald said forecasters expected the afternoon's precipitation lull across central and eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
The storm is still coming, they said.
-- Nancy Gaarder
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Travelers should be able to make it at least as far as Kearney Friday on Interstate 80 before they risk running into problems, said Mike Moritz, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Hastings.
Friday morning, even rain was not much of a problem in south-central Nebraska, he said.
For most of the day Friday, the line between snow and rain would likely occur somewhere near Cozad, Moritz said.
From about Cozad, westward, drivers are likely to see accumulating snow and eventually blizzard conditions.
"Conditions will deteriorate quickly past the Kearney-Lexington-Cozad area," he said.
Friday night, blizzard conditions were forecast to develop in central Nebraska and along much of Interstate 80 in the heart of the state.
On Saturday, travel problems on the Interstate will stretch well into the Omaha area and on into western Iowa, Moritz said.
By Saturday night, winds should subside enough in central Nebraska that plow crews finally will be able to make progress in clearing roads. Until then, conditions are likely to impede road work.
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The latest forecast is calling for six to 12 inches of snow in the Omaha metro area, but meteorologists caution that the storm's potential continues to evolve.
"For now, that's what we're forecasting, but it could change," Dave Fobert, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office that covers the Omaha area. "We'll have a better idea this afternoon."
The light drizzle at mid-morning was primarily the type of rain expected to fall throughout the day, Fobert said. Heavier rains and thunderstorms were farther south in Kansas and northwest Missouri.
Temperatures at mid-morning in Omaha were in the low 40s and would need to fall considerably for the rain to change over to snow.
The current forecast is for that change to occur about midnight in the metro area, according to Fobert's colleague, Bryon Miller.
Miller said the heaviest snowfall in the Omaha area would happen during the day on Saturday.
Based on current forecasts, residents can expect moderate to heavy snowfall. It's expected to be wet and heavy. Because the snow will be wet, forecasters are not warning of visibility problems in our area.
Winds are forecast at 15 mph to 25 mph Saturday, he said.
Central Nebraska is expected to see its heaviest snowfall rate overnight Friday, which would make nighttime driving conditions along Interstate 80 and other roads dangerous.
-- Nancy Gaarder
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Travel conditions already have deteriorated in the Denver area as heavy snowfall suffocates the region.
According to AccuWeather Inc., the World-Herald's private weather consultant, heavy, blowing snow has dangerously reduced visibility in the area and roads are covered.
As of Friday morning, two feet of snow had already buried the foothills west of Denver. Additional snow will fall into this evening, bringing snowfall totals in some of the foothills to near three feet.
Here's more from AccuWeather:
More than 400 flights have been canceled at Denver International Airport today in response to the blinding, heavy snow.
Very slippery and slow travel has already developed along much of I-25, I-70 and I-76 in eastern Colorado. Conditions will deteriorate farther to the east along I-80 in Nebraska and part of I-70 in western Kansas tonight.
Snow will continue to streak northeastward followed by increasing winds, low visibility, large snow drifts and poor travel spreading from northeast eastern Colorado to southwestern and central Nebraska to northwestern Kansas.
Boulder, Denver and Sterling in Colorado, Grand Island, Kearney, McCook and North Platte in Nebraska and Goodland in Kansas will be in the heart of the storm with a foot of snow possible. A few locations within this swath can pick up a bit more.
Rain will change to heavy snow from west to east, reaching into eastern Nebraska and much of Iowa. In the swath from Omaha to Des Moines the changeover to snow will begin later Friday night. By Saturday night at least a half a foot of snow will be on the ground.
A storm of this size, with energy and moisture available, has the potential to deliver the heaviest snow of the winter, especially in light of how the season has evolved for the central Plains.
The storm will stay south of most of the northern Plains and a push of dry air should prevent the storm's moisture from reaching the Great Lakes region.
The snowstorm is forecast to stay north of Kansas City. However, motorists heading north along I-29 or I-35 will run into a mess over Nebraska and Iowa later tonight and Saturday.
The snowstorm just goes to show how quickly the weather can change over the Plains. During Monday and Tuesday, temperatures soared into the 60s over much of the region.
While the storm will bring dangers and travel problems, it will bring needed moisture for agricultural interests over the central Plains.
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City of Omaha road crews were not planning to hit the streets until after midnight, when the brunt of the winter storm was expected to begin. Officials said Friday that they would meet Saturday, probably around midday, to decide on whether to call a snow emergency for Sunday, which primarily affects parking on city streets east of 72nd Street.
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Eppley Airfield reported there were no canceled flights as of this morning.
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DENVER (AP) A powerful winter storm swept across Colorado on Friday as it headed east, bringing blizzard warnings to eastern Colorado and western Kansas, and winter storm warnings for southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska.
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed portions of Interstate 70 and Interstate 25, the two main arteries crisscrossing the state. The National Weather Service said snow was falling at 2 inches an hour on the Eastern Plains, producing some blizzard conditions.
One of the largest snow totals Friday morning was 18 inches in Pinecliff west of Denver, and snow totals were mounting rapidly along the Front Range and eastern Colorado.
The weather service said the snow will be moderate at times on Friday in Wyoming and Nebraska. However, winds could gust up to 35 mph and produce blowing snow from the southern Laramie Range to Sidney, Neb.
The storm forced the cancellation of more than 200 arriving and departing flights at the Denver airport that had been scheduled through Friday night.
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At a Peoples True Value hardware store in Council Bluffs, 32 Toro and Snapper snowblowers sit just inside the front door.
“There's six or eight of them still sitting in back too,” said Koy Behrens, the West Broadway store's manager.
That could change this weekend, when forecasters expect the season's biggest winter storm to blast into eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.
Rainfall is expected in Omaha this morning and snowfall starting early Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
This storm shouldn't be as bad as “Snowmageddon” 2009, when Christmas ground to a halt under 1- to 1˝ feet of snow, but the change from this winter's mild, almost-springlike temperatures could be a bit of a shock to folks spoiled by a season of light coats and parkas.
“This certainly isn't going to be one of our biggest events ever,” said weather service meteorologist Van DeWald. “But because we haven't had a lot of winter recently, it certainly could have a pretty large impact.”
DeWald recommended travelers use caution during and immediately after the storm.
“We're looking at a pretty decent weather event for us,” he said Thursday. “If there are any events, tournaments, ballgames … you may have to be thinking of rescheduling those.”
The closer you are to Interstate 80 and central Nebraska, the more snow you will probably have to shovel — as much as 8 inches is expected along the I-80 corridor.
Residents of the Grand Island area might see a foot of snow, whereas 7 or 8 inches could fall in Omaha. Parts of western Iowa can expect about 6 inches. Some will see less, including Monona County, Iowa, between Omaha and Sioux City, which DeWald said could get 2 to 5 inches.
Southern Nebraska should get 4 to 6 inches, though that area might be warm enough to escape the snow altogether.
Air travelers are urged to check the status of their flights. At least two Friday flights from Omaha's Eppley Airfield to Denver already have been canceled because of weather conditions in Colorado.
The Nebraska and Iowa snow will be heavier and wetter than normal — a blessing and a curse.
“Once it hits the ground it might be harder to drift, but also harder to push,” DeWald said.
The snow that falls should quickly melt. High temperatures this weekend and into next week are expected to reach near or above freezing.
“Certainly the warm temperatures aren't going to hurt us,” DeWald said. “They are going to help us in that regard.”
Back in Council Bluffs, Behrens described this season's snowblower overflow as unusual. By this time last year he had sold his stock. He estimated there would need to be about 8 inches of snow Saturday to make a dent.
“It would be really good,” he said, “or we'll be storing them all summer.”
Contact the writer:
402-444-1310, andrew.nelson@owh.com
Canceled flights so far:
Check with your respective airline for specific information and additional updates. Southwest Airlines has canceled three inbound flights to Omaha this evening:
Flight 2308 from Chicago Midway (Due at 8:20 p.m.)
Flight 2261 from Denver (Due at 9:55 p.m.)
Flight 664 from Las Vegas (Due at 12:20 a.m.)
And Southwest has cancelled all five of its Saturday morning flights out of Omaha:
First two flights to Chicago Midway at 6:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
First Denver flight at 7:45 a.m.
First Phoenix flight at 9:25 a.m.
First Las Vegas flight at 9 a.m.
United Airlines has cancelled its three Denver to OMA flights for Friday night:
Flight 3769 (due at 7:03 p.m.)
Flight 825 (Due at 10:35 p.m.)
Flight 3534 (Due in at 12:06 a.m.)
And United has cancelled its first flight to Denver tomorrow at 8:44 a.m.
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