Storm forces road closures Monday

COLUMBUS — Traffic stacked up on U.S. Highway 81 north of Platte Center Monday afternoon as icy conditions and near-zero visibility caused accidents that left vehicles choking the roadway and made driving treacherous.

Nebraska State Patrol and Platte County Sheriff’s Department requested that the highway be closed Monday afternoon.

Warren Acely, a state highway maintenance superintendent, said the road was described as closed in media releases but it was not physically closed. Visibility, not ice or snow, was the danger on the roads.

He said 81 and U.S. Highway 30 had slick patches this morning but were passable otherwise.

On 30 west of Fremont, a series of crashes likely caused by the wind-whipped snow closed the road for several hours Monday as rescuers responded to multiple crashes.

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department said two jackknifed semis and 25 other vehicles were involved. In one of the crashes, as many as nine vehicles were involved.

The first crash was reported about 3:15 p.m. The stretch of highway remained closed until almost 8 p.m.

The sheriff’s department said 10 to 15 people were taken to area hospitals.

Columbus received an official snowfall measurement of 1 1/2 inches Monday, according to a report from the Columbus Powerhouse. Sustained north and northwest winds reached 43 miles per hour, with gusts between 55 and 58 mph, starting about 1:30 p.m. and continuing for several hours.

If commuters got out of their neighborhoods without a problem this morning, they found the city’s main thoroughfares in pretty good shape, City Streets Supervisor Gene Groene said early today.

“Residential streets are pretty slick,’’ he said.

City street crews spread salt and gravel on 23rd Street, 33rd Avenue, Howard Boulevard, the viaduct and stop signs and intersections Monday, Groene said. Crews were out today rechecking those areas for slick spots, he said.

Traffic began backing up on Highway 81 about 2:30 p.m. Monday, from the top of the Platte Center hill northward, when several accidents left vehicles on the roadway while numerous other vehicles were skating into ditches.

It took a deputy about an hour to get to the site of a multi-vehicle crash two miles south of Humphrey, Zavadil said. The north/northwest winds also created dangerous driving conditions on Highways 22 and 91 Monday afternoon, he said.

“Highway 91 west of Humphrey is notorious when we have north winds,’’ Zavadil said. Steep banks along the highway create problems with drifting snow, he said.

Conditions became less hazardous as the winds diminished about 7 p.m., Zavadil said. This morning, he said the highway was ice covered, but winds were not posing a problems for travelers.

Road crews and drivers shouldn’t expect much help from Mother Nature in the next few days.

The National Weather Service forecast mostly cloudy skies with a 20 percent chance of snow this afternoon. Temperatures were expected to climb into the upper 20s. The weather service predicted south winds of 5 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph and wind chill values 9 below to 1 above zero.

Tonight, the outlook calls for a slight chance of snow after midnight with lows around 18. West winds 10 to 15 mph shifting to the northwest 15 to 25 mph after midnight. Chance of snow 40 percent. Lowest wind chill values zero to 10 above zero after midnight.

On Wednesday, the weather service expects mostly cloudy skies with a 20 percent chance of snow in the morning. Areas of blowing snow through the day. Highs around 18 early temperatures falling to 5 above by late afternoon. North winds 20 to 25 mph with gusts to around 35 mph. Wind chill values 4 below to 14 below zero.

The area will head into the deep freeze Wednesday night.

The weather service is predicting mostly clear skies with lows around 9 below. North winds 15 to 20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph decreasing to up to 10 mph after midnight. Wind chill values 13 below to 23 below zero.

Thursday, colder, sunny. Highs around 7. West winds up to 5 mph shifting to the south in the afternoon.