Snowstorm leads to hazardous conditions

COLUMBUS -- Several weather-related accidents were reported in town due to a winter storm that dumped several inches of snow in the area Friday.

Loup Powerhouse reported six inches of snow fell during the storm, which started Friday morning and stopped later that afternoon.

Columbus Police Department Sgt. Todd Thalken said 17 accidents were reported between 6 a.m.-midnight. Most were fender-benders and could be attributed to the slick, snowy streets, Thalken said.

The Platte County Sheriff was unavailable Saturday for comment about the impact the snowfall had on the county.

Local schools were closed Friday, as were several in the surrounding area because of the weather. The National Weather Service predicted a 20-percent chance of snow today. New snow accumulation was expected to be less than half an inch.

Regardless of any additional snow, Thalken said drivers still need to remain cautious.

“Don’t expect that the road you are on will be good a couple of blocks down the road,” he said.

Ultimately, he said, it is ideal not to travel when a storm is predicted, much like the storm was Friday.

“When you know there is a big storm, it is best to stay home if you can,” he said.

The major winter storm dumped 10 inches on some parts of the state.

As the storm moved east across Nebraska into Iowa and Missouri, drifts up to 3-feet-deep were reported in places.

Becky Griffis, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Valley, said there will be little precipitation until the next storm system moves across the Midwest Tuesday.

She said it was too early to tell what the next storm could bring, but predicted heavy snow in northeast Nebraska on Tuesday, with rain turning into snow in the Omaha area to the south.

Shawn Jacobs, a National Weather Service meteorologist in North Platte, said he’d gotten two reports of 10-inch-deep snow in central Nebraska.

The first came from an observer 15 miles north of North Platte, which is in west-central Nebraska; the second report came from Callaway in Custer County, which is northeast of North Platte.

Drifts to 3 feet were reported in Arnold, which is on the west edge of Custer County.

Jacobs said the snow started before 3 a.m. in North Platte and had reached nearly 8-inches-deep by 11 a.m.

By Friday evening, North Platte received 8.3 inches, according to snow totals from the weather service. There were reports of 8 inches in Greeley and 5.5 inches in Columbus, in central Nebraska, with 4 inches in Lincoln and 6-8.5 inches in parts of Omaha to the east.

The storm forced school and business closings and event cancelations, including opening day of the Fonner Park horse racing in Grand Island. It was rescheduled for Saturday.