Interstate 80 closed from Lincoln to North Platte

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A howling storm that dumped more than a foot of snow on some parts of Colorado was laying it on thick in Nebraska and Iowa Tuesday, bringing with it the potential for severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes elsewhere. Sections of Interstate 70 in Kansas and Colorado were closed as well.

Heavy snow was affecting Colorado, Nebraska and parts of Iowa early Wednesday.

Interstate 80 in Nebraska was closed from Lincoln (exit 399) to North Platte (exit 179).

Just a few days after Winter Storm Jonas devastated travel plans along the East Coast, Winter Storm Kayla is now making its way across the Plains and Midwest, bringing with it blizzard and winter storm alerts. Northerly winds of 25 to 40 miles per hour are expected, with occasional gusts over 50 miles per hour, resulting in near white-out conditions at times.

KOLN’s Nebraska Weather Network meterologists predict snowfall totals will be in the 8-14″+ range for much of central and western Nebraska”. Habhab said he couldn’t see more than a half-mile outside his Sioux City location.

Snow is expected to develop around 9 a.m. Tuesday and diminish by 6 a.m. Wednesday, with the heaviest snow fall between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

Forecasters warned that heavy snowfall could hit during morning commutes on Tuesday. Justin Evertson of the Nebraska Forest Service says most will bend back into shape as the snow melts, and trying to knock the snow off branches may do more harm than good.

On Tuesday night, the low temperature will be in the single digits, with wind chill values as low as -1 degrees, the weather service said. About a third of the schedule was grounded at Nebraska’s Omaha airport.

“Blizzard warnings are in effect for northern Kansas, northeast Nebraska, southeastern South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northern Iowa”, Weather Channel lead meteorologist Kevin Roth said.