School districts cancel class as winter storm bears down on Nebraska

A number of school districts have canceled school Thursday as a winter storm barrels down on the state.

Omaha Public Schools canceled classes, as did Elkhorn and Bellevue, after a winter storm warning was issued for the area. The forecast calls for 4-6 inches in the Omaha area. Farther west, Columbus is forecast to receive 5-8 inches, while Ord could see 6-8 inches.

If Omaha hits the upper range of the forecast, it could almost double its snow total so far this winter, which stands at 6.5 inches, only about one-third of the normal amount.

More than two dozen counties, stretching from the eastern border all the way to the Panhandle, are in a winter storm warning. Much of the rest of the state is in a winter weather advisory.

The heaviest snow is expected to fall across north-central Nebraska, with many areas forecast to get anywhere from 4-8 inches. Several dozen school districts in the path of the heaviest snowfall either closed altogether or announced they would close early.

The National Weather Service said travel will be “very difficult,” and the timing of the snow means it will affect the evening commute in many areas.

The forecast of heavy snow comes after a long streak of unseasonably warm weather. Lincoln and Omaha both had a seven-day streak of highs of at least 60 degrees, and some areas of central and western Nebraska hit record highs earlier this week.

The snow will usher in a short-lived cold spell, with many areas of the state expected to see highs only in the 20s and 30s starting Thursday and lasting through the weekend. However, temperatures are forecast to rise back into the 50s and 60s by Tuesday.