Winter storm slams Lincoln, Omaha

A late winter storm buried eastern Nebraska Thursday, leading to traffic snarls and school closures.

As of about 5 a.m. Friday, the National Weather Service reported that the Omaha area had received about 8-9 inches of snow. Prior to Thursday, Omaha had received about 6.5 inches the whole winter.

Lincoln was also hit hard, with reports of 7 inches, while Wahoo received nearly 7 inches and Fremont got about 6.5.

Farther west, the North Platte area received about 4 inches of snow, while there were reports of 3-4 inches in northwest Nebraska.

The heavy snow, which hit during the afternoon and evening commute, led to numerous issues for travelers. As of about 9 p.m. Thursday, the Nebraska State Patrol reported that it had responded to 45 crashes and had provided 115 motorist assists.

The Interstate was briefly closed just west of Lincoln due to a crash.

Two people were killed in a weather-related crash near North Platte.

Schools closed in the Omaha area on Friday for a second day in a row. Schools were also closed in Lincoln. Both the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska-Omaha closed their campuses, as did other colleges in the Lincoln and Omaha areas.

Lincoln issued a snow emergency parking ban, banning parking on both sides of emergency snow routes, arterial streets, school and bus routes. The city also enacted a residential parking ban, limiting parking only to the even-numbered sides of residential streets.

Lincoln Police had responded to more than 90 crashes as of early Friday morning.

The snow hit after a prolonged period of unseasonable temperatures. Both Lincoln and Omaha had seven days in a row with highs in the 60s or higher through Wednesday.

Colder than normal temperatures in the 20s and 30s are forecast for most of the state through the weekend, with a return to warmth on tap starting Tuesday, when many areas are forecast to be in the 50s and 60s. The normal high for this time of year across the state is the low 40s.