OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Cold storm bands with howling winds are coursing across Nebraska into Iowa, slowing the light traffic to a crawl in some locations.
Schools and businesses in both states announced closures or delayed openings on Wednesday before Thursday’s storm had even crossed into Nebraska. The National Weather Service reports a wind gust of 52 mph hit the south-central Nebraska city of Hastings and says an estimated snowfall of 4 inches had already fallen by Wednesday night in Thedford.
The storm's eastern edge has reached Des Moines in central Iowa. Station KCCI reports that ice is accumulating on roadways in suburban Waukee. A winter storm warning issued for an area west of Des Moines says forecasters expect up to 5 inches of snow over a glaze of ice.