Snow arrives in Beatrice; other parts of Nebraska see nearly a foot

The snow has arrived.

In Beatrice, snow began to fall in town Thursday morning, continuing throughout the day with under an inch of accumulation by noon.

In other parts of the state, snow had already blanketed portions of southwest Nebraska overnight with reports of 12 inches of snow near Stratton and 8 inches near Benkleman, Culbertson and Parks.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation said Thursday that Interstate 80, highways and county roads are covered with snow in much of south-central and southwest Nebraska, making driving hazardous.

Beatrice Street Superintendent Jason Moore said street temperatures were above 40 degrees, meaning no snow could accumulate.

As temperatures dip into the lower 20s overnight, Moore hopes any wet streets will flash freeze then freeze dry.

On Wednesday, crews prepared for the wintry weather by de-icing area bridges. But Moore said his crews didn’t bring the salt out since he’s hoping to still finish sealing street cracks this fall.

A winter storm warning is posted in the areas with the heaviest snow. Meanwhile, a winter weather advisory was posted in Beatrice until 6 p.m. Thursday.

By 9:30 a.m., there were reports of crashes along the interstate system, including a crash involving five vehicles on southbound Interstate 180.

The Growing Gage Communities session scheduled for Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. was canceled due to inclement weather.

The session was scheduled to take place at the Beatrice Community Library. Officials are looking at possible rescheduling opportunities

Forecasters say the snow will remain light but could add up to an inch or 2. Temperatures Thursday will hold near freezing. On Friday, high temperatures are expected to hang around 30 degrees, with a high of 38 on Saturday.