Violent winds as rain turns to snow Tuesday, whiteout conditions across Nebraska

A significant storm will impact Nebraska Tuesday into early Wednesday with thunderstorms, snow and very high winds all expected. Here’s a simple way to look at the “what and when” of these impacts for eastern Nebraska:

The wind is going worst part of this forecast, and it could be one of the windiest days we’ve had in several years.

We’ll start out foggy and mild, then wind gusts will increase drastically Tuesday afternoon.

The stronger winds will arrive in eastern Nebraska after about 3-5 p.m. as rain transitions to snow.

A High Wind Warning is in effect through noon Wednesday for peak wind gusts up to 65-70 mph possible.

Extensive tree damage and power outages are possible when talking about this much wind for a long duration.

These winds will create whiteout conditions for those under a Blizzard Warning (red) through Wednesday. Even those under a Winter Weather Advisory (purple, including Lincoln) can still anticipate near-blizzard conditions.

Widespread rain and thunderstorms will spread out over eastern Nebraska Tuesday afternoon, but then cold air comes crashing in with the strong winds. A flash freeze on roadways with up to a few hours of near-zero visibility will make travel extremely treacherous, if not impossible.

Significant travel impacts are expected late today and tonight.

That’s when we’ll see a transition to snow by Tuesday evening, looking hour-by-hour with Stormcast below:

Extreme southeast Nebraska is on the edge of a Marginal (Level 1 of 5) risk for some possible hail and gusty winds with initial storms Tuesday afternoon.

Snowfall will be a little heavier for those under a Blizzard Warning through Wednesday. Those in central Nebraska will mainly see very light snow amounts and rain.

But remember, these snowfall amounts won’t matter much as we experience significant winds gusting up to 65-70 mph. And even light snow can still result in near-blizzard conditions.

After all of this, another rain/snow mix is looking likely Thursday into Friday. Then we can take a breather and enjoy some even warmer weather by next week.

Meteorologist Jessica Blum 
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