The first significant snow storm of 2023 is predicted to wallop Fremont, Dodge County and Eastern Nebraska starting in the early morning of Wednesday, Jan. 18, with an estimated 6 to 10 inches of snow expected.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Brian Barjenbruch, based in the Valley office, said a winter storm warning is set to begin at 6 a.m., Jan. 18, and end sometime on Thursday, Jan. 19.
“It looks like it is going to be a mess,” Barjenbruch said of the storm. “Mostly, it looks like a lot of snow, and we’ll have some blowing and drifting of snow.”
Barjenbruch said the high for Wednesday is predicted to be 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low temperature of 22 degrees Fahrenheit. There is also likely to be sleet and worse conditions farther south of Fremont in Saunders County and along the Interstate 80 corridor.
“For the Fremont area, we’re looking at 6 to 10 inches of snow. It could be a little more or a little less. It all depends on the sleet,” he explained. “Sleet eats away at the snow (depth). It is denser and packs (snow) in tighter. The snow should be over and done with by sunrise Thursday.”
According to officials with the Nebraska Department of Transportation, the heavy snowfall is, “expected across much of the state, with the potential for a foot of snow along a line from southwest to northeast Nebraska.”
Colonel John Bolduc, superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, stated in a press release that drivers must use caution in the inclement weather.
“This storm will have a major impact on travel in Nebraska throughout Wednesday and into Thursday,” Bolduc stated. “The latest projections from the National Weather Service show all of Interstate 80 in Nebraska receiving at least three to four inches of snow, with a 300-mile range from Kimball to Grand Island seeing upwards of seven inches.”
Drivers can check on road conditions at the Nebraska 511 Advanced Traveler System at 511.Nebraska.Gov. And, officials stated in the press release, motorists who become stranded or need assistance can call *55 or 800-525-5555 to reach the NSP Highway Helpline and speak directly with an NSP dispatcher.
Barjenbruch said the accumulated snow is expected to remain on the ground through the weekend, as predicted temperatures are not believed to rise high enough to melt the white powder.
“It won’t be super cold,” he said of temperatures from Thursday through Sunday, “but (the snow) will stick around. The commute Wednesday night will be a mess.”
The impending inclement weather caused the closure of local schools, with Archbishop Bergan Catholic School announcing its closure for Jan. 18 on Facebook.
“Due to inclement weather, school will be cancelled at Archbishop Bergan Catholic School on Wednesday Jan. 18. Bergan Early Childhood Education Center will be closed also,” officials stated in their Facebook post.
Hope Pierce, coordinator for communications for Fremont Public Schools, confirmed late Tuesday that there will be no classes at any FPS schools on Jan. 18.
“We are not having school (Wednesday),” Pierce said in an email.
To cope with wintry weather and slick roads, the City of Fremont has five road graders and eight plow trucks that distribute a salt and sand mix as well as liquid calcium to keep ice from forming on Fremont streets. There is also a city pickup truck equipped with a plow for harder to navigate smaller thoroughfares.
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