The National Weather Service in Omaha has issued a WINTER STORM WARNING in effect from Midnight Saturday until Midnight Sunday for the following counties, Harrison, Monona, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Mills and Montgomery. Fremont and Page counties are under a Winter Weather Advisory from 6am Saturday until Midnight Sunday.

ACCUMULATIONS…A BAND OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 9 INCHES IS EXPECTED TO EXTEND FROM SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA ROUGHLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDOR AND INTO WEST CENTRAL IOWA. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO A FOOT ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THAT BAND OF HEAVY SNOW.

UNCERTAINTY…IF RAIN CHANGES TO SNOW EARLIER THAN FORECAST…AMOUNTS COULD BE HEAVIER…AND IF RAIN CHANGES TO SNOW LATER THAN FORECAST…SNOW TOTALS COULD BE LIGHTER.

IMPACTS…TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT ONCE THE SNOW BEGINS. HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED AND SOME BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE. THE COMBINATION OF SNOWFALL AND WINDS OF 15 TO 30 MPH WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO A HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD…AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

More warnings and advisories are forthcoming.