Lucky for Levi and Murphy Wertz, Friday's relatively light layer of snow came with a bit of frosting.
The icy glaze that fell on top of Friday morning's snow added a little zip to the sleds sliding down the dam at Holmes Lake on a snow day that was mostly devoid of the white stuff.
Initial reports put snowfall at the Lincoln Airport at 1.8 inches. Elsewhere, Norfolk saw 2.5 inches, Utica 3 inches and Ponca 4.5 inches.
The snow began falling in Lincoln overnight, prompting Lincoln Public Schools officials — faced with a Friday forecast including snow, sleet, freezing drizzle and rain — to cancel classes and activities shortly after 5 a.m.
The U.S. District Court and Bankruptcy Courts for Nebraska, housed downtown in the Robert V. Denney Federal Building, also closed Friday because of the weather.
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Lincoln and southeastern Nebraska were the middle ground in a storm system that brought blizzard conditions to areas to the north and a thick layer of ice to the south.
In Kansas City, a plane slid off an icy taxiway, briefly closing down Kansas City International Airport on Friday morning.
Social media fans were in fine form Friday. Share your photos from the first snow day of the season Friday in a Facebook message or by emailin…
The Delta Air Lines flight was taxiing to be de-iced when the nose gear slipped off the taxiway, said Delta spokeswoman Martha Witt. There were no reports of injuries. Numerous flights were canceled.
In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly closed state offices in the Topeka area, urging people in a news release to “stay safe and warm, exercise caution and allow road crews to do their job."
The city of Lincoln said dozens of crews worked Friday morning to clear arterial streets, bus and school routes after the heaviest snow fell about sunrise.
If your business or activity is closed, cancelled or postponed, email citydesk@journalstar.com.
By afternoon, however, streets that were reported as snow-packed became wet as temperatures rose above freezing.
The same was true in rural areas of southeastern Nebraska, where highway speeds had returned to near-normal by Friday afternoon.
Earlier Friday, the Nebraska Department of Transportation reported that U.S. 75 was closed near the Kansas border in Richardson County because of a rollover accident involving a semi. Interstate 80 eastbound also had one lane closed because of a crash at the Archway exit in Kearney.
Currently a crash at mile marker 318 on Interstate 80 because they didn’t or leave in a following distance to the vehicle in front of them use caution in the area.
— NSP Troop C (@NSP_TroopC)
Police had responded to 28 accidents in Lincoln by Friday at 5 p.m.
Drivers are warned to anticipate slick conditions returning as temperatures drop and to be prepared for blowing snow as strong winds intensify, especially north of Interstate 80.
The weekend should be dry in Lincoln, with temperatures in the mid-20s Saturday, but with wind gusts of 40 mph. Sunday's high will struggle to reach 15 degrees, forecasters said.
Overnight lows the next two nights will dip to near 5.
Photos: Snow day in Lincoln
Photos: Snow day in Lincoln
Winter weather
Snow
Snow
Winter weather
Holmes Lake Snow Feature, 1.17
Snow removal
Snow
Snowball fight
State Patrol video
Eppley Airfield open
Good morning, Omaha. Eppley Airfield remains OPEN with flights departing and arriving. Be sure to check with your airline for flight status.
— Eppley Airfield (@OMAairport)