A winter storm could make things uncomfortable in Lincoln and downright nasty in many other parts of the state.
The Lincoln area is in a winter weather advisory starting at midnight and scheduled to continue until 6 p.m. Tuesday. The National Weather Service is forecasting up to an inch of snow and the possibility of some light ice accumulation, although much of the precipitation is likely to fall as rain because temperatures will remain above freezing for most of the day on Monday.
"Plan on slippery road conditions," the weather service said in a bulletin. "The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute."
But if the forecast pans out, Lincoln will be getting off easy. Most of the western three-fourths of the state is in a winter storm warning, while parts of northeast Nebraska are in an ice storm warning.
The weather service said parts of northern Nebraska could see 12-18 inches of snow, while 8-12 inches will be widespread in the Panhandle. Gusty winds up to 35 mph will make travel difficult.
It was already snowing in the western half of the state, with 3.5 inches reported in Valentine by 9:30 a.m.
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Many highways in the western half of the state were already covered with snow Monday morning, according to the Nebraska Department of Transportation, although none were listed as closed.
In the areas covered by the ice storm warning, which includes Columbus, Fremont and Norfolk, ice accumulations of up to half an inch are possible, along with 1-3 inches of snow.
The weather service said tree damage and power outages are likely due to ice accumulation and travel in the area could be "nearly impossible."
The storm will usher in colder weather in the Lincoln area, with the forecast calling for a high of only 28 on Wednesday and 30 on Thursday, before temperatures rebound into the upper 30s and low 40s going into the weekend.