A mid-April blizzard could be in store for much of Nebraska this weekend, the National Weather Service says. But first, let's hope we don't see any tornadoes.
There is a slight chance that Southeast Nebraska -- primarily areas near the Missouri River -- will see severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes mid-afternoon Friday.
By Saturday afternoon the rain is expected to switch to snow in eastern Nebraska, and even a little bit could create whiteout conditions with gusting winds.
Ultimately, it's positioned to be "one of the stronger storm systems that we've seen this winter," said Brian Barjenbruch, of the Weather Service office in Valley, in a conference call with media and government officials. "It's definitely going to be an impressive one."
Parts of north-central Nebraska -- extending for hundreds of miles from Niobrara to near Chadron -- are expected to receive more than a foot of snow, with the Lincoln area receiving about 1 to 2 inches.
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While exact snowfall amounts are uncertain, there is a high confidence in the prediction for heavy snowfall up north and that the storm's impact on motorists will be widespread across the state.
Areas of the state from Alliance to Ogallala and east to Neligh could see 8 inches of snow. Four- to 6-inch totals are possible from the Kearney area to Norfolk.
A blizzard warning was posted where snowfall totals are expected to top 4 inches.Â
"We're going to have terrible travel,"Â Barjenbruch said. "The thing is, with this storm, we're not going to need a whole lot of snow to have significant impacts."
The Nebraska State Patrol urged drivers to plan ahead and check Nebraska 511 for road conditions as necessary.
Conditions could be life-threatening for livestock, too, the Weather Service warns.Â
A winter storm watch covers much of northeast and east-central Nebraska. And a hazardous weather outlook for southeast Nebraska, including Lincoln, notes very high fire danger is expected Friday along and south of Interstate 80.
Lincoln is expected to reach 70 degrees on Friday, with rain possible after 3 p.m. Rain is likely after midnight before changing to snow on Saturday, when temperatures will hold in the 30s.
It'll be sunny on Sunday, with temperatures near 40.