A dusting of snow covers homes and sidewalks in the North Bottoms on Monday morning. The Lincoln Airport received an inch, but there were reports of more snow in other parts of the city.
After record warmth last week, many Nebraskans woke up Monday morning to a reminder that it's still winter. And another, bigger reminder could be headed our way later this week.
Lincoln officially got 1 inch of snow at the Lincoln Airport, but many people around the city reported as much as 2 inches.
The snow, which came less than five days after Lincoln hit a record high of 81 degrees, snarled traffic just as thousands of people were arriving for the start of the Nebraska high school boys and girls state basketball tournaments.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities said streets Monday morning ranged from wet with slush to partially covered, and that drivers should be aware of slick spots. As of Monday afternoon, Lincoln Police had responded to roughly 30 accidents, including one that shut down southbound 40th Street just north of Nebraska 2.
There also was a fatal crash early Monday morning near 176th and Nebraska 2 that forced the closure of eastbound Nebraska 2, the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office said.
The sheriff's office reported 16 crashes across the county caused by icy roads, while the Nebraska State Patrol had responded to four accidents and provided 31 motorist assists Monday morning.
The heaviest snow fell farther east, with some parts of the Omaha area reporting up to 4 inches.
Omaha Public Schools declared a remote-learning day, while several other districts in the Omaha metro area either canceled school or started late.
The inch of snow that fell in Lincoln was the most significant snowfall in the city since 1.3 inches fell Jan. 15. But more significant snowfall could be on its way.
After a warmup that should push temperatures into the 50s on Tuesday, another round of snow is possible Wednesday into Thursday, and it could be heavy.
The National Weather Service on Monday afternoon put out a forecast map that has Lincoln in an area where 4-8 inches are forecast. Lincoln so far has only received about 5 inches total the entire winter.
The weather service said on Twitter that it has "moderate" confidence in the predicted snowfall totals, which range from 0-4 inches near the South Dakota border to 5-9 inches around Kearney. Farther west, areas around North Platte had already been issued a Winter Storm Watch that starts at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The forecast also calls for a low in the single digits Thursday morning in Lincoln and near zero Friday morning. The good news, however, for those ready for winter to be over: highs are forecast to be back into the 50s by Sunday.
A dusting of snow covers homes and sidewalks in the North Bottoms on Monday morning. The Lincoln Airport received an inch, but there were reports of more snow in other parts of the city.