A powerful blizzard swept through Omaha and surrounding areas overnight, leaving behind dangerous travel conditions, power outages, and widespread disruptions.
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Travel Conditions
- Winds up to 70 mph and up to 6 inches of snow created treacherous roads Wednesday.
- Frozen slush, snow drifts, and reduced visibility made driving extremely difficult.
- Nebraska State Patrol responded to over 300 crashes statewide.
- A deadly crash near Grand Island resulted in multiple fatalities.
Road Closures
- I-80 closed in both directions between Greenwood and Pleasant Dale.
- Highways 92, 32, and 75 saw multiple closures due to crashes.
- Jackknifed semis blocked major roads, including Highway 75 near Union and I-80 near Gretna.
Power Outages
- More than 14,000 OPPD customers lost power early Wednesday.
- By 12:30 p.m., 4,700 customers remained without electricity.
- The Douglas County Treasurer’s Office closed due to outages and heating issues.
- Council Bluffs saw more than 2,000 Mid-American Energy customers lose power.
School & Business Closures
- Schools in Bellevue, Bennington, Elkhorn, and Ralston closed.
- Omaha and Millard moved to remote learning.
- Creighton University and UNO shifted to online classes.
- Waste collection delayed by one day in Omaha, Council Bluffs, and Papillion.
Snow Emergencies & Parking Bans
- Council Bluffs: No parking on emergency snow routes.
- Blair & La Vista: Residential street parking banned.
- Pottawattamie County: Snow emergency in effect until 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Residents are urged to stay off the roads, report power outages, and follow local emergency guidelines. Another round of snow is expected Thursday evening.
