The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm warning for the southern 2/3rd of the Panhandle from 6:00 Wednesday morning to 5:00 Thursday morning.
There’s also a warning for Goshen County from 6:00 AM Wednesday to 11:00 Thursday morning.
Dawes, Sioux, and Box Butte Counties as well as Niobrara County in Wyo have a Winter Weather Advisory from 6:00 AM Wednesday to 5:00 AM Thursday.
Sheridan County has a Wind Chill advisory for Wednesday from 2 AM to 5 PM, followed by a Wind Chill Warning from 5 PM until 11:00 AM Thursday.
Heavy snow is expected with accumulations of 4-8” in the winter storm warning areas and 2-5” in the advisory areas, although the current forecasts for Chadron are for accumulations of less than an inch. Blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility in places
Winds gusting as high as 35 to 45 mph are possible across the region, bringing wind chills that could reach 30-below zero – cold enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Both the Hemingford and Gordon-Rushville Public Schools have declared 2-hour late starts Thursday due to the cold temperatures.