A lull in the snow Monday morning, but more expected later in the day

SIDNEY - The first round of snow in the New Year dropped one to two inches in downtown Sidney Monday morning, completely covering roads, sidewalks, and parking lots with fresh powder, with more expected to fall later in the day.

The National Weather Service kept the Nebraska Panhandle and southeast Wyoming in a winter storm warning until 11 p.m. Monday. A winter weather advisory was in effect for northeast Colorado.

WeatherEye Meteorologist Mike Karow says snow totals were forecast to be near two to four inches in northeast Colorado; four to eight inches of snow along the Interstate 80 corridor; eight to 12 inches around Scottsbluff; and a foot to a foot-and-a-half near the South Dakota border.

"Later on this afternoon into this evening, we're going to start to see that snow pick-up in intensity once again," Karow said. "Could maybe pick-up an inch or two of snow accumulation by the end of the day today with our temperatures holding fairly steady in the upper 20s to near that 30-degree mark. An additional two to four inches of snow accumulation expected for tonight. Still could mix with some patching freezing fog or freezing mist for this evening. Overnight lows dropping back into the lower 20s."

Karow says winds out of the north at around 15-25 mph led to blowing snow concerns Monday night and Tuesday morning. Freezing rain and ice accumulations stayed further east near North Platte and Broken Bow, where a couple of tenths-of-an-inch of ice was expected. 

Karow advised to use extra time while traveling Monday and Tuesday, because of the water content in snow and temperatures near freezing, leading to slick conditions.

"Some wet, heavier, packing snow, so good for snowball fights and snowman building out there the next 24 hours," Karow said.

The region is forecast to see quieter conditions for the remainder of the week, according to Karow. He says temperatures will improve back to the 40s by Friday into the weekend.