SIDNEY - A low pressure system with intense snowfall and gusty winds surged through the Sidney region Monday night, dropping an inch of snow in an hour in Julesburg, Colo., according to WeatherEye Meteorologist Patrick McMillan.

Weather conditions were expected to ramp up and move southwest overnight Monday, dropping between four to eight inches of snow. A blizzard warning for Banner, Kimball, Cheyenne, Deuel, Garden, Keith, Arthur, Perkins, Chase, Sedgwick and east Laramie Counties continues until 5 a.m. Wednesday.

"During this time, travel in the region should be avoided unless absolutely necessary due to heavy snowfall and blowing snow reducing visibility to near zero," McMillan said. "If you do need to travel, pack a kit in your car consisting of a warm blanket, clothes, water, and some food in case your vehicle gets stuck."

The combination of snowfall and strong northwesterly winds will continue to bring blowing and drifting snow, and reduced visibility, according to the National Weather Service office in North Platte. The Nebraska Department of Transportation urged people not to travel during the storm. 

A winter storm warning is in effect until 5 a.m. Wednesday for Morrill, Box Butte, Dawes and northern Sioux County. Scotts Bluff, southern Sioux and Goshen County are in a winter weather advisory. A high wind warning includes Logan County in Colorado. 

"To get a little more specific (and arguably more speculative), I would narrow that four to eight inch range down to five to seven inches in the direct vicinity of Sidney," McMillan said. "As you go west along I-80, around the Nebraska-Wyoming border, you could see totals on the higher end of 6-10 inches (some isolated areas could hit a foot)."

Snow showers are forecast to linger into Wednesday afternoon before the low pressure system meanders to the southeast. Once this system passes, a high-pressure system takes over, according to McMillan. He says the high pressure system will bring some sunnier and calmer weather into the region that will last through the beginning of next week. 

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ROAD CONDITIONS