Snow blind

HARTINGTON — Old Man Winter came out of hibernation this week.

The Hartington area had only seen a few inches of snow for the 2023-24 winter season prior to this week’s snowstorm.

A strong winter storm moved into the area late Sunday night, blanketing the area with snow. As of press time Tuesday morning, the snow had stopped falling across the region.

The National Weather Service was reporting parts of northeast Nebraska had received up to 11 inches of snow and minor ice accumulations as the system moved through the area.

Snow, mixed with winds gusting up to 45 mph on Monday night, and into Tuesday morning, created near-blizzard conditions, closing roads, schools and businesses.

The storm forced all area schools to cancel two days of classes due to winter weather for the first time during the 202324 academic year.

The storm also forced the cancellation or rescheduling of several school and community activities, including the postponement of the Hartington City Council meeting from Monday night to Thursday night.

The Cedar County Commissioners also had to push the start time of their meeting back to the early afternoon on Tuesday.

Sporting events from around the region also had to be moved.

Despite the lousy weather, some people still hit the road.

Snow-packed roads and limited visibility kept area law enforcement agencies busy on Monday and Tuesday.

To make matters worse, the National Weather Service office in Omaha is predicting bitter cold temperatures and blustery conditions toward the end of the week.

Northeast Nebraskans could see some melting on Wednesday as highs climb into the lower 30s, but a cold front toward the end of the week would plunge the area into a deep freeze, the Weather Service said.

National Weather Service reports indicate more snow could accompany low temperatures later this week, as slight chances exist on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.