NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — A winter storm pummeled parts of Colorado and Nebraska, closing over 100 miles of major interstate and rewriting the snow record books for one town.
Snow totals reached 15.3 inches in North Platte, Nebraska, on Thursday, ranking as the snowiest day in the town’s recorded weather history, which stretches back to 1874. It broke the previous record of 13.9 inches set on Jan. 18, 2003.
Additional snow Friday pushed the two-day snowfall total to 17.4 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
As snow piled up across western Nebraska, DOT crews shut down a 128-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Ogallala and Kearney.
“There’s an interstate under there somewhere,” NWS North Platte posted on X Friday morning of a snow-covered I-80. “That interstate also happens to be closed as of (Friday morning).”
In the hours before the closure, officials noted “snow is so deep it’s causing issues for vehicles exiting the I-80 offramp.”
“That’s really the main route from Denver to Omaha; you would have to divert down to I-70 and go through Kansas,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin. “This is going to take some time to reopen this stretch.”
A few more inches of snow lingered Friday morning, but Winter Weather Advisories were set to expire by late morning or midday.
Heavy snow also fell in northeastern Colorado. Yuma reached 11.5 inches, while Fleming measured 9.7 inches.