The icy, snowy weather likely will worsen when winds pick up tonight. Sustained winds of 20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph, will cause blowing and drifting snow across Omaha as well as eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, Powers said. With the storm already breathing down on the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area's neck, road crews hit the streets Wednesday night to get a head start. They worked through Thursday morning to clear trouble spots while they waited for the really bad weather to hit. Utility companies and arborists also were watching the weather.
Winter storms can be brutal on power lines.
Freezing rain, in particular, causes tree limbs to fall on the lines. Even without freezing rain, though, slick pavement means vehicles can easily slide off the road and knock over power poles. With that in mind, utility crews and phone operators were told they might be working overtime tonight. For the most part, however, officials had adopted a midmorning attitude of wait and see. We're keeping a very close eye on it.