First Snow of the Season to Follow the Holiday

Bitter Cold Arrives Behind the Weekend Storm

WHAT TO KNOW:

Quiet, chilly Thanksgiving Day
First accumulating snow arrives Friday & Saturday
Travel delays likely
Very cold air settles in afterward
Flurries possible Monday

FORECAST

Thanksgiving Day begins frigid, with morning temperatures near 20 degrees. The afternoon stays sunny but cold, with highs only reaching the upper 30s—slightly below normal.

Clouds increase overnight into Friday. By midday, a band of light snow will form from north to south, mainly across western Iowa. Most other areas stay dry until after midnight. Those traveling to Lincoln for the game shouldn’t expect wintry conditions.

Temperatures slowly rise Friday night, allowing rain to develop just before daybreak.

By Saturday morning, rain and snow become more widespread. Areas along and south of I-80 will start with rain or a rain/snow mix before switching to all snow later in the day. North of I-80 looks to remain all snow. Omaha’s transition from rain to snow is expected mid-morning, with snow continuing through the afternoon. All precipitation should end by Saturday night.

Snowfall totals vary by region:

Southeast Nebraska: 1–3 inches
Omaha metro: 3–5 inches
Western Iowa: 5–7 inches

Totals depend heavily on how quickly rain changes to snow—an earlier switch could push Omaha toward the higher end of the range.

Travel problems are likely from Friday night through Sunday, with Saturday posing the biggest challenge. Roads in Iowa are expected to be worse than in Nebraska. Strong winds Saturday will also blow snow around, reducing visibility.

Colder air arrives Sunday. Highs fall into the low 20s Sunday and Monday, with nighttime temperatures dipping near or below 10 degrees.

Another round of light snow is possible Monday south of Omaha near the Nebraska–Kansas border, though impacts look minor.

Temperatures moderate into the 30s and 40s late next week.

THANKSGIVING

Mostly Sunny, Cold
High: 38
Wind: NW 5–10 mph

THURSDAY NIGHT

Partly Cloudy, Calm
Low: 20
Wind: NW 5–10 mph

FRIDAY

Mostly Cloudy, Scattered PM Snow
High: 31
Wind: NW 15–25 mph

SATURDAY

Cloudy, Rain Changing to Snow
High: 30
Wind: NW 15–25 mph, gusts to 35

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