Blizzard blasts Plains, Upper Midwest leading to treacherous travel, power outages

Highways closed, power outages jump as blizzard begins to blast Plains, Midwest

Treacherous travel has been reported and power outages are skyrocketing as a powerful blizzard begins to blast portions of the Plains and Midwest on Wednesday. FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar has the latest from Sioux City, Iowa, where the storm is starting to ramp up.

Fast Facts:

• Blizzard Warnings stretch from Colorado to Minnesota.
• Major highways in Kansas and Nebraska are closed due to deteriorating travel conditions.
• Heavy snow and damaging winds are leading to whiteout conditions and power outages.

A powerful winter storm that’s blasting portions of the Plains and Upper Midwest has produced blizzard conditions in parts of Kansas as the region gets slammed with heavy snow, strong winds and even some thundersnow.

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The FOX Forecast Center said the storm is rapidly strengthening as it moves across the region on Wednesday, pulling in the widespread snow and strong winds on the backside of the low-pressure system.

Impacts have already been felt across the region, including in Kansas.

Watch: Snow, strong winds impacting travel on I-70 in Kansas

A video shared by the Kansas Highway Patrol shows the conditions on Interstate 70 in Goodland as the region gets pounded by a powerful winter storm on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, Interstate 70 has been closed between Goodland and Colby due to treacherous travel conditions.

Officials said the closure was due to low visibility.

The Kansas Highway Patrol shared a video showing heavy snow blowing across I-70 in Goodland. Troopers have asked residents to stay home if possible.

This graphic shows blizzard conditions verified in Kansas on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

(FOX Weather)

Blizzard conditions have also been verified in Oberlin, Kansas, with forecasters reporting at least three hours of visibility of less than a quarter-mile and winds gusting between 35 and 50 mph.

Travel impacts have also been reported in Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Transportation said Interstate 80 has been closed between Lincoln and Lexington due to deteriorating conditions.

Watch: Nebraska State Patrol slammed by heavy snow, strong winds during blizzard

A video shared by the Nebraska State Patrol shows heavy snow and strong winds as a blizzard blasts the area near Lexington on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

As the storm continues to advance off to the east, conditions are starting to deteriorate in Iowa.

FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar spent the morning in Sioux City, Iowa, where she was being pelted by heavy, wet snow and strong winds.

"It really doesn’t matter how much snow you’re going to get," she said. "These winds are so strong that even as the snow falls, you know, it’s going to be blowing around, reducing visibility."

Minar noted that crews had been busy working to prepare roads ahead of the winter weather, but despite those efforts, snow is covering roads and highways.

Watch: Conditions begin to deteriorate in Iowa as blizzard blasts Plains

A video shared from downtown Sioux City, Iowa, shows snow beginning to coat roads and sidewalks as a powerful winter storm that's producing blizzard conditions in parts of the Plains starts to intensify.

"Unfortunately, the grim reality is that it is a dangerous commute," Minar continued. "And this is going to stay with us all day long."

Power outages are also starting to rise because of the storm. According to FindEnergy.com, more than 33,000 power outages have been reported in Kansas, while Nebraska is reporting over 34,000 outages.

The number of outages is expected to continue to rise as the storm blasts the region with snow and strong winds.

The FOX Forecast Center said wind gusts of 50-60 mph will make travel extremely difficult.

Blizzard Warnings stretch across Plains, Midwest

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Winter weather alerts have been issued across the region, including Blizzard Warnings that stretch from Colorado to Minnesota.

These include cities such as Colby, Hays and Concordia in Kansas, Omaha in Nebraska and Sioux City in Iowa.

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The FOX Forecast Center said snowfall rates could approach 1-2 inches per hour in the heaviest snow bands that set up. Warmer ground temperatures are expected to limit snow accumulations at first, but once a few inches falls, roads and sidewalks are expected to become snow-covered.

Snowfall totals of 8-12 inches are predicted from Nebraska to the Upper Midwest, while a foot or more could fall across portions of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.