Blizzard hammering central US leads to highway closures in at least 3 states
Miles of Interstates 70, 80 and 29 were closed due to blowing snow and low visibility as blizzard conditions pummel Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas.
Heavy snow leads to interstate closure, low visibility in Iowa
FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar is in Sioux City where conditions were visibily terrible Wednesday morning. Across the Plains many major highways are closed. I-29 is closed for more than 75 miles from Us 30 to Sioux City because of conditions.
Fast Facts:
- Blizzard Warnings stretch from Colorado to Minnesota.
- Major highways in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa 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.
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.
According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, all highways in the northwest part of the state are closed. The agency said the closure includes both directions of Interstate 70 from Salina to the Colorado border.
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.
I-70 is also closed between Goodland and Colby due to low visibility and treacherous travel conditions.
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.
Snow creates whiteout conditions in Hastings, Nebraska
Video from the National Weather Service office in Hastings, NE, on Wednesday morning shows the blowing snow creating whiteout conditions. People were encouraged stay off the roads in Iowa and Kansas as well on Wednesday morning because of similar conditions.
Travel impacts spread to Nebraska
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.
Nebraska State Patrol took to X to remind drivers to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.
Video from Wednesday showed blizzard conditions near Lexington, Nebraska, where visibility was extremely limited.
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.
The Iowa Department of Transportation reported that Interstate 29 between Missouri Valley and Sioux City is closed in both directions due to crashes, downed power lines and low visibility.
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 continued to rise Wednesday afternoon. According to FindEnergy.com, Nebraska is reporting nearly 100,000 outages, while more than 33,000 power outages were reported in Kansas.
In Iowa, nearly 25,000 were without power.
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
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.
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.