The American Red Cross also recommends making sure you have plenty of food at home during severe winter weather. They suggest non-perishable food that doesn’t require electricity to cook. Make sure you have a non-electric can opener. Lebellarte says if you are making a trip to the store don’t forget to stock up on extra pet food and supplies.

During disasters that include floods, tornados and fires, the American Red Cross provides assistance by putting up shelters for victims to stay. Lebellarte says during snow storms it is much too dangerous for their volunteers to be out and about but they do survey motel operators to get reports of vacancies.

Negley says Ienn was very well known in the circle of firefighters nationwide and served on the board of the National Council on Fireworks Safety and on several other committees. He says many knew Ienn personally and want to show their support.

Saturday would have been Ienn’s 41st birthday. He died earlier this week in what authorities are calling a suicide.

The snow plows will concentrate on the city’s main streets. McIntyre says if extra help is needed they will contract 18 contractors who have 80 trucks to clear residential streets.

Some weather sources are reporting we could get an inch of snow per hour and thunder-snow is likely. Snow and blowing snow will also create dangerous driving conditions. Strong winds are also expected with this storm.

State Climatologist Ken Dewey at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says the amount of snow we see today and tomorrow depends on when it switches from rain to snow.

“Now, there is one tiny, little glimmer of hope and that would be, as these systems can do, if it can find a way to pull in some dry air from the southwest, it can cut off the moisture entirely,” according to Dewey. “So, when we say we’re going to have a certain amount of snowfall, it’s not a guarantee. It’s just the highest probability.”

Predictions of snowfall vary greatly, from as little as four inches of snow to as much as 14 inches. Dewey says the only prediction he can guarantee is that the state will see precipitation today and tomorrow.

“It’s a 100% chance it’s going to rain. It’s a 100% chance it’s going to snow over this weekend. It’s not 100% sure it’s going to be eight to 10 inches of snow, but it’s very high probability,” Dewey says.

Rain will turn to snow once the temperature drops to 36 degrees. The snow will be a heavy, wet snow. Blizzard conditions could form in western and central Nebraska.

Dewey acknowledges it is difficult for weather forecasters to accurately predict how much snow will fall.

“But, we’re not going to escape snow,” Dewey says. “This is not one of these situations where, as the system is approaching us, all of a sudden it veers off to the side and the next thing that you know, it’s Kansas City and St. Louis is getting the snow or it heads up toward Minneapolis. This is not going to miss us.”

The storm poses the greatest threat tonight into tomorrow. Travel could become treacherous, even dangerous. The Nebraska Department of Roads has travel information on its website, which you can access by clicking here.

For Nebraska weather forecasts at UNL click here.

Nebraska State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins says we all need to refresh ourselves on winter driving.

“One of the basic things is to make sure that you adjust your vehicle speed and never travel faster than conditions allow,” Collins tells Nebraska Radio Network. “That sign might say 75, but if the conditions don’t allow you to go 75, you need to adjust for those conditions.”

Other precautions drivers need to take include turning on headlights, turning off the cruise control, increasing following distance between vehicles and being careful driving over bridges and overpasses, which might be slicker than the roads.

Weather forecasters predict anywhere between four and 14 inches of snow in Nebraska. Blizzard conditions are expected to form in the western section of the state, perhaps even in central Nebraska.

Travel information is available from the Nebraska Department of Roads. You can dial 5-1-1 on your cell phone or landline for information or go to the department website at http://www.511.nebraska.gov/atis/html/index.html. Travelers outside of Nebraska wanting to check weather and road conditions can dial 1-800-906-9069.

If blizzard conditions form, it could force the department to close roads.

Collins says the best route motorists can take the next couple of days could be to delay travel.

“I always look at it this way, if it’s my choice to be stuck at home or my choice to be stuck on the road; I would think the vast majority of us would rather be stuck at home than stuck out on the road,” Collins says.

Collins says motorists in need of non-emergency roadside assistance can call the Nebraska State Patrol Highway Helpline at *55 from any cell phone or 1-800-525-5555 from any landline.

AUDIO: Brent Martin interviews Deb Collins with the Nebraska State Patrol on road conditions [5 min]

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the state, predicting a storm will move from Colorado into the state. It could leave anywhere from four to 14 inches of snow in its wake.

Meteorologist Ken Siemek predicts winter returns with a vengeance this weekend.

“This one bears watching,” Siemek says. “It is certainly is, without question, going to be the most significant storm Nebraska has seen this entire winter. And they’re still talking about the potential of 10, 12, maybe up to 14 inches of snow in parts of western and central Nebraska.”

This winter storm should move from in Friday evening, hitting western Nebraska hard.

“We’ve got blizzard warnings in the far west,” according to Siemek. “We’re talking about west of North Platte in the Imperial and McCook areas and then winter storm warnings out around North Platte.”

It is a forecast so bleak that Speaker of the Legislature Mike Flood has announced that legislative hearings at the Capitol on Friday afternoon have been cancelled. The hearings have been rescheduled for Monday, February 13th, beginning at 9:30am. The legislature plans to only be in session for a couple of hours this morning so that members can get home ahead of the storm.

AUDIO: Brent Martin reports [:40]

Speaker of the Legislature, Mike Flood, announced that hearings scheduled to begin this afternoon at 1:30 will be cancelled so legislators can return home ahead of the storm and the public won’t be caught in it traveling to and from the Capitol in Lincoln.

The hearings scheduled for this afternoon have been rescheduled for Monday, February 13th, beginning at 9:30am.

“Bill hearings are an integral part of the legislative process, and it is important for both senators and citizens to be able to attend public hearings,” Speaker Flood said in a written statement. “This change in schedule will help keep folks off the roads during potentially unsafe conditions.”

For the legislative agenda, click here for the Nebraska Unicameral website.

Deb Scholten, director of the Northeast Nebraska Health Department in Wayne, says she’s seeing numerous reports of people coming down with norovirus.

“There isn’t any way you can prevent that,” Scholten says. “It’s highly contagious as most family members know, if you’ve had somebody come down with norovirus. When we talk about norovirus, we’re talking about the stomach flu, which actually isn’t an influenza but we’ve always called it that.”

Scholten says if you catch it, you will feel pretty sick for 24 to 48 hours, likely with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

She says, “The important thing is, even when you are done having the symptoms, you should probably wait at least 24 hours because your body still might be shedding some of that virus and you can still pass it on to other people.”

Scholten says there is no shot or antibiotic to treat norovirus. If you or your kids are sick, she recommends a simple course of action.

“Stay home,” she says. “It’s sometimes a hard call because kids love to wake up in the morning and say they have a tummy ache so they don’t have to go to school, but if there’s norovirus around, you may want to do a little extra listening, especially if they have the symptoms.”

She says the virus can be transmitted through the air or by direct contact.

Jerry Oster, WNAX, Yankton