Photos Show ‘Walls of Snow’ as Crippling Winter Storms Blast Nebraska

Photos shared with Newsweek show massive snow piles towering over vehicles as extreme winter weather continues to pummel Nebraska, a situation Governor Jim Pillen described as “critical.”

In a statement sent to Newsweek on Saturday night, Pillen and other state officials urged all Nebraskans, particularly residents of the eastern side of the state, where parts are buried under several feet of snow, to stay home.

The state is “dealing with a combination of snowpack, blowing snow and subzero temperatures,” prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency, according to the statement.

Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) captured photos and videos of the wintry conditions around the state, including jaw-dropping images of snow towering above vehicles in eastern parts of the state, where snow-covered roadways and white-out conditions left more than 100 drivers requiring assistance from state troopers on Saturday alone.

“The walls of snow along roadways in eastern Nebraska are great evidence of what @NebraskaDOT and local plow crews have dealt with this week,” the NSP said in a post on Facebook.

Cody Thomas, NSP Public Relations Director, told Newsweek in an interview on Saturday night that snowfall totals ranged from 7 inches to up to two feet in some areas.

“That’s all come since Monday, but the latest round of snow was a lighter snow so it’s blowing around and has created drifts several feet deep in many areas,” he said.

Thomas told Newsweek that 173 motorists required assistance from state patrol on Saturday, with most of the calls coming from eastern Nebraska. Since thr severe weather began blasting the state on Monday, NSP troopers have responded to nearly 1,000 calls for stranded motorists.

“With blowing snow and wind chills in the -20° range or even lower, the Nebraska State Patrol is urging people to avoid travel until conditions improve,” Thomas said. “If you have to travel, check 511 to know what the conditions are and check road closures. If you get stranded, stay in your vehicle and call for help. Exposure in these conditions can be life-threatening.”

The Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) has reported more than 1,700 miles of state highway closures in eastern Nebraska, with a “vast majority” of roadways closed or impassible due to snow drifts or reduced visibility, Thomas said.

Vicki Kramer, director for NDOT, echoed the calls for drivers to stay off the road, not only for their own wellbeing, but also for the safety of crews working to clear the roads.

“This is a sustained operation to clear off Nebraska’s roads, meaning this will take longer than we’re normally used to,” Kramer said in a statement sent to Newsweek. “Stay home and off the roads, so we can get this done as safely and efficiently as possible.”

Kramer noted that 54 highways were closed as of Saturday and NDOT had 375 plows out working to clear roadways across the state.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued two severe weather alerts for the state on Saturday, a wind chill warning and a winter storm warning. NWS said that “dangerously cold” temperatures as low as 45 below zero and wind gusts up to 35 mph causing blowing snow are expected.

“Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility,” the NWS warned on Saturday. “The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.”

The extreme in Nebraska comes as most of the United States is getting hit with wintry conditions. NWS issued warnings for large portions of the country, warning of major winter storms are expected to continue from Saturday to Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day federal holiday.