Photo by Ellen Mortensen
    Kevin Richardson of Broken Bow was one of many central Nebraska residents scooping out following a spring snowstorm that hit the state last week.

By ELLEN MORTENSEN
Chief Managing Editor

    It is not uncommon for snowstorms to hit Nebraska during the early months of spring, and last week Mother Nature dished out what most hope to be the last snowfall of the season.
    The storm made its way across the state Thursday and Friday, prompting the majority of schools across the area to close and cancelled many activities. The heavy snow and strong winds caused considerable blowing and drifting, and on Friday the Nebraska Department of Roads closed State Highway 2 between Mullen and Thedford from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
   

    Track meets were postponed, many businesses across the area closed early and travel was not advised if not necessary. The National Weather Service issued a number of watches and warnings for western and north-central areas of the state, and a wind advisory was issued for Thursday into Friday for most of Nebraska.
    The Nebraska Public Power District reported power outages in some areas of the state, including O’Neill and Big Springs, but no power outages were reported in the area.
    Snowfall totals varied across the area, and by Thursday night many locations were seeing several inches of snow on the ground. On the bright side, the snow was very wet and provided needed moisture for the area.
    In Ord, four inches of snow was reported by 8 p.m. Thursday, with a water equivelent of 2.15 inches of precipitation. According to the National Weather Service, Anselmo was experiencing heavy snow by shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday morning reducing visibility to 1/4 to 1/2 mile. By 5 p.m. that day there was a reported eight inches of snow on the ground at Anselmo, with a water equivalent of 1.44 inches.
    By early Friday morning, snow totals across the area included 11 inches southeast of Anselmo, just over 11 inches west of Stapleton, 13 inches 15 miles north of Broken Bow, and 12 to 13 inches in and around Broken Bow. Trained weather spotters reported five to six foot snow drifts in rural Custer County.
    The weather conditions are also being blamed for a number of accidents across the area, including three accidents Thursday and Friday investigated by the Custer County Sheriff’s Office.
    At 10 a.m. Thursday morning, 19-year-old Brandi Holloway of Ansley hit a patch of wet pavement on Memorial Drive 1/2 mile west of the railroad crossing. The vehicle hydroplaned and went off the north side of the road and rolled onto its right side before coming to rest facing west. Holloway was not injured.
    Also on Thursday the Sheriff’s Office responded to a single vehicle accident on State Highway 2 north of Merna. Curt A. Kiner, 65 of Lincoln, was northbound in his 2004 Chevy Tahoe when he lost control of his vehicle due to ice and snow. Kiner went into the east ditch, struck a sign post and got stuck in the ditch.
    His vehicle was able to be pulled out of the ditch, and the uninjured Kiner proceeded on his way.
    The Sheriff’s Office also responded to an accident reported Wednesday night, April 9, 1.8 miles west of Broken Bow. Troy Safranek, 24 of Merna, was eastbound on Highway 2 when he says he fell asleep. His 1993 Chevy pickup left the roadway to his right, hit several trees, crossed the highway and entered the north ditch. The pickup then crossed the railroad tracks, impacted a fence and came to rest in a corn field. Safranek was not injured in the accident.