Snow emergency in Lincoln as Winter Weather Advisory and storm notices remain in effect
The City of Lincoln declared a Snow Emergency Thursday, and a winter weather advisory is in effect as crews continue plowing and treating main routes. The emergency status, two parking bans and expanded residential plowing are taking effect tonight while National Weather Service notices run through early Friday morning Eastern Time.
Winter Weather Advisory — winter weather advisory update
The National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Warning in effect until 7 a. m. Friday ET with one to three inches of additional snow possible, and a separate winter weather advisory that runs until 7 a. m. Friday ET that notes wind gusts up to 35 mph and the potential for additional accumulations up to four inches. Both notices cover the overnight period when crews are preparing and carrying out plowing and treatment operations.
City operations and parking bans
The City of Lincoln declared a Snow Emergency effective at 9 p. m. Thursday ET and has scheduled two parking bans to begin at 11 p. m. ET. The two bans are a Snow Emergency Parking Ban, which prohibits parking on both sides of emergency snow routes, arterial streets, and school and bus routes, and a Residential Parking Ban, which prohibits parking on the even-numbered side of residential streets during 2026 on streets that are not emergency snow routes, arterials, bus routes or inside a snow removal district. Crews are plowing and applying granular salt pre-wet with brine to arterial, school, transit and emergency snow routes, and additional crews will begin plowing residential streets at 11 p. m. ET. The city has posted maps of the routes and parking ban details on its snow information web page, and a plow tracker and further winter operations information are also available there.
Parking rules and what they mean
The Snow Emergency Parking Ban covers both sides of designated emergency snow routes, arterials and school and bus routes and is designed to keep those corridors clear for emergency and transit traffic. The Residential Parking Ban restricts parking only on even-numbered sides of qualifying residential streets, and it does not apply to streets already designated as emergency snow routes, arterials or bus routes or those inside a snow removal district. The two bans take effect simultaneously at 11 p. m. ET to allow crews to begin residential clearing on a coordinated schedule.
Outlook and near-term implications
Plowing and pre-wetting with brine are under way on main routes, with residential plowing set to start at 11 p. m. ET. If wind gusts approach the upper guidance of 35 mph while accumulations reach the higher estimates, clearing times and road conditions are likely to be affected and crews may face slower progress on residential streets. Officials have indicated more updates will be provided overnight as operations continue. This remains a developing situation through the early Friday morning ET period.
