— Daily Freeman-Journal photo by Anne Blankenship City of Webster City street department workers were out moving snow Tuesday afternoon as a winter storm dumped several inches of the white stuff on the area. A snow emergency has been declared for Webster City Wednesday. All vehicles must be off the street by 8 a.m.

A strong winter storm made for treacherous travel conditions and spurring warnings urging people to stay off the roads.

Webster City was under a winter storm warning Tuesday which was in effect until 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. Snow continued to fall throughout the day and evening. A mixture of snow and freezing rain was predicted for the overnight.

“We may see a wintery mix later Tuesday and early Wednesday morning before precipitation tapers off,” said Jeff Zogg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines. He said the area could see a total of 4 to 6 inches of snow accumulation.

Officials with the City of Webster City declared a snow emergency for Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. All vehicles must be off the streets by 8 a.m. No parking will be allowed on the streets until both sides have been plowed or until the snow emergency is lifted. Vehicles on the street after 8 a.m. maybe ticketed and are subject to tow.

Tuesday afternoon, Sheriff Doug Timmons urged motorists to take their time and slow down if they planned to travel.

“You need to plan ahead and have a Plan B,” he said.

Timmon’s office had received a few calls about accidents Tuesday afternoon, but none involved injuries, he said.

Other areas

By Tuesday morning, snow was so heavy in western Nebraska that Interstates 80 and 76 were closed in both directions after several accidents, and the Nebraska Department of Transportation warned people to avoid unnecessary travel.

“Conditions remain hazardous & we anticipate they will remain so all day Tuesday. Please avoid travel,” the department said on Twitter.

Police in Omaha reported several accidents blamed on slick roads. Some parts of Nebraska had already seen 3 inches of snow by mid-morning, and the area near Creston, Iowa, already had 5 inches of snow.

Heavy snowfall of up to 10 inches, and perhaps more in some spots, was forecast in parts of Iowa, where the state Department of Transportation urged people to delay travel plans.

National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Vachalek told the Des Moines Register that the storm could be especially concerning for drivers.

“The wet, heavy snow is very slippery … that could cause more crashes and people need to be aware of that,” Vachalek said.

Wisconsin also was bracing for up to 10 inches of snow in some areas. The forecast called for 3 to 6 inches of snow in the Milwaukee area.

AccuWeather said parts of southeast Nebraska, northeast Kansas, northern Missouri and southern Iowa could see ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch, which could weigh down power lines and branches and cause power outages.

In Topeka, morning snow was expected to give way to freezing rain before eventually becoming rain.

In the Kansas City area, light snow on Tuesday morning resulted in several accidents. Among them were several rollove