BEATRICE - Thunderstorms one day… snow the next. It’s been a different kind of winter season for southeast Nebraska. The southeast region has generally missed the very heavy snowstorms other areas of Nebraska has seen.

That could change overnight…with forecasters predicting anywhere from five to nine inches of snow.

Beatrice City Street Superintendent Jason Moore says crews are ready.

"The last couple of storms they've predicted heavy snowfalls and we've gotten lucky and missed out on them. Right now, I still think there is a very narrow band where it's going to be heavy. It may come through and get us. I've heard some reports you may see three to four inches difference inside of twenty miles....so, we'll see."

Five snowplows, two graders and a loader are ready…and each truck has a load of salt. A street crew will start work at 11 p.m. and work through three p.m. Thursday.  Should the snow start sooner, a secondary comes in, earlier.

"Temperatures look like they're going to be in the mid-20s, low-20s in the morning. It's a relatively warm storm, so I think our salt will work, once the wind lies down. It's hard to say right now...the meterologists have been off, so far. Somebody just asked me, what do you think?...well, somewhere between three inches and a foot."

Moore says up until this storm, it’s been a fairly easy winter season on supplies of road material, along with very little wear and tear on equipment such as snow blades.

"Every year I order my blades in October for the whole year. I order my salt in June, so that we get the summer rate on the salt. We are well above on the salt. Some of the trucks haven't even changed a set of blades yet this year, from what they had on last year. Financially, its been a very good year."

One variable with this storm will be the wind…which can blow some areas shut… shortly after they are cleared.  "In that case, there will be places where the snow will blow back across. Industrial Row is a terrible one. The industrial park it does the same thing. Ridgeview, up by the turkey farm...West Court...the curve out by the high school. Those places will blow back across on us."

Moore says in most winter seasons, the department can put away the snow blades for the season by around March 20th...aside from a small storm that may require application of some salt.

On the flip side, Moore says he has seen some strong thunderstorms that can turn into heavy snowfall, in April.