FAIRBURY - The second winter storm of the season has certainly brought snow to Southeast Nebraska but - so far - nothing past what could be considered standard. 

Preliminary forecasts at the start of this week called for anywhere between four to six inches of snow through south-central Nebraska and then between six to eight inches across the southeast part of the state, and as of midday Wednesday, snowfall totals are on pace to hit those projections. 

By 8 a.m., Jefferson County Emergency Services reported three inches of snow had accumulated overnight, with an additional inch-plus reported by noon. Fairbury saw its first glimpse of snow around 3 p.m. Tuesday, but there was nothing substantial until about 1 a.m. Wednesday. But even then, snow did not begin to fall consistently until about 3 a.m. - but since then, it has come down pretty consistently, swelling somewhat around 11 a.m. before settling back down. 

Even though there was no snowfall until the early morning hours Wednesday, all area schools adjusted their after-school activities schedules on Tuesday, shifting start times of games and practices by at least an hour in an effort to avoid the impending weather. 

On Wednesday though, everything shut down. All schools across the area were closed and most all suspended afternoon activities, and most local businesses closed their doors as well, though that didn't stop some people - some working with the city and some working on their own - from working to clear the streets and sidewalks and make them as accessible as possible given the conditions. 

Citizens called in to Ol' Red 99.5 in the morning reporting challenging road conditions and poor visibility north of Jefferson County on the way to Saline before 7 a.m., and images from highway cameras showed substandard driving conditions along Highway 81 near Hebron, but, altogether, nothing out of the ordinary for a February snowstorm in Southeast Nebraska.

Fairbury's snow emergency was set to expire at noon Wednesday, and Mayor Kelly Davis confirmed it had in a Facebook post around 12:30, saying "Thank you to all that obeyed the parking bans. The snow emergency may be reinstated if the weather justifies another one."

The snow might be tapering off, but the cold is expected to persist: temperatures have been hovering in the single digits for much of the day Wednesday, and will drop to significantly below zero overnight with wind chills expected to reach close to minus 20 before things heat up - briefly - on Friday.