KEARNEY, Neb. — A late-March snow storm is forcing transportation officials to close Interstate 80.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed I-80 westbound at Kearney around 8:30 Monday morning. The NDOT had previously closed all lanes of the interstate and US Highway 30 between Lexington and Ogallala. 

The closure come as the region remains in a blizzard warning through 7:00 Tuesday morning. As of mid-morning, Kearney had only received an inch or two of snow, but wind gusts in excess of 40 mph was blowing that snow around creating visibility issues. A layer of ice sits underneath the snow on area roads.

Most central Nebraska highways west of Shelton and Kenesaw are marked as completely covered with snow or ice on the NDOT 511 Map.

High winds are expected to remain until Tuesday afternoon. More snowfall is possible later in the day on Monday.