NEBRASKA -- Before the holiday season, many Nebraskans were not anticipating seeing a "White Christmas".

Then, a blizzard warning was released for the majority of the central and into the northeastern parts of the state over Christmas Eve and Christmas. 

With a blizzard warning now in affect for the central parts of the state from Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, what has caused the rapid changes in the storm’s outlook?

“The timing of it, uncertain. The magnitude of it, very uncertain,” said News Channel Nebraska meteorologist Morris Langworthy. “We also didn’t know how powerful it was going to be. How much cold was it going to draw down from the north?”

After a system of moisture and warm air from the Gulf of Mexico came up to Nebraska and a Canadian cold air reached down, the two created snow instead of rain.

“A lot of the changeover was occurring right across Nebraska,” said National Weather Service lead meteorologist Becky Kern. “What we found out now it was somewhat near the Missouri River, just the Iowa-Nebraska side.”

Snow fall totals throughout the state vary by region; but the highest totals in the state were reported in the northeastern part of the state with some areas reporting as high as nine inches.

For central Nebraska, a blizzard warning is in affect for numerous counties and Kern expects the western half of the state to see hazardous travel.

“The residual impacts can be very large. You have the snowfall and then continued wind as the system departs,” Kern said. “That’s creating some visibility and road issues out in the Western part of the state.”

Langworthy said this storm is all about where you are located.

“If you just go a little bit off to the northeast of us, into even southern South Dakota, it’s been a freezing rain event. That warm air is right over there on the other side of the Missouri River right now. That’s why it’s been very icy into the Dakotas and into Minnesota. Come a little bit to the west towards central Nebraska, we’re getting all that cold air push. We’re getting a little bit more snow.”

Kern said precipitation for the winter season looks to be delayed into January and February and it all depends on the temperature if it will be rain or snow.

As central Nebraska entered into a blizzard warning until Tuesday morning, some areas in southeast Nebraska are expected to see some spotty snow showers but Kern said those showers could be hit-or-miss.

Counties down into central Nebraska are now sitting in a winter weather advisory until Tuesday night and NWS is anticipating an additional inch of snow for the area.