OMAHA — At least two people were killed and more injured in several accidents on Interstate 80 Monday, as icy roads and blowing snow brought poor visibility and slick roads across the state.

Four to 6 inches of snow already had blanketed parts of western and central Nebraska by 10:30 p.m. Monday, said John Springer, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in North Platte.

Winds of up to 25 mph were expected to cause blowing and drifting snow. The heaviest snow was expected before midnight, but another 2 to 3 inches were possible overnight, he said.

The storm was expected to hit Lincoln and Omaha with 4 to 6 inches of snow overnight.

Road conditions may have contributed to a pileup on I-80 that involved at least three semitrailers and two cars and killed one person.

Eastbound lanes of I-80 were closed from Hershey to North Platte all afternoon after the accident at 12:15 p.m. near Hershey, and lanes from Hershey farther west to Sutherland also were closed later in the afternoon. The interstate reopened Monday evening, according to the Nebraska State Patrol in North Platte.

The name of the person killed was not immediately released.

The pileup apparently started when a semitrailer jackknifed into the median of eastbound I-80, said North Platte Fire Captain Dennis Thompson. Another semitrailer slammed into it, peeling the cab of the second truck off its frame.

One of the semitrailers was carrying young pigs. A North Platte livestock hauler was sent to the scene to gather the pigs, which were huddled at the scene, said Lincoln County Chief Deputy Dean Sparks.

Near that accident, two passenger cars collided with another semitrailer, which caught fire.

Icy roads contributed to an accident at about 5 p.m. that killed a Texas man on I-80 near the Wood River exit.

Ofrael Muniz, 19, from Fort Stockton, Texas, was driving his pickup east when he skidded on ice, crossed the median and drove into the westbound lane, striking a semi, according to State Patrol Lt. Dennis Leonard. Muniz was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. A male passenger, also from Fort Stockton, was taken to a hospital. His name was not immediately released.

About the same time, an accident on I-80 near Shelton injured three people.