Lieutenant Governor Patti Judge said this afternoon the number of people without power in Iowa continues to drop. Judge says the most current numbers show 51,350 people are still without power. Some 265,000 had been without power Sunday.
The crews continue working while the National Weather Service is sounding a warning of a new storm. Meteorologist Brenda Brock says this storm will pack a big punch. Brock says: "This is a very dangerous winter storm. Yes, it’s the second storm this week, but please know, this is a life threatening situation.
Brock says this storm will start tonight with rain and move on to ice and snow. Brock says the biggest concern is the amount of wind this storm will bring. Brock says the strong winds with gusts as high as 45 to 50 miles-an-hour will last 24 hours and make driving difficult. She says some areas are going to get a lot of white stuff.
Brock says northern parts of the state, from Atlantic north of Des Moines to Waterloo, could see nine to 18 inches of snow — particularly in the northeast corner. She says the central part of the state will see four to eight inches of snow. The National Weather Service has a winter weather advisory and a blizzard watch in effect