Another massive snowstorm is heading for Iowa which forecasters say could dump between four and nine inches of snow across a wide section of the state. Rich Kinney, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says we have a few hours to limber up our shoveling muscles or to fuel up the snowblower.

Kinney says the Winter Storm Watch runs from late this afternoon through Thursday afternoon for essentially the southeastern two-thirds of Iowa, in addition to a Snow and Blowing Snow Advisory for far southwest Iowa. He says potential snowfall amounts in this storm will be varied, though the heaviest amounts are expected to run in a diagonal corridor across Iowa from Atlantic to Des Moines to Waterloo.

Kinney says most areas in the Storm Watch area can expect four to six inches of snow, while some areas could get up to nine inches. About the time Iowans are getting their sidewalks and driveways cleared from this storm, he says another one will be hitting.

Kinney says another winter weather system will hit on Friday that may only bring an inch or so of snow, but it will have much stronger winds with gusts up to 40-miles an hour and with much colder air. He says wind chill indices could dip as low as 35-degrees below zero with Friday’s storm, while the winds will whip up the newly-fallen snow into deep drifts, in addition to reducing visibility and making driving more hazardous.

Iowa averages 33 inches of snowfall every winter and we’ve already had more than 20 inches this season.