A Winter Weather Advisory is posted until 6 o’clock tonight for most of western and central Iowa, with one to two more inches of snow in the forecast. Craig Cogil, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says the snowfall has been relentless this winter.

More snow is falling now and will continue off-and-on throughout the day. Gusting winds will whip up the new-fallen snow, reducing visibility and making driving hazardous, especially in rural areas. A long section of Interstate 29 in western Iowa is closed in both directions due to blowing and drifting snow and white-out conditions.

The closed stretch runs more than 60 miles from Sioux City into Harrison County, just north of Council Bluffs. Multiple crashes are reported due to poor visibility. Cogil said the week ahead promises to be precipitation-free.

To date, this is Iowa’s snowiest winter on record. Des Moines has seen more than 54 inches of snow since December 1st while Mason City has 22 inches on the ground.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City