A wintery mix of snow, drizzle and cold temperatures combined to create some dangerous driving conditions across Iowa this morning. The Iowa State Patrol reported numerous accidents, including a couple of multi-vehicle pile-ups on Interstate 80 westbound near Altoona.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jacob Beitlich says the heaviest snow totals today will range from two to four inches and more precipitation will follow the snow. “We could a little bit of light drizzle or freezing drizzle later on,” Beitlich said.
Plow operators should have most major roadways clear by sometime this afternoon, but highway and interstate travel could become treacherous again this evening. “As the snow subsides later on this afternoon, I think temperatures are going to warm up enough where the roads – if treated and plowed off – shouldn’t be too slick,” Beitlich said. “But then as the sun goes down, we could see temperatures fall back below freezing. That could make things refreeze and slippery once again.”
An even stronger storm system is expected in the state later this week as many Iowans will be traveling to Des Moines for the State High School Wrestling Tournament. “The next big (storm) will be Wednesday into Thursday morning,” Beitlich said. “We’re going to have a system coming up from the southwest that could bring a wintery mix…not sure if it’ll be rain or snow or a mixture of (both). That’ll be the next thing to keep an eye on.” That storm could produce 4 to 8 inches of snow, depending on the form of precipitation, Beitlich said.
Iowa Road Conditions: www.511ia.org