With eight inches of snow on the ground in some areas and more falling, Iowa’s in the midst of another winter mess that won’t be over for several hours yet. Brad Small, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says a winter storm warning is in effect for the west, northwest and northern sections of the state. So far, Small says, western Iowa’s caught the worst of this storm. Several counties report six to eight inches of snow including: Audubon, Cass and Crawford counties. Central Iowa can expect up to four inches this morning, with the snow tapering off to flurries by this afternoon. Small was asked if the forecast might include a warm-up anytime soon that could melt the wintry wickedness.Highs are only expected in the teens and 20s for very seasonal weather, at least for the next week so, no, there’ll be no melting until at least February. Small says with winds up to 25 miles an hour whipping the light-weight snow, roads in many parts of the state are hazardous this morning. Snowy roads are blamed in at least five deaths in the past 24 hours, including a wreck Sunday on Interstate-80 near Atlantic that killed four members of one family.
