More foul winter weather is on the way. An Ice Storm Warning covers Iowa’s southern three tiers of counties, while much of the rest of the state is under a Winter Storm Warning, starting at 3 o’clock this afternoon. National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donovan says this storm system is much larger and more powerful than Tuesday’s:
He says it will contain a lot of moisture and could be intense this afternoon and tonight, as parts of northern Iowa could see six to ten inches of snow by tomorrow. The lightest snowfall is expected in west-central and northwest Iowa, which is under a Winter Weather Advisory. Donovan says ice is the major concern in the southern part of Iowa, with nearly 30 counties in the state’s southern three tiers under the Ice Storm Warning.
Accumulation of ice south of Interstate 80 could be significant, perhaps a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of ice, which could create severe problems with travel and for trees and power lines. Donovan says still more snow is expected to blanket Iowa this weekend.
There’s more snow likely on Saturday during the day and night, with several more inches possible, and yet another storm system may arrive early next week, perhaps Tuesday. He says there will certainly be a "white Christmas" for Iowa this year.