After a moderate snowfall on Sunday night, forecasters say a much larger winter storm system is heading towards Iowa. Craig Cogil, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, says the Winter Storm Watch runs from late tonight through Wednesday afternoon.

He says it’s for a “really intense storm” that should bring snow tonight, continuing into Tuesday, with the potential for eight-to-12 inches across much of Iowa. Cogil said the heavier band of snow being forecast will be in a band from Creston to Des Moines to Waterloo. He said the big concern with the snow is the wind accompanying the storm.

Cogil says there will be very strong winds of 25 to 30 miles an hour with gusts up to 45 miles an hour that will likely bring blizzard conditions by daybreak on Wednesday. Cogil said once the system pulls out of Iowa on Wednesday, we should be in for smoother sailing.

He says the rest of the week should be “relatively tranquil” but colder than it’s been lately. Overnight, parts of Iowa received one to two inches of the white stuff.

Contributed by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Radio Iowa