A large truck stop along Interstate-35 in Hamilton County is often an oasis for motorists during foul weather, but not today. Marilyn Reem, a cashier at the Boondocks, says it’s been a quiet morning as motorists heeded the blizzard warnings.
“As far as inside the building, there’s just the workers,” Reem says. “I think everybody paid attention to the forecast and got off the road.” She says there are some big rigs parked in the truck stop lot, but hardly anybody wants to brave the icy winds, which are gusting to 60 miles an hour.
“There’s a lot of truckers but I think a lot of them are staying in their trucks,” she says. “Not too many of them are in here.” While there are many road closures in the state, Reem says Interstate 35 is still open this morning for those brave motorists.
She says the state did pull its plows and trucks off the roads because they couldn’t keep up with the blowing and drifting snow. “With the visibility getting down, it was hard to see and with the wind coming up, it was kind of a lost cause cleaning it off,” Reem says.
In nearby Story City, two churches and the Roland Story High School are open for motorists who are stranded by the storm.
Contribute by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City