The coldest temperatures of the season have arrived in Iowa as many people are traveling to visit family and friends for Christmas. National Weather Service Meteorologist Craig Cogill says a wind chill advisory is posted for the entire state through noon Tuesday. “We’re going to be looking at air temperatures themselves dropping down to 10-below to near 20 below (zero) in some locations in north-central and northeastern Iowa overnight. Add in the wind on top of that, and we’re going to see wind chills of 20-to-35 below zero across the state,” Cogill says.
In those bitterly cold conditions, Cogill says it won’t take long for exposed skin to freeze. Many areas of the state received 4 to 6 inches of snow Saturday night into Sunday, with 9 inches reported in a few locations in far southern Iowa. Another round of light snow is expected tomorrow. Cogill says one to two inches of snow could fall in areas of northern Iowa, with less amounts across the rest of the state. He’s warning motorists to be prepared for potential slick roads.
“Any time you get a little bit of snowfall on the roadways…people need to remember to slow down and take it easy in those conditions. Even a half-inch of snow can make roads pretty slick,” Cogill says. A slight warmup is in the forecast for Christmas Day, with highs in the 20s to low 30s.