The Iowa State Patrol shared this photo on Facebook
A blast of wintery weather made for some slick roadways across much of western and northern Iowa this morning.
National Weather Service meteorologist Cory Martin says conditions will likely deteriorate through the day. “We’re going to see wind speeds increasing out of the north this afternoon, so…in terms of just overall conditions, it might get a little worse before it gets better,” Martin said.
High winds have been the “driving force” behind the hazardous road conditions, according to Martin, as snowfall totals are fairly light. “Snowfall has ranged from anywhere up to an inch in central Iowa to two to four inches in western and northern Iowa, with maybe some heavier amounts in the northwest part of the state,” Martin said.
Drier conditions are expected for the remainder of the week and any snow piling-up today will soon disappear. “Our forecast beyond today looks a lot quieter,” Martin said. “Especially at this time of the year, with the higher sun angle, it won’t take long to get this snowfall out of here. Temperatures, at least for Wednesday and Thursday, are going to be a little bit below normal with highs in the 30s. As we get into Friday and Saturday, it looks…we’re going to get back up into the 40s in some areas.”
There have been a lot of crashes reported across Iowa due to the slick roads. In northwest Iowa, the State Patrol reported a vehicle slammed into the back of trooper’s squad car near Sioux Center. The trooper had stopped along a highway to help another motorist. No one was injured in the crash.