Southern Iowa may just see flurries, but forecasters predict most of Iowa’s northern half will have moderate-to-heavy snowfall late tonight and much of the day Saturday.
The heaviest snow is expected in the Sioux City area, which may get up to nine inches. Meteorologist Allan Curtis, at the National Weather Service, says ten counties in northwest Iowa are under a Winter Storm Warning from midnight tonight through 9 p.m. Saturday.
“That’s where we see the highest likelihood of anywhere from five-to-seven, maybe locally a bit higher, inches of snowfall,” Curtis says “and then the area surrounding in the Winter Weather Advisory could still see some impactful snowfall, anywhere from two-to-five and again, maybe locally a little bit more.”
This winter blast will include colder temperatures, with wind chills falling as low as 15-below zero. Next week, temperatures are expected to fall even further, which Curtis says is sort of like rubbing salt in the wound.
“After you get the snowfall and everyone kind of digs out of that, it’s going to be our first dose of bitter cold in over a month in most cases,” Curtis says, “and we’re talking widespread temperatures falling below zero for lows, highs in the single digits, and then wind chills 20- to 30-below for at least a few days.”
He says it’s possible Iowa will have below-normal temps for the next two weeks or so before there’s a significant warm-up.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)