Heavy snow is falling across much of Iowa’s southern half as a Winter Storm Warning is posted for most of the region through tonight. Road conditions are deteriorating in many areas, and more than 60 school districts cancelled classes this morning.
Meteorologist Kristy Carter, at the National Weather Service in metro Des Moines, says significant accumulation is expected across wide sections of southern, central and eastern Iowa.
“We’re looking at snow totals anywhere from six to eight inches right through much of the southern few tiers of Iowa,” Carter says, “and as you get a little bit further north, heading towards Ames, totals do start to drop off but there’s going to be an area of four to six inches.”
Earlier this morning, the forecast called for up to a foot of snow in parts of south-central Iowa, especially around Chariton and in Lucas and Monroe counties. “So we’ve been looking at more like eight to ten for some of the higher amounts, that’s just how the forecast populates out,” Carter says, “but the chances of 12 inches or more is pretty low, so we’re looking more at higher totals of eight to 10 inches.”
While some areas are seeing an inch of snowfall per hour, forecasters say the snow should slow and end incrementally.
“Snow will start to taper off later this afternoon,” she says, “but it’ll be into early evening areas central and then as you get further east, it’ll be like this evening.”
A forecast map shows the snow will end between noon and 2 PM in Council Bluffs, Atlantic, Ames and Waterloo, likely around 6 PM for Ottumwa, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, but it won’t stop snowing until after 8 PM in Keokuk, Burlington and Davenport.
The snow may not be around for long, as the forecast calls for high temperatures in the 40s for most of the state’s southern half for Saturday and Sunday.