Forecasters say tomorrow morning’s commute could be a mess, as a mix or rain, snow and ice is expected tonight across much of eastern and central Iowa. A Winter Weather Advisory is posted for cities including Ames, Waterloo and Dubuque and all points south.
AAA-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says the three snowstorms that hit Iowa in the past two weeks dumped more than two feet of snow in many places, which created serious challenges.
“The folks who work for AAA who are out there responding to calls for Roadside Service, they were busy but the good thing was that people adhered to staying home, which was good,” Ortner says. “It freed up the roadways for them to do their work and it freed up the roadways for the road crews to get their work done as well.”
Some Iowans are still trying to navigate with a deep pile of snow on the hood and roof of their vehicle, which Ortner says can pose a dangerous hazard for themselves and others.
“Take time to remove the snow from your entire car,” Ortner says. “If you’re out driving around, you want to do that so it doesn’t blow onto your windshield or the windshield of other drivers. Make sure your mirrors and lights are clean because that’s going to help other drivers see you. And having your windows clean will make sure that you have full vision of what’s going on around you when you hit the road.”
Also, slow down. Ortner says posted speed limits are only for ideal conditions, and Iowa’s road conditions haven’t been ideal in quite a while.
(Additional reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)