Blizzard Warnings and High Wind Warnings are posted for much of western and central Iowa for tonight through tomorrow afternoon, and forecasters say Iowans should anticipate a significant impact on roads.
Meteorologist Jim Lee, at the National Weather Service, says the large and powerful storm system is approaching Iowa from the southwest.
“It’s already spread some thunderstorms into the state early this morning, and we’re going to see more widespread rain filling in this afternoon and evening,” Lee says. “Then tonight, very strong winds are going to surge in from the northwest and change the rain to snow, and then we’ll have blowing snow and blizzard conditions by Wednesday morning.”
Lee predicts wide sections of Iowa could get three to six inches of snow from this system.
“It will vary across the area. However, whether a place gets two or four or six inches, when the winds hit, they’ll be so high that it will produce significant blowing snow effects,” Lee says. “So, regardless of the amounts, we expect, widespread travel problems.”
Lee says winds may gust up to 65 miles an hour, and with the blowing snow, white-out conditions may be possible.
Forecasters are watching another storm system develop which could bring more snow to Iowa Thursday night and into Friday.
(Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)