Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) have issued a new round of winter alerts for Iowa ahead of a potent snowstorm expected to move in this weekend.
On Friday afternoon, forecasters expanded winter weather advisories and upgraded a previous winter storm watch to a full winter storm warning for parts of central Iowa. The system is arriving roughly a week after the Midwest dealt with its first major winter storm of the season over the Thanksgiving holiday, and it is expected to bring more accumulating snow, hazardous travel and slick sidewalks.
NWS meteorologist Alexis Jimenez told Newsweek the incoming storm is a “heavier system than what we would normally see” for this time of year, with snowfall rates potentially reaching up to 0.75 inches per hour during the most intense periods.
For many areas, impacts are expected to begin Saturday night. NWS Des Moines has issued a winter storm warning for Clarion, Pocahontas, Kanawha, Webster City, Fonda, Rolfe, Belmond, Algona, Gilmore City, Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Laurens, Eagle Grove, Emmetsburg, Britt, Garner and Estherville. The hardest-hit locations could see as much as 8 inches of snow.
The warning takes effect at noon on Saturday and will remain in place through midnight.
“If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency,” officials cautioned.
In a post on X, NWS Des Moines said the heaviest snow is expected between 6 p.m. and midnight on Saturday, with conditions beginning to improve Sunday morning.
Farther east, the NWS Quad Cities office has issued a winter weather advisory calling for up to 4 inches of snow between Saturday and Sunday night, with the highest totals expected north of I-80. Cities included in the advisory are Moline, Davenport, Bettendorf, Independence, Wapello, Anamosa, Washington, Aledo, Marengo, Iowa City, Maquoketa, Tipton, Vinton, Clinton, Manchester, Muscatine, Dubuque, Sigourney, Cedar Rapids and Rock Island.
“A clipper system will bring widespread light snow to the region Saturday night,” the advisory said. “A narrow band of moderate to heavy snow is possible but there is uncertainty on the exact placement. Snowfall amounts over 4 inches are possible where this band sets up, most favored to the northwest of the Quad Cities at this time.”
NWS Sioux Falls in South Dakota, which covers parts of northwestern Iowa, is also calling for 2 to 6 inches of snow, with precipitation beginning as early as Saturday morning.
Winter weather is impacting other regions of the country as well, including higher elevations in the Pacific Northwest and parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. In the mid-Atlantic, a departing storm system is moving away from the U.S., but winter weather advisories remain in effect for portions of Virginia and Maryland as of 3 p.m. ET Friday.
