DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Weather officials are predicting several inches of snow over a large swath of Iowa, with blizzard conditions hitting the northern half of the state. The National Weather Service says anywhere from 3 to 9 inches of snow could fall in central and northern Iowa from the early hours of Thursday into the evening hours.

Meteorologist Kurt Kotenberg says the wintry mix of sleet and snow will develop Thursday morning for northern Iowa. Rain will fall in central Iowa until it transitions into snow. Heavy snow will fall from Thursday morning into the afternoon.

Kotenberg says thundersnow — an area of heavy snow with embedded thunder — could occur Thursday. The winter storm system will be largely out of the state by Friday morning as it moves northeast into Wisconsin.

Precipitation will begin to push into southern Iowa through the evening hours. Showers and thunderstorms are possible, with some thunderstorms capable of producing heavy rainfall. The precipitation will begin to switch to snow over northwest Iowa late tonight with the transition gradually shifting southeast Thursday, a brief mix of wintry precipitation is possible before rain changes to snow. Winds will be light initially Thursday but will increase significantly by the afternoon. The combination of several inches of snow and wind gusts approaching 50 mph will produce blizzard conditions over portions of northern Iowa.

3:43-P.M. 2/19/2014…COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GUTHRIE-DALLAS…

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY… THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

TIMING...A WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND TRANSITION TO SNOW THURSDAY DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING. THE SNOW MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS… POTENTIALLY CREATING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT TIMES. WITH LITTLE TO NO SNOW CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND…THE CHANCE FOR WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IS LOW.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED. MINOR ICE AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS MAY ALSO OCCUR.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHWEST AND QUICKLY STRENGTHEN TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* IMPACTS…THE BAND OF WET AND HEAVY SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS MAY LEAD TO VERY LOW VISIBILITY AND AS WELL AS QUICKLY COVER ROADS MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES.

3:43-P.M. WED FEB 19 2014
CASS-ADAIR-AUDUBON & MADISON COUNTIES:WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW & BLOWING SNOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THURSDAY TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH FOR ADAIR-AUDUBON AND MADISON COUNTIES IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

MONONA-HARRISON & SHELBY COUNTIES: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND WIND IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT WED. TO NOON THURSDAY.

POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT & PAGE COUNTIES: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW FROM 6-AM UNTIL NOON THURSDAY.

TIMING…A WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AND TRANSITION TO SNOW THURSDAY DURING THE EARLY TO MID MORNING. THE SNOW MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS… POTENTIALLY CREATING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. HOWEVER…WITH THE LOWER SNOW AMOUNTS AND LITTLE TO NO SNOW CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND… CONFIDENCE IS FOR WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IS LOW.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED. MINOR ICE AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS MAY ALSO OCCUR.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHWEST AND QUICKLY STRENGTHEN TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* IMPACTS…THE BAND OF WET AND HEAVY SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS MAY LEAD TO VERY LOW VISIBILITY AND AS WELL AS QUICKLY COVER ROADS MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With snow still on the ground and spring just a month away concerns that snow melt and spring rain could happen all at once causing flooding are increasing.

State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says Iowa ground remains solidly frozen with frost reaching 33 inches, twice the depth one would expect this time of year. That means any rainfall runs off the ground. He says the later freezing temperatures stay the more likely snowmelt will come as spring rain sets in, which could increase flood chances.

National Weather Service Hydrologist Jeff Zogg says it doesn’t appear all the factors line up for a significant flood event in Iowa, but timing of the spring thaw and rainfall is everything. The weather service releases its spring flood outlook on Thursday.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS EXPANDED THURSDAY’S BLIZZARD   WATCH TO INCLUDE SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AND AUDUBON COUNTIES. THE WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ADAIR, GUTHRIE AND DALLAS COUNTIES AS WELL, FROM 6-A.M. THURSDAY TO 6-P.M. FRIDAY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE
THURSDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING…A WINTRY MIX IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT TONIGHT
AND TRANSITION TO SNOW THURSDAY MORNING. THE SNOW MAY BECOME
HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS
ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THE
EVENING HOURS…POTENTIALLY CREATING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.
HOWEVER…WITH THE LOWER SNOW AMOUNTS AND LITTLE TO NO SNOW
CURRENTLY ON THE GROUND…CONFIDENCE IS LOWER FOR WIDESPREAD
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER WEST CENTRAL IOWA.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…3 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW IS
EXPECTED. MINOR ICE AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS MAY ALSO OCCUR.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…WINDS WILL SHIFT NORTHWEST AND QUICKLY
STRENGTHEN TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH POSSIBLE BY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* IMPACTS…THE BAND OF WET AND HEAVY SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS
MAY LEAD TO VERY LOW VISIBILITY AND AS WELL AS QUICKLY COVER
ROADS MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY
DANGEROUS.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has released its projection of expected snowfall for Thursday. Officials say Central to northern Iowa will receive the most, with the worst blizzard conditions Thursday afternoon into the evening. Areas from Atlantic on north, can expect 3-to 6-inches of snow, with 2- to 3-inches possible to our southeast. One-to two-inches are possible to our west and southwest. A Blizzard Watch remains in effect from 6-a.m. Thursday until 6-a.m. Friday, for Adair, Guthrie and Dallas Counties in the listening area. And a Blizzard Watch is in effect from 9-a.m. Thursday until 6-a.m. Friday for Audubon, Carroll, Crawford and Sac Counties.

The (podcast) Freese-Notis weather forecast for the KJAN listening area, and weather information for Atlantic.

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Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 51. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming south 12 to 17 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Tonight: A chance of rain before 3am, then rain and sleet likely. Cloudy, with a low around 33. South southeast wind 5 to 13 mph becoming north after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

**A BLIZZARD WATCH remains in effect from 6am Thu. to 6am Fri. for Adair, Guthrie, and Dallas Counties in the KJAN listening area**
Thursday: Snow before noon, then areas of blowing snow and a chance of snow between noon and 3pm, then areas of blowing snow and a slight chance of snow after 3pm. High near 34. Windy, with a northwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 19 to 24 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Windy, with a west northwest wind 17 to 22 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33.

Mild conditions with highs in the 40s and 50s will be common today. It will remain mild but cooler on Wednesday. Precipitation will overspread the area Wednesday night in the form of rain with a few thunderstorms possible south. The rain will change to snow from northwest to southeast late Wednesday night through Thursday. Several inches of snow is possible over central and north central Iowa. In addition…strong northwest winds will develop by Thursday after with significant blowing and drifting of snow possible. For this reason, a blizzard watch has been issued for portions of the area Thursday and Thursday night. Hazardous travel conditions will extend over the entire area during this period.

(Nat’l. Weather Service/Des Moines)