Heavy snow’s already on the ground from the first major snowstorm of the season. Several counties in central Iowa report more than a foot of snow while a cluster of counties in northeast Iowa have nearly 11 inches. In Atlantic, we received 7-inches of snow outside the KJAN studios from 3-pm Wednesday through 7-a.m. today (Thursday).
National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Skow says the blizzard is beginning to ease. “At this point, the storm is starting to pull slowly away from the state but we still have widespread snow across most of Iowa,” Skow says. “That should slowly taper off during the mid-to-late morning hours from west to east.” If you think you heard thunder last night — you did, and there was lightning, too. That’s “thundersnow,” according to Skow.
“Thundersnow is not terribly uncommon with these very strong systems,” he says. “And you have very strong winds. It’s a very strong system and that’s what led to that thundersnow.” While the snow is starting to lessen in western and central Iowa, Skow says another threat will remain through this afternoon.
“The big story today will be the winds,” he says. “We’re expecting strong winds, 30-40 miles per hour or even 50 to 60 mph wind gusts which will blow that snow around and create hazardous travel conditions.” Snowfall totals show three deep areas in the state — near Council Bluffs, around Des Moines, and between Dubuque and Waterloo. The deepest report is 13-point-1 inches, just north of Des Moines.
(Radio Iowa)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Blizzard conditions have forced the cancellation of most flights at airports in parts of Iowa and eastern Nebraska, including Des Moines and Omaha. At Eppley Airfield in Omaha, 23 flights were cancelled Wednesday night and most early-morning flights were cancelled Thursday. At the Des Moines airport, most flights early Thursday were grounded.
In Cedar Rapids, American and Delta airlines halted flights at the Eastern Iowa Airport until mid-afternoon.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Forecasters are warning that the Midwest’s first major snowstorm of the season could cause blizzard conditions this morning from Kansas to Wisconsin. And there are predictions that some areas in a swatch stretching from northwest Missouri, into Milwaukee, Chicago and Michigan could get as much as much as a foot of snow. The conditions could threaten operations at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. A Blizzard Warning remains in effect until Noon today, for much of Iowa.
Heavy overnight snow has forced some school districts in Nebraska and Iowa to close. Drivers in Nebraska have been told to avoid treacherous roads. In western Kansas, some tractor trailers jackknifed or tipped. A clerk at a travel center in the town of Tribune says a stranded UPS driver had to spend the night with a family.
One meteorologist says the snow is a nuisance, but the moisture is welcomed by farmers in the drought-parched region. Some areas are more than 12 inches below normal precipitation for the year.
Some businesses in the KJAN listening area are either closed or will be starting late. Please see the “Cancellations” section under the “Community Hub” tab on KJAN. com for updates throughout the day. The snow will be tapering-off early this morning, with reports in western Iowa thus far ranging from 3-to 6-inches. Drifts of up to nearly a foot were common in the open areas, as well.
Here’s the latest National Weather Service (Podcast) from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson, and weather data for Atlantic…
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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The first major snowstorm to hit the Midwest this season is sweeping across the region, shuttering schools and creating dangerous driving conditions. Forecasters are warning that heavy snowfall coupled with strong winds will create blizzard conditions Thursday from Kansas to Wisconsin. The weather is also threatening to cause delays at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, the nation’s second-busiest airport, ahead of the busy holiday weekend.
Nebraska’s largest school district canceled classes because of heavy overnight snow, as did many districts across Iowa, where drivers are being told to stay off the roads because of whiteout conditions. The heaviest snow is expected across a swath extending from northwest Missouri into Milwaukee, Chicago and Michigan. As much as a foot of snow could fall in some areas.
246 AM CST THU DEC 20 2012 Natl. Weather Service/Des Moines
…BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY…
* SHORT TERM TRENDS...MODERATE TO AT TIMES HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION THOUGH EARLY MORNING. SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE COMMON THROUGH THE AREA WITH ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES THROUGH 6 AM CST THIS MORNING. THE WIND WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 MPH WITH BLOWING SNOW BECOMING MORE PREVALENT. OVER THE FAR SOUTH THE PRECIPITATION WILL LINGER AS RAIN FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.
* STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION…8 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW ARE FORECAST BY MORNING..WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS LIKELY. SNOW DRIFTS SEVERAL FEET DEEP WILL OCCUR GIVEN THE STRONG WINDS.
* WINDS/VISIBILITY...NORTHWEST WINDS ARE BECOMING VERY STRONG AND THEY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 50 MPH ARE LIKELY. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP BY 4 AM WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW LEADING TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FOR MUCH OF THE MORNING AND INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS…LIFE-THREATENING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE DEVELOPING AND WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING. TRAVEL WILL BECOME DIFFICULT…IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ADVISES NO TRAVEL! POWER OUTAGES MAY BECOME MORE PREVALENT BY MORNING AS HEAVY SNOW IS WEIGHING DOWN TREES AND STRONG WINDS BY MORNING AND AFTERNOON MAY FELL TREES ON POWER LINES…RESULTING IN POWER OUTAGES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS…MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL…HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED…STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Heavy snow has begun to fall in parts of Nebraska and Iowa as a powerful storm threatens a swath of the Midwest. The snow started in Atlantic at around 3-p.m. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for southeast and east central Nebraska as well as most of Iowa. Between 8 to 10 inches of snow are expected in Nebraska and 9 to 12 inches of snow are expected in Iowa.
Officials in both states have warned people to stay off the roads during the storm’s heaviest snowfall, which is expected from Wednesday night into Thursday. Sustained winds in Iowa will be up to 30 mph with gusts of up to 50 mph. Nebraska winds will be up to 30 mph with gusts of up to 45 mph.
DENVER (AP) — A storm that has dumped more than a foot of snow in the Rocky Mountains could cause headaches for travelers in the Midwest. Drivers in Iowa and Nebraska are being warned to be careful or stop driving altogether starting Wednesday evening as the first major winter storm of the season heads into the central Plains. Strong winds are expected to create blizzard conditions.
Light snow is also expected at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Thursday and strong winds could make visibility poor. National Weather Service forecaster Jamie Enderlen says that, combined with low clouds, could cause delays at the nation’s second-busiest airport. Delays at Denver’s airport, the fifth-busiest, were averaging 30 minutes because of snow and ice Wednesday. Interstates in Colorado remained open.
COUNTIES: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT & PAGE-
1131 AM CST WED DEC 19 2012
…BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST THURSDAY...
…WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST THURSDAY. THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING. THE SNOW COULD BE PRECEDED BY A PERIOD OF LIGHT RAIN OR A WINTRY MIX… ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST OF COUNCIL BLUFFS…WHICH COULD DELAY THE WORST CONDITIONS UNTIL MID-EVENING. THE SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY THEN THROUGH LATE EVENING.
WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHEAST AT 15 TO 25 MPH BY EARLY EVENING AND THEN INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH OR HIGHER TOWARD AND AFTER MIDNIGHT. ALTHOUGH VISIBILITIES WILL DROP AS THE HEAVY SNOW DEVELOPS…THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO NEAR ZERO AS THE WINDS INCREASE.
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 11 INCHES ARE LIKELY.
THE VERY STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND POTENTIALLY CLOSE ROADS. WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY AND TRAVEL COULD BECOME IMPOSSIBLE.
In advance of forecasted blizzard conditions in the state, the Iowa Department of Transportation is advising motorists that travel across the majority of Iowa is not advised from 8 p.m. tonight through noon Thursday, Dec. 20th. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning beginning at 6 p.m. tonight and continuing through 6 p.m. Thursday.
In addition to heavy snowfall of 6 to 10 inches, very strong northwest winds (25-35 mph, with gusts exceeding 45 mph) will produce considerable blowing and drifting of snow and blizzard conditions late tonight through Thursday afternoon.
The heaviest snow axis will be along a line from Atlantic to Dubuque. The lowest amounts are expected near the Missouri border. Snow drifts several feet deep will be possible given the strong winds. Visibility at times will be reduced to one-quarter mile or less to whiteout conditions.
The Iowa DOT does not recommend travel during this dangerous winter storm, but if you choose to venture out, take a fully charged cell phone with you. If you become stranded, follow these safety steps.
To discover all the ways in which you can receive 24/7 Iowa traveler information, visit http://511ia.org/.
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