| Des Moines Register
Northwest Iowa sees blizzard and whiteout conditions with a range of snow
What was initially forecast to be a light dusting turned into whiteout and blizzard conditions in the northwest portion of the state.
Cecelia Hanley, Des Moines Register
First the rain, then the snow, then the bitter cold.
Northwestern Iowans can expect a trifecta of unpleasant winter weather to arrive Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. A blizzard warning is effect from noon Wednesday until midnight.
A hazardous weather outlook forecast light rain in the morning before a cold front drops temperatures below freezing by midafternoon, creating potentially slick conditions on roads and sidewalks. Additional precipitation could fall as snow into the evening, while high winds are expected to diminish visibility into Wednesday night. Gusts could reach 50 mph and travel was not encouraged.
According to the National Weather Service, 1 to 2 inches of snow could be be possible is some parts of northwest Iowa, with 4 to 6 inches predicted in Sheldon and Estherville.
Elsewhere, there is a winter storm warning in western Iowa and winter weather advisory from Atlantic in a line up to Mason City. Ames was just outside the advisory area.
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In central Iowa, forecasters currently predict less than an inch of snow accumulation in Polk County, but an increasing amount to the northwest, with up to four to six inches predicted in Sheldon and Estherville.
The incoming weather system will bring an end to the relative warmth of the past several days. The National Weather Service is warning wind chills could reach 10 to 20 below zero in central Iowa Wednesday night into Thursday.
Previously: Snow, rain and wind Wednesday could make Iowa travel difficult
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at [email protected], 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.
