Monday winter weather

**SuperCy** · 01-25-2010, 08:58 AM

I took the bypass around Des Moines to avoid traffic on the interstates. That was not good. There were places with near white-out conditions. It got a little hairy in places.

**garn91** · 01-25-2010, 09:09 AM

I've noticed that alot of rural schools that were 2 hour delays are now closed for the day.

**Al_4_State** · 01-25-2010, 09:12 AM

I probably saw 3 accidents between Beaverdale and Drake this morning. It's like people immediately forgot how to drive in snow.

**rdubbs** · 01-25-2010, 09:13 AM

The winds are really messing with drivers right now on Highway 30

**Flag Guy** · 01-25-2010, 09:22 AM

Probably rained half the night here... freak'n pouring when I went to work and the wind gusts are rather rediculous. Found a nice notification at work passing along a notice about potential wind gusts of 30-50 mph from 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. I guess that explains the branches I saw on the ground as I walked through the lake that had formed between my apartment and car...

Atleast the temp is nice... something like 58 degrees outside, though the pouring rain is putting a damper on that

**garn91** · 01-25-2010, 09:59 AM

Blizzard warning now up for Central Iowa

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
955 AM CST MON JAN 25 2010

...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW EXPECTED TODAY...

.AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE LIGHT SNOW AND STRONG WINDS
ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA TODAY. LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED ALONG WITH STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS. THE
COMBINATION OF WIND AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DEVELOP HAZARDOUS
TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

IAZ004>006-015-016-023>025-033>036-044>048-057>060-070>073-260000-
/O.UPG.KDMX.WW.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-100126T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KDMX.BZ.W.0001.100125T1555Z-100126T0600Z/
EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT-
WRIGHT-SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-
STORY-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ESTHERVILLE...ALGONA...FOREST CITY...
EMMETSBURG...GARNER...POCAHONTAS...HUMBOLDT...CLARION...
SAC CITY...ROCKWELL CITY...FORT DODGE...WEBSTER CITY...DENISON...
CARROLL...JEFFERSON...BOONE...AMES...AUDUBON...GUTHRIE CENTER...
ADEL...DES MOINES...ATLANTIC...GREENFIELD...WINTERSET...INDIANOLA
955 AM CST MON JAN 25 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. THE
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS...LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS
MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA TODAY. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE
TO INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH.

* SNOW AMOUNTS...ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL OF AROUND 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL
BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING...WITH STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS BETWEEN 2 TO 5 INCHES.

* VISIBILITY...DUE TO FALLING SNOW AND STRONG NORTHWEST
WINDS...BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE
QUARTER MILE WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS COMMON...ESPECIALLY IN
RURAL AREAS. DRIFTING SNOW WILL ALSO BE PROBLEMATIC.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BE HAZARDOUS WITH THE LOW
VISIBILITIES AND SLICK OR ICY ROADS.

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.

**Cyclone62** · 01-25-2010, 10:09 AM

80 from Altoona to Colfax was awful. Mitchelville area is a white-out. Most cars are only going about 35-45 right now.

**Bobber** · 01-25-2010, 10:12 AM

I left the Harlan area about 6:30 last night and was snowing. I80 was already slowing down in spite of it not seeming that slick to me. I drove out of it about half way to Des Moines and then perfect roads the rest of the way to Waterloo. Really glad I made the trip then and not today.

**BigBake** · 01-25-2010, 10:13 AM

86th and 80 all the way to Jordan Creek were snow covered but very driveable.

This is nothing compares to the ice we had going 2 weeks ago when we got a storm and it was -4. As I recall they didn't pretreat the roads and they were solid ice.

**garn91** · 01-25-2010, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

80 from Altoona to Colfax was awful. Mitchelville area is a white-out. Most cars are only going about 35-45 right now.

The DOT & State Patrol have updated their road conditions map to reflect travel not advised across all of Central Iowa.

**Angie** · 01-25-2010, 12:50 PM

Does anyone know what tomorrow morning is supposed to be like? I have to get to the dr in DSM tomorrow morning at 8:30 from Nevada, and 30 is apparently just horrible today. Just wondering if I should call and reschedule for later in the day.

**Clonebydesign** · 01-25-2010, 12:59 PM

I came from Ames today to WDM, just take it slow.

**Angie** · 01-25-2010, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by Clonebydesign

I came from Ames today to WDM, just take it slow.

Thank you so much.

That makes me feel a lot better. It looks like the wind may be bad overnight, but hopefully they'll get it cleared here. There are an awful lot of people who have to make that drive, and it's really worrisome.

**Cyclone62** · 01-25-2010, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Angie

Thank you so much.

That makes me feel a lot better. It looks like the wind may be bad overnight, but hopefully they'll get it cleared here. There are an awful lot of people who have to make that drive, and it's really worrisome.

They just closed 35 at the highway 30 junction.