[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7BxzyDlJHk&w=480&h=360]
SNOWY MESS ON TAP: Snow will be moving into the state late this morning over the southwestern counties. It will gradually encompass the state through the afternoon into the early evening hours. The heaviest snow will fall in the southwestern counties of the state beginning at mid-afternoon and move into the central counties by late afternoon and early evening and the eastern counties by the evening into the overnight. Snowfall totals are still on track for a large swath of at least 4-8″ across the state with heavier totals approaching or exceeding 10″ in the southwestern counties. The snow does linger into Friday as the storm tracks to the northeast. Another inch or two is possible Friday (this included in totals mentioned earlier) mainly east of a Lamoni to Tama to PDC line. Snow will end west of Interstate 35 by Friday evening and just after Midnight Saturday morning in the eastern counties. Travel will be impacted Today and Friday across the state. There is likely going to be tow bans in many areas meaning if you get stuck, you’re going to be there for a while. Best bet is not to go out if you don’t have to beginning this evening through the day on Friday.
NEW WORK WEEK, NEW STORM: The next storm isn’t going to wait for us to clean up, dig out from the storm moving in today. A new system will move in from the west late Sunday into Monday. Light snow is forecast to break out again mainly in the northwestern counties of the state by late Sunday afternoon into the evening. This storm does have more warm air with it so some rain snow mix or even plain rain is possible as the storm moves through the state. The precipitation is likely to remain in the form of snow in the northern and western counties however with this next storm while the eastern and southern counties could get a plethora of precipitation. Advisories are likely to be issued with this system. A few models are showing several inches of snow possible in the northern and northwestern counties of the state, but it’s too early to determine anything more specific than that with one storm encroaching on the state now and this one coming 3-4 days from now. Travel is likely to be impacted once again by this storm as well so stay aware to the latest on this system as the current storm moves through.
THE REST OF NEXT WEEK: A weak disturbance rotating around the departing second storm may kick off a few flurries or light snow showers in southern and southwestern Iowa Wednesday which may add a dusting to half inch but nothing compared to the two storms before it. The pattern does look to remain cold through the week, at least cold for the end of February and with a fresh snow cover across the state. Highs will remain in the 20s and lower 30s at least through the end of next week.
MARCHING INTO MORE FUN: The GFS is showing another possible event around the 5th and 6th of March that may bring more rain and or snow to the state at that time. We still have plenty of time to watch that and several systems prior to that before we shift our focus to this one. Even with this storm almost two weeks out, the pattern does show a more active period heading into the month of March, something the farmers will surely enjoy with the added moisture to the ground in time for Spring Planting to begin by April.
LIVE COVERAGE: We will be doing live coverage of this current winter storm later today and tonight. Be sure to stay with IWN via the blog, our Facebook Page and on Twitter for any updates on this storm over the next 24-48 hours.