The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from 6am Thursday until Midnight Friday morning for the following counties, Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Iowa, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Muscatine, Scott, Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Floyd, Howard, Mitchell and Winneshiek . There is also a Winter Storm Watch from 3am until 6pm Thursday for Black Hawk, Bremer, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Emmet, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Humboldt, Kossuth, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Tama, Webster, Winnebago, Worth, Wright, Clay, Dickinson, Lyon, O Brien and Osceola.
TIMING…RAIN AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA. A TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW IS EXPECTED IN FAR NORTHERN IOWA DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS THURSDAY WITH THE TRANSITION LINE SLOWLY DROPPING SOUTHWARD INTO THURSDAY MORNING. PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE TOWARD DAYBREAK THURSDAY INTO MIDDAY THURSDAY. THE SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
STORM TOTAL SNOW…TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH AREA. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED NORTH OF AN ESTHERVILLE TO WAVERLY LINE WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS ON THE SOUTHERN END OF THE WATCH. THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THE SYSTEM…THEREFORE AMOUNTS MAY BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.
* WINDS/VISIBILITY…VISIBILITIES DURING PERIODS OF HEAVIER SNOW MAY FALL BELOW ONE QUARTER OF A MILE FROM TIME TO TIME. IN ADDITION…NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY WITH SPEEDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH BY AFTERNOON ALONG WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THIS SHOULD PRODUCE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS WELL WHICH MAY ALSO REDUCE VISIBILITIES.
* IMPACTS…CONDITIONS MAY QUICKLY DETERIORATE AROUND DAYBREAK ON THURSDAY MORNING IN THE WATCH AREA. TRAVEL MAY BECOME QUITE DIFFICULT AS CONDITIONS WORSEN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.