Just as the last post was posted, the National Weather Service has now issued a Blizzard Watch beginning at 9pm Saturday night and lasting until 6pm Sunday evening for the following counties, Benton, Buchanan, Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Des Moines, Dubuque, Henry, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Lee, Linn, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren and Washington. This includes the cities of Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Muscatine, Clinton, Burlington, Keokuk and the Quad Cities.

* TIMING: BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOPING AROUND 9 PM SATURDAY EVENING AROUND THE VINTON AND INDEPENDENCE AREAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AND OVERSPREADING ALL THE WATCH AREA BY 3 AM.

* SNOWFALL: 2 TO 5 INCHES OF AN ADDITIONAL POWDERY NEW SNOW.

* WINDS: 12 HOURS OR MORE OF A NW WIND OF 35 TO 50 MPH. OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH POSSIBLE.

* VISIBILITY: WIDESPREAD…EXTENDED PERIODS OF A VISIBILITY BELOW A QUARTER MILE. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE…MAINLY IN RURAL AND OPEN AREAS BUT POSSIBLE AT TIMES IN URBAN SETTINGS.

* TEMPERATURE/WIND CHILL: TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS NORTH AND LOWER TEENS SOUTH SUNDAY MORNING AND NEARLY STEADY THROUGH THE DAY. WIND CHILLS OF 15 TO 30 BELOW ZERO BY SUNRISE SUNDAY WILL MAKE FOR POTENTIAL DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING COLD FOR ANYONE STRANDED OUTSIDE.
* IMPACTS: LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR STRANDED INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES. THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS.