Blizzard Warning Issued for Central and Northern Iowa: Dangerous Travel Expected Sunday

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Blizzard Warning for several counties across central, north central, northeast, northwest, and west central Iowa. The alert (VTEC code /O.NEW.KDMX.BZ.W.0002.260315T1200Z-260316T1200Z/) was issued on March 14 and remains in effect through Monday morning.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following Iowa counties:

• Pocahontas
• Humboldt
• Wright
• Franklin
• Butler
• Bremer
• Sac
• Calhoun
• Webster
• Hamilton
• Hardin
• Grundy
• Black Hawk

What You Should Do

Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, ensure you have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. For the latest travel conditions, residents are encouraged to check the Iowa 511 app, visit www.511ia.org, or dial 511.

Expected Conditions

A significant winter storm is expected to bring blizzard conditions to the region. Precipitation will begin as rain on Sunday morning before transitioning to a wintry mix, which may produce a light glaze of ice, before turning fully to snow.

Total snow accumulations are expected to be between 2 and 4 inches. However, the primary hazard will be strong winds, with gusts reaching 55 to 65 mph. These winds will result in significant drifting of snow and widespread blowing snow, which will severely reduce visibility. These hazardous conditions could cause tree damage and result in power outages.

Timeline

The Blizzard Warning is effective from 7:00 AM CDT on Sunday, March 15, until 7:00 AM CDT on Monday, March 16. The hazardous conditions are expected to significantly impact the Monday morning commute.