DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Des Moines metro area, Ames, and all of Interstate 35 through Iowa are now part of a blizzard warning that takes effect Thursday evening and runs the day Friday.
"We're really expecting winds to cause a lot of problems with blowing and drifting snow. We're expecting that in some areas travel will can be very difficult--if not impossible--especially in rural areas" says National Weather Service Meteorologist Cory Martin.
He says Northwest Iowa could see wind gusts up to 60 miles-per-hour. Central Iowa will see gusts of 45 to 50 miles-per-hour.
"The brunt of the storm is going to come through overnight into Friday. We're looking at four to six inches of snow in the Des Moines metro area, possibly higher as you get into North-Central Iowa. It's important with this storm not to just focus on the snowfall total. The real driver--the travel impacts are going to come from the wind" Martin says.
The National Weather Service says much of Eastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Dubuque is under a Winter Weather Advisory
Image from National Weather Service--Johnston, Iowa