BLIZZARD WARNING, EXTREME COLD

terryswails1
14 hours ago
3 min read

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HIGH IMPACT WEATHER INTO THE WEEKEND

A fast moving Arctic front will bring a period of very strong winds, scattered light snow, snow squalls, and blowing snow from late-afternoon into this evening. Some areas north of HWY 30, especially near HWY 20 could see up to an inch of new snow.

Powerful winds will accompany the front, with gusts of 50-60 mph possible. Travel restrictions are expected north of HWY 30 where a period of falling snow, combined with 1–3 inches of fresh snow, will produce significant visibility reductions in blowing and drifting snow. The NWS has issued a blizzard warning for Buchanan, Delaware, Benton, Linn, and Jones counties. Near whiteout ground blizzard conditions are possible at times.

Further east, a winter weather advisory has been issued for Dubuque, Jackson, Jo Daviess, and Carroll counties. Winds may be slightly less in these counties, more like 40-50 mph, but brief whiteout conditions could occur. Be prepared for significant reductions in visibility at times.

Elsewhere, high wind warnings or wind advisories are in effect for the rest of the area for a period of winds reaching 40-60 mph. The highest winds should be found in my far western counties in Iowa. Below you can see where fresh powdery snow fell last night. It's these areas that are most susceptible to blowing and drifting when the strongest winds arrive, especially where 1 or more inches is on the ground. The worst visibility restrictions will be in the open country.

Later Thursday, a strong surge of bitterly cold Arctic air will invade the region, with lows of 10 to 20 below (coldest north) expected by Friday morning. Wind chills of 40 below north to 30 below south look likely. An Extreme Cold Watch has been issued for the potential. I fully expect warnings to be issued at some point by the NWS.

Beyond that, a healthy winter storm is expected to pass to the south later Saturday and Sunday. Over the past 24 hours, the track has shifted far enough north to bring some snow into the region. The southeast half of the area has the best chance of seeing some powdery accumulation. This situation remains a bit in flux as models try to get a handle on the specific track. Impacts to the south and east will certainly be significant, and I will have updates on the track and accumulations in my next post. The EURO indicates this for snowfall through Monday, showing the main thrust of the storm just a hair southeast of my area.