858 AM CST SUN FEB 1 2015

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING.

* SHORT TERM TRENDS…WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW WILL CONTINUE WITH STEADILY INCREASING WINDS ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN IOWA. WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON REGIONWIDE.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW…ACCUMULATIONS OF GENERALLY 8 TO 12 INCHES.  SOME LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE OVER A FOOT OF SNOW.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…NORTHEAST WINDS GRADUALLY INCREASING AND BECOMING NORTHERLY BY AFTERNOON. GUSTS INCREASING TO 35 TO 40 MPH OVER WESTERN AND NORTHERN IOWA BY MIDDAY AND OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* TEMPERATURES…TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO FALL THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS INTO THE LOWER TO MID TEENS BY EVENING. ALONG WITH THAT WIND CHILL VALUES WILL DROP TO 5 TO 10 BELOW ZERO OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF IOWA AND JUST BELOW ZERO OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA BY LATE AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…ROADS WILL REMAIN SNOW COVERED AND SLICK WITH HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL BECOME MORE SIGNIFICANT THROUGH THE DAY. VISIBILITIES WILL OFTEN BE BELOW A MILE WITH NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE AT TIMES…ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AND RURAL AREAS. THE HEAVY WET NATURE OF THE SNOW HAS ALSO COATED TREES OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA. TREE DAMAGE AND LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES MAY BECOME MORE LIKELY AS THE WINDS INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.