If you have any travel plans that take you to northern/northeast Iowa and points east and north, you should be prepared for the impact of a winter storms that’s expected to hit the area tonight and Sunday. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 12-a.m. Sunday until 3-p.m., for the Counties of Winnebago, Worth, Hancock, and Cerro Gordo. Heavy mixed precipitation is  expected, with total snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect during the same time frame, for: Palo Alto; Pocahontas; Humboldt; Wright; Franklin; Butler; Bremer; Webster; Hamilton; Hardin; Grundy and Black Hawk Counties, where mixed precipitation is expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches and minor ice accumulations can also be expected.

The National Weather Service says snow will develop tonight over northern Iowa then spread east and persist into Sunday. The snowfall rates will be moderate to heavy at times tonight into early Sunday, leading to a quick deterioration in travel conditions over far northern Iowa. Snow accumulations will be mainly confined to areas north of Highway 30. A transition to freezing drizzle may occur Sunday morning with minor ice accumulation possible. Increasing north wind during the day Sunday will lead to some blowing and drifting of snow especially in far northern Iowa where less freezing drizzle occurs.

If you must travel north  of Highway 30 later today or tonight, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1, or in Iowa on the web at 511ia.org.