Roads around western Iowa are reported to be completely covered with snow early this (Sunday) morning. The Iowa Dept. of Transportation’s website at 511ia.org, shows all roads south of Highway 30 and east of the Interstate 80/680 split, down to the Missouri border, are covered with snow. Blowing snow was also a factor in the morning commute to church or work. Towing services are prohibited today in Cass and Adair Counties…meaning if your vehicle goes into the ditch or median, towing companies are not allowed to pull you out until the weather improves.

Some roads in far western Pottawattamie County were partially covered with snow, including I-29 from the I-80 split, south, and portions of Highways 6 and 92. North of I-80 in far western and northwest Iowa, where there was less snow, the roads are in mostly normal driving condition.

Here in Atlantic, we had received 2.5-inches of snow, as of 6-a.m., and roads were 100-percent snow covered, with blowing and some drifting of snow.

**Winter Weather Advisories and A Winter Storm Warning are in effect for various counties. (See previous posts or go to www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/)**

Today: Occasional snow showers with widespread blowing snow before 11am, then widespread blowing snow and scattered snow showers between 11am and 5pm. Temperature falling to around 11 by 5pm. Wind chill values as low as -5. Blustery, with a northwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around -3. Wind chill values as low as -20. Northwest wind 11 to 13 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 5. Wind chill values as low as -20. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around -8. Wind chill values as low as -25. Northwest wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 20. Breezy, with a south wind 9 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

Christmas Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32.

332 AM CST SUN DEC 22 2013

AREA COUNTIES: MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING…

* SHORT TERM TRENDS...SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PREDAWN HOURS. SNOW INTENSITY WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. SNOWFALL RATES WILL APPROACH 1 INCH PER HOURS AT TIMES. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BECOME GUSTY LATE CAUSING SIGNIFICANT BLOWING SNOW.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED BY MID DAY TODAY…WITH SPOTTY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN SOUTH CENTRAL IOWA. THE MAJORITY WILL OCCUR BEFORE 7 AM WITH UNDER AN INCH THEREAFTER.

332 AM CST SUN DEC 22 2013
GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS and ADAIR COUNTIES:
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

* SHORT TERM TRENDS...SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS   MORNING. IT WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST
  BY MID MORNING. EXPECT SNOWFALL RATES TO BE MODERATE AT TIMES.   INCREASING NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CAUSE FURTHER
  REDUCTIONS DUE TO BLOWING SNOW.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS...A TOTAL OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY...GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP WITH WINDS OF 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH BY MID
  MORNING. BLOWING SNOW COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES FURTHER IN ADDITION TO FALLING SNOW.

* IMPACTS...ROADS WILL BE SLICK AND SNOW COVERED. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CAN BE EXPECTED DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO STRONG WINDS BLOWING SNOW
AROUND. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT COUNTIES...
340 AM CST SUN DEC 22 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING...

* TIMING...SNOW ENDING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...MOST SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES.

* OTHER IMPACTS...NORTHERLY OF 15 TO 25 MPH WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE DRIFTING SNOW ALONG WITH AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.
  ROADS ARE SNOW COVERED AND TRAVEL COULD BE DIFFICULT.

GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS COUNTIES

314 PM CST SAT DEC 21 2013

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY...

* TIMING…SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA THIS EVENING AND LINGER INTO SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING TO FLURRIES.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…A TOTAL OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT AT 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH AND CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY. BLOWING SNOW COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES FURTHER IN ADDITION TO FALLING SNOW.

* IMPACTS…ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK AS THEY BECOME COVERED WITH SNOW. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CAN BE EXPECTED DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE COUNTIES…

320 PM CST SAT DEC 21 2013

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY…

* TIMING…LIGHT SNOW SHOULD DEVELOP TONIGHT.

* MAIN IMPACT…ROADS MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLICK AND TRAVEL MAY BECOME HAZARDOUS.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD RANGE 2 TO 5 INCHES.

* OTHER IMPACTS…NORTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW.

UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-MADISON COUNTIES….

314 PM CST SAT DEC 21 2013

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY…

* TIMING…SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW FALLING DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SUNDAY. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END SUNDAY MORNING…ALTHOUGH FLURRIES MAY LINGER THROUGH THE DAY.

* STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS…5 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY…GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT AT 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 25 TO 30 MPH AND CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY. BLOWING SNOW COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES FURTHER IN ADDITION TO FALLING SNOW.

* IMPACTS…ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK AS THEY BECOME COVERED WITH SNOW. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL WILL BE POSSIBLE DUE TO THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW…SLEET…AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowans across much of the state are preparing for a wintery blast that’s predicted to bring up to 8 inches of snow to some areas. The National Weather Service says a winter system is expected to bring snow and ice Saturday night, starting in Iowa’s southwest corner and moving up to its northeast corner. South-central areas are expected to see less accumulation — between 3 to 5 inches in the Des Moines area — while more southern regions could see up to 8 inches of snow.

Meteorologists say light snow is expected to begin around mid-afternoon Saturday in central Iowa and gradually get heavier into the night until about 3 a.m. Sunday. Frigid conditions follow, with temperatures expected to drop to and remain in the single digits on Monday.

…A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect from 6-pm this evening to 6-pm Sunday, for Cass, Adair, Adams, Guthrie, Dallas Counties and until 6-am Sunday for Montgomery, Fremont & Page Counties. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 3-pm today until 6-pm Sunday for Madison and Union Counties.

Today: Cloudy w/a 20% chance of snow after 4pm. High near 25. N-NE @ 5-10.
Tonight: Snow. Low around 14. N-NW @ 15-25. Wind chill values as low as zero. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Sunday: Patchy blowing snow and a slight chance of snow before noon, then a chance for flurries. Temperature rising to near 16 by noon, then falling to around 11 during the remainder of the day. N-NW @ 15-25. Wind chill values as low as -5.

Sunday Night: Scattered flurries. Low around -4. NW @ 10-25. Wind chill values as low as -20.

Monday: Mostly sunny and cold, with a high near 7. Northwest wind 5 to 11 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -4.

Tuesday: Partly sunny & breezy, with a high near 21.

354 AM CST SAT DEC 21 2013

…A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect from 6-pm this evening to 6-pm Sunday, for Cass, Adair, Adams, Guthrie and Dallas Counties and a WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect from 5-pm  Saturday until 6-am Sunday for Montgomery, Fremont & Page Counties…

TODAY…CLOUDY. A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE MID 20S. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

TONIGHT…SNOW LIKELY THROUGH MIDNIGHT…THEN SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. LOW AROUND 15. NORTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 90 PERCENT.

SUNDAY…CLOUDY. PATCHY BLOWING SNOW IN THE MORNING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH 15 TO 20. NORTHWEST WIND 15 TO 20 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 20 PERCENT.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH MIDNIGHT THEN BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. SCATTERED FLURRIES. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW. NORTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. WIND CHILL READINGS 15 TO 20 BELOW.

MONDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. COLDER. HIGH 5 TO 10 ABOVE. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 15 TO 20 BELOW IN THE MORNING.

MONDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW.

TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. NOT AS COLD. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. LOW 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

…A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY…FOR: GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-ADAMS-COUNTIES.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST SUNDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE TODAY AND LINGER INTO SUNDAY. A TOTAL OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY. GUSTY NORTH TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL DEVELOP SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. BLOWING SNOW COULD REDUCE VISIBILITIES FURTHER IN ADDITION TO FALLING SNOW.

ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK AS THEY BECOME COVERED WITH SNOW. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CAN BE EXPECTED DUE TO SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO STRONG WINDS BLOWING SNOW AROUND. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING…ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

…A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR: & MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE COUNTIES.

LIGHT SNOW SHOULD DEVELOP BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. ROADS MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLICK. HAZARDOUS TRAVEL WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY TOWARD AND AFTER MIDNIGHT. TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE WATCH AREA MAY REACH 3 TO 6 INCHES.