Snow and a wintery mix is expected for much of Iowa beginning Saturday afternoon into Sunday. The Iowa DOT recommends the following tips for safe winter travel during the impending storm:

Is the trip necessary? Trips during severe winter weather can take three or four times longer than normal. Often, delaying a trip by a few hours can give snow removal crews time to get the roads back to normal winter driving conditions. For traveler information, now available via the web, Twitter, Facebook or on your mobile device, visit www.511ia.org. Or simply call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide).

Before you go, let someone know when you are leaving, when you expect to arrive and your intended route. Allow extra time to reach your destination. Use your vehicle’s safety equipment . Make sure you and your passengers are wearing their seatbelts or are in a child safety seat. Your vehicle’s headlights are a valuable asset when driving in winter weather. Turn them on to see and be seen.

Use your winter driving skills. Do not use cruise control, it can make it difficult to maintain control if you hit a slick spot. Allow extra stopping distance by keeping distance between your vehicle and the one ahead. Avoid abrupt steering maneuvers. Slow down, accelerate more slowly and apply the brakes in an even, controlled manner. Carry an emergency survival kit and other supplies. Carry a mobile phone for making an emergency call; do not use it while driving.

Use caution when approaching, following or passing a snowplow. Snowplows generally operate at much slower speeds than other traffic. Snowplows can be forced sideways when clearing hard-packed drifts and generate a “snow cloud” that may reduce visibility for nearby vehicles. Remain a safe distance behind the snowplow, pass only when clear and never continue to drive alongside a plow. Allow plenty of space when passing a snowplow because the wing of the plow blade extends out to the side of the truck and the front blade extends well ahead of the truck.

320 PM CST FRI DEC 20 2013

COUNTIES: MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE--MADISON-ADAMS-UNION

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING…LIGHT SNOW SHOULD DEVELOP BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.

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

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS…TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE WATCH AREA MAY REACH 3 TO 6 INCHES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW…SLEET…OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

The (POdcast) Freese-Notis weather forecast for the KJAN listening area and weather information for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

AREA COUNTIES: CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR 344 AM CST FRI DEC 20 2013

…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY…

* TIMING…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY…FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING IN CENTRAL IOWA.

* STORM TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS…ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED WITH A DUSTING OF SNOW POSSIBLE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20.

* IMPACTS...THE ICE WILL PRIMARILY POSE A HAZARD TO TRAVELERS AS ROADS…SIDEWALKS…AND OTHER SURFACES WILL BE SLICK. ANYONE PLANNING TO TRAVEL THIS MORNING SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIONS AND MONITOR ROAD CONDITIONS CLOSELY. PARKING LOTS AND SIDEWALKS WILL LIKELY BE ESPECIALLY SLICK.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

340 AM CST FRI DEC 20 2013

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY…

TODAY…CLOUDY…COLDER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 20S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH IN THE MORNING.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. LOW AROUND 15. NORTHWEST WIND NEAR 5 MPH THROUGH MIDNIGHT BECOMING LIGHT.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHEAST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. BREEZY. LOW AROUND 15. NORTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW IN THE MORNING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW IN THE MORNING…THEN SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY…COLDER. HIGH 15 TO 20. NORTHWEST WIND AROUND 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 20 PERCENT.

SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. COLDER. LOW ZERO TO 5 BELOW.

MONDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGH 5 TO 10 ABOVE.

AREA COUNTIES: CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR…

150 AM CST FRI DEC 20 2013

…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST EARLY THIS MORNING…

* TIMING…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY…FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT IN CENTRAL IOWA.

* STORM TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS…ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED WITH A DUSTING OF SNOW POSSIBLE NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20.

* IMPACTS…THE ICE WILL PRIMARILY POSE A HAZARD TO TRAVELERS AS ROADS…SIDEWALKS…AND OTHER SURFACES WILL BECOME SLICK. ANYONE PLANNING TO TRAVEL TONIGHT SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIONS AND MONITOR ROAD CONDITIONS CLOSELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has extended the Freezing Rain Advisory which was already in effect for part of the KJAN listening area, to include Cass and Audubon Counties. The advisory is in effect until 6-a.m. Friday.

DRIZZLE AND FREEZING DRIZZLE IS SPREADING NORTH AND EXPANDING THIS EVENING WITH FREEZING DRIZZLE BECOMING MORE LIKELY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. THERE COULD ALSO BE SOME AREAS OF VERY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. BOTH WILL RESULT IN LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT COULD LEAD TO VERY TREACHEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS.

AREA COUNTIES: GUTHRIE-DALLAS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-

401 PM CST THU DEC 19 2013

…FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST FRIDAY…

* TIMING…LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL DEVELOP THROUGH EARLY EVENING AND CHANGE TO LIGHT SNOW LATER TONIGHT.E AFTERNOON ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH AND PERSIST AT INTERVALS OVERNIGHT…CONCURRENT WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING BELOW FREEZING.

* STORM TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS…ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE STILL EXPECTED. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 20 WILL BE LESS THAN AN INCH.

* IMPACTS…THE ICE WILL PRIMARILY POSE A HAZARD TO TRAVELERS AS ROADS…SIDEWALKS…AND OTHER SURFACES WILL BECOME SLICK. ANYONE PLANNING TO TRAVEL TONIGHT SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIONS AND MONITOR ROAD CONDITIONS CLOSELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

AREA COUNTIES: GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION–TAYLOR AND RINGGOLD …FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST FRIDAY.

* TIMING…DRIZZLE WILL DEVELOP IN THE EVENING AND PERSIST AT INTERVALS OVERNIGHT…CONCURRENT WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING BELOW FREEZING AROUND OR AFTER SUNSET.

* STORM TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS…ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE EXPECTED.

* IMPACTS...THE ICE WILL PRIMARILY POSE A HAZARD TO TRAVELERS AS ROADS…SIDEWALKS…AND OTHER SURFACES WILL BECOME SLICK. ANYONE PLANNING TO TRAVEL TONIGHT SHOULD BE VERY CAUTIONS AND MONITOR ROAD CONDITIONS CLOSELY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

The Freese-Notis weather forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area, and weather data for Atlantic from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (993.7KB)

Subscribe: RSS