Davenport, Iowa-Illinois Border – Snow could begin sticking to bridges and untreated roads along I-80 and I-74 by 6 a.m. Sunday, with a 30 to 50 percent chance that at least 2 inches accumulates across eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois before 6 a.m. Monday.
According to the National Weather Service, a developing winter system may track across the central Midwest late Saturday night through Sunday, placing the Mississippi River corridor in a zone favorable for accumulating snow. The highest probabilities for 2 inches or more currently extend from the Quad Cities, including Davenport, Bettendorf and Rock Island, southeast toward Galesburg and Peoria.
If steady bands set up during the Sunday morning travel window, snowfall rates could briefly reduce visibility below one mile. Elevated roadways, including the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge and stretches of I-280, are most vulnerable to early accumulation as surface temperatures hover near freezing.
Iowa DOT and IDOT crews are monitoring pavement temperatures and staging plows ahead of the potential onset. Small shifts in the storm track could nudge the heaviest band north toward Dubuque or south toward Springfield, Illinois, affecting final totals.
Residents should prepare by checking tire tread, allowing extra stopping distance and limiting non-essential travel during periods of heavier snow. Winter weather advisories may be issued by Saturday as confidence increases in snowfall placement and intensity through early Monday morning.
