Des Moines, IA – A strong December winter storm is racing across Iowa this morning, bringing heavy snow, plunging temperatures, and hazardous driving conditions across much of the state. Snow began in western Iowa just after sunrise and is advancing east, expected to reach the I-35 corridor by midafternoon and eastern Iowa by evening.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued Winter Storm Warnings for north-central and northwest Iowa — including Fort Dodge, Mason City, and Waterloo — where 5 to 7 inches of snow are likely, with isolated 8-inch totals in narrow bands. Winter Weather Advisories are posted farther south and east, where 2 to 5 inches are forecast.
Snow will peak between 6 p.m. and midnight, with visibility dropping under a half-mile at times and winds gusting up to 25 mph, leading to patchy blowing snow and quick re-covering of plowed surfaces. I-35, I-80, and Highway 20 are all expected to see slick and snow-packed stretches through the evening.
By early Sunday, snow tapers from west to east, but frigid air rushes in behind the system — with subzero wind chills expected by Sunday night. Any untreated roads, sidewalks, or bridges will refreeze rapidly, increasing the risk of black ice.
Five-Day Outlook (Des Moines, IA)
Sunday: Snow ends early, cloudy, high 32°F, low 8°F.
Monday: Partly sunny, cold, high 25°F, low 12°F.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, high 29°F, low 18°F.
Wednesday: Chance of flurries, high 31°F, low 20°F.
Thursday: Cold and breezy, high 27°F.
