Sioux Falls, SD – A large winter storm is expected to create dangerous travel conditions across northwest Iowa, southwest Minnesota, and southeast South Dakota beginning Friday at noon, continuing through midnight Saturday.
According to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, the storm will bring 6 to 10 inches of snow to Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Sioux, O’Brien, Clay, Cherokee, and Buena Vista counties in Iowa, with similar totals expected across Murray, Cottonwood, Nobles, Jackson, Pipestone, and Rock counties in Minnesota. These areas will see the heaviest snowfall, with blowing snow reducing visibility throughout the event.
Farther south—including Plymouth, Woodbury, and Ida counties in Iowa, Dakota County in Nebraska, and Union County in South Dakota—a mix of snow and freezing drizzle may produce 5 to 8 inches of snow and a light glaze of ice. The combination will make roadways especially slick early in the storm.
The NWS warns that hazardous conditions could significantly impact the Friday evening commute, with travel becoming “very difficult” as precipitation intensity increases. Wind gusts and steady accumulation may lead to drifting and sudden visibility loss on open stretches of highway.
Key routes likely to be affected include I-29, US-75, US-18, US-20, Highway 60, and connecting rural roads around communities such as Spencer, Storm Lake, Worthington, Sioux Center, Rock Valley, Cherokee, Le Mars, Sioux City, and North Sioux City.
Drivers are urged to delay travel if possible and to carry emergency supplies—food, water, and a flashlight—if they must be on the road. Statewide travel information is available by calling 511.
Conditions should gradually improve late Saturday night as snowfall tapers off.
