Des Moines, IA – A colder and more active early-winter pattern is expected across Iowa from Nov. 29th through Dec. 5th, bringing multiple rounds of snow across the state as December begins.
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, temperatures will trend below normal statewide, including Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Sioux City, and the northern border counties. Highs in the 20s and low 30s and freezing overnight temperatures will support snow accumulation with each passing system.
NOAA’s precipitation outlook also shows a strong above-normal precipitation signal, indicating several disturbances may move across the Upper Midwest. Des Moines is likely to see system snow, with light-to-moderate accumulations depending on timing and storm strength.
Northern Iowa — including Mason City, Decorah, Clear Lake, Algona, and the Highway 20 corridor — faces the highest snow potential, with multiple rounds of accumulating snow likely through the week.
Northeastern Iowa — including Dubuque, Waukon, and Elkader — may also see enhanced totals as storms wrap colder air across the Mississippi River region.
Central Iowa — including Ames, Ankeny, Newton, and Marshalltown — will also see several snow chances that may cause slick morning and evening commutes.
Southern Iowa — including Ottumwa, Council Bluffs, Creston, and Burlington — may start as rain or a rain–snow mix during some events, but colder air will likely transition precipitation to light snow with minor accumulation.
Forecasters emphasize this is not one major blizzard but a multi-system early-winter pattern, capable of producing slick roads, reduced visibility, and periodic travel delays statewide.
As December begins, Iowa residents should prepare for a shift into colder, snowier conditions.
