Des Moines, Iowa – Iowa residents could face renewed winter travel disruptions as a late-January weather pattern increases the likelihood of accumulating snow across much of the state.
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, Iowa is included in a slight risk for heavy snow from Saturday through the following Friday, signaling a higher chance for one or more organized winter systems tracking through the central Plains and Upper Midwest. The risk covers northern, central, and southern Iowa as colder air settles in.
In central Iowa, including Des Moines and surrounding Polk County, temperatures trending below normal favor snow as the primary precipitation type. That could lead to slick conditions along Interstates 35, 80, and 235, particularly during overnight and early morning travel periods.
Across eastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities area near Davenport, snow may arrive in multiple rounds rather than a single storm. That raises the potential for cumulative impacts on Interstate 380, Interstate 74, and local roads used for daily commutes. Western and southern portions of the state could also see accumulating snow if systems track slightly farther south.
The Iowa Department of Transportation urges residents to monitor road conditions closely, allow extra travel time, and keep vehicles stocked with winter emergency supplies. With colder air expected to persist, snow that falls may linger between systems.
More detailed timing and possible winter weather advisories are expected as the late-January window approaches, with clearer impacts becoming available by early next week.
