Sioux Falls, SD – A powerful post-Thanksgiving system is expected to push into the tri-state region Friday afternoon, setting up a high-impact snow event that could severely disrupt travel Friday night through Saturday. Heavy snow bands may develop across northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota, bringing quickly deteriorating road conditions and near-whiteout potential.
According to the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, a Winter Storm Watch is now in effect from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening for Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Sioux, O’Brien, Clay, Cherokee, and Buena Vista Counties in Iowa and Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Cottonwood, Nobles, Jackson, Pipestone, and Rock Counties in Minnesota. Forecasters say 5 to 10 inches of accumulation are possible, with the highest totals forming where the heaviest bands linger. According to local emergency managers, travel along I-29, Highway 60, and regional county routes may become very difficult or impossible at times late Friday into Saturday.
According to the Iowa DOT, plow operations will begin early, but rapidly falling snow may outpace treatment in the heaviest bands. The agency urges drivers returning from holiday gatherings to delay non-essential travel and carry emergency cold-weather supplies. Visibility may drop abruptly during peak snowfall, especially in open terrain.
Residents should charge devices, secure outdoor items, and prepare for extended periods of hazardous travel. Those in rural areas should expect reduced visibility and drifting where winds increase Saturday. Conditions should slowly improve Saturday night as snowfall weakens, but lingering slick roads are likely into early Sunday.
