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Iowa weather: Recapping Wednesday's winter weather

Wednesday's weather will vary dramatically across Iowa.

Iowa weather: Recapping Wednesday's winter weather

Wednesday's weather will vary dramatically across Iowa.

OF THE SNOWFALL, SOME PARTS OF OUR STATE GOT LAW ENFORCEMENT IN NORTHWEST IOWA. THEY’RE URGING PEOPLE TO STAY OFF THE ROADS. A STORM LAKE POLICE SHARED THIS VIDEO. I MEAN, WE THAT IS JUST CRAZY CONDITIONS OUT THERE. THIS WAS WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. A SEEN JUST BEFORE 11:00 THIS MORNING AND THIS TAKEN RIGHT OUTSIDE THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING ON MILWAUKEE AVENUE. THEY ARE IN TOWN, THOUGH YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO KNOW THAT FROM LOOKING AT THESE PICTURES. AND NOW WE HAVE A LOOK AT ROAD CONDITIONS ON HIGHWAY 20, AT HIGHWAY 71, IT’S ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF STORM LAKE, NEAR THE TOWN OF EARLY. THE IOWA D.O.T. SAYS TRAVEL IS NOT ADVISED IN THAT AREA. vlog BEAU BOWMAN HE’S BEEN DRIVING BACK FROM ALGONA IN NORTH IOWA FOR THE LAST, I DON’T KNOW, HOUR OR SO. A BO YOU’VE BEEN IN IT ALL DAY LONG. WHAT CONDITIONS ARE YOU SEEING RIGHT NOW? WELL, BEN, STACEY, WHAT YOU’RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THE BEST. IT’S BEEN ALL DAY. YOU KNOW, JUST A PARTIALLY COVERED ROAD IS A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES AT THIS POINT IN THE DAY, VISIBILITY HAS ACTUALLY IMPROVED A LITTLE BIT TOO, AS WE’VE GOTTEN A LITTLE BIT LATER INTO THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BUT THAT’S NOT SAYING A WHOLE LOT. IT’S STILL ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE IS ALL YOU CAN SEE. WE CAN SEE IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW. BUT LIKE I SAID, THE ROAD CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED, ESPECIALLY ON THESE MAIN HIGHWAYS LIKE 169. THE ROAD WE’RE ON RIGHT NOW SOUTH OF FORT DODGE, APPROACHING THE DAYTON AREA, I BELIEVE. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO MESS WITH. GETTING OUT ON ROADS LIKE THIS TODAY. A LOT OF THE ROADS THAT AREN’T TRAVELED QUITE AS MUCH, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PLOWED AT ALL. YET. JUST ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, WE WERE HELPING A GUY WHO GOT STUCK TRYING TO TURN DOWN THOSE DOWN THOSE ROADS, AND IT TOOK US A GOOD 15 MINUTES TO GET HIM OUT. SO. AND YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO BE OUT PUSHING A CAR IN THIS TYPE OF SNOW. SO AGAIN, FOLKS, IF YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE OUT LIKE EMERGENCY TYPE OF SITUATION, DON’T BE OUT HERE AT ALL. WE DID TALK TO SOME PLOW TRUCK DRIVERS WHO ARE SOME OF THE FEW FOLKS WHO DO HAVE TO BE OUT WORKING IN THIS. HERE’S WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. A HORRIBLE YES, VERY BAD. I WORK FOR THE SCHOOL AND YOU KNOW, THERE’S NO SENSE TO EVEN TRYING TO MOVE IT RIGHT NOW. VISIBILITY, WIND, ALL OF IT. IT’S TERRIBLE. JUST PLAIN TERRIBLE. THE SNOW AND WIND HAS CALMED DOWN A LITTLE BIT SINCE WE FIRST GOT OUT HERE AROUND 10:00 THIS MORNING, BUT IT IS STILL FALLING. IT JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO QUIT. RIGHT BEFORE WE SIGN OFF, I DO WANT TO GIVE A GOOD SHOUT OUT TO OUR PHOTOJOURNALIST DYLAN -- BEHIND THE WHEEL ALL DAY FOR US. HIS KNUCKLES HAVE TO BE AS WHITE AS JUST ABOUT THE ENTIRE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF THE STATE RIGHT NOW. HE’S DONE A GREAT JOB KEEPING US SAFE, AND I KNOW HE’S GOING TO GET GET US BACK TO DES MOINES. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE LIVE IN THE STORM C
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Iowa weather: Recapping Wednesday's winter weather

Wednesday's weather will vary dramatically across Iowa.

Yet another strong weather system moved across Iowa today, dropping a foot of snow on some parts of northern Iowa. Other areas of the state saw rain, sleet, hail and wind gusts over 60 mph.Wind chills will remain overnight, but temperatures will rise to the mid- to upper-40s on Thursday.Interactive Radar | Weather AlertsSchool closings | Share your photosWinter storm, wind gusts knock out power to many IowansCrews with Midland Power Cooperative braved blizzard conditions Wednesday afternoon to restore power in Greene County. Director of communications and energy services Ryan Henn told vlog around 4 p.m. they were reporting 400 outages system wide. Half of those outages were in Greene County.Henn said whiteout conditions in the early afternoon hours put a pause on power restoration. He said safety for linemen and members is their top priority."When we do encounter conditions like today where we have whiteout conditions on the roadways, we do make the decision to pull back those crews until it's safe for them to resume restoration efforts," Henn said.He said galloping lines caused the most outages for their coverage area Wednesday. He said crews will work late into Wednesday evening to get the lights back on."These are men who are highly skilled, highly trained and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power," he said. As of 8:30 p.m., MidAmerican Energy Co. reported 11,525 customers without power. According to their outage map, roughly 2,500 customers in the Council Bluffs area were affected, 5,700 in the Sioux City area and 3,000 in the Fort Dodge area. There were less than 200 customers in the Des Moines area without power at 8:30 p.m.Highest snowfall reports WednesdayAs of 5:30 p.m., Ledyard in far northern Iowa is reporting the most snow from Wednesday's blizzard. The tiny Kossuth County town (pop. 121) received a foot of snow. Other totals include 11.5 inches of snow in Algona, 11 inches in Buffalo Center and 8 inches in Armstrong. As always with snowfall totals, remember that not all reports are received at the same time, so more snow could have accumulated (or already melted) since some of these measurements. Strongest wind gusts recorded WednesdayAs of 5 p.m., Storm Lake reported the strongest wind gust of the day Wednesday, which saw everything from blizzard conditions to rain and hail. Peak readings from Storm Lake show gusts of 63 mph, followed by Carroll at 62 mph and Atlantic at 58 mph. Semi-truck crash on Interstate 80 blocks lanes near Adair; portions of Highway 20 closedInside lanes in both directions of Interstate 80 near Adair are blocked after a semi-truck crashed into the median, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. As of 3:45 p.m., Iowa511 is showing short delays around the crash, which happened just west of the Adair exit.Traffic cameras in the area show several emergency vehicles attempting to clear the wreck.U.S. Highway 20 is blocked in several spots in Webster and Hamilton counties. As of 3:45 p.m., the westbound lanes between U.S. Highway 169 and County Road P51 southwest of Fort Dodge were blocked due to a crash. At the same time, two crashes were reported in Hamilton County, one at Webster City and a multi-vehicle about three miles west of Webster City. According to the Iowa DOT, the crash west of Webster City is blocking the westbound lanes and there is an 11-minute delay in that area.Latest forecast updateBlizzard conditions continue to intensify across portions of northern and western Iowa this afternoon. Low visibility to whiteout conditions are making travel extremely dangerous. If you are in the blizzard warning, delay travel until later this evening if at all possible.A high wind warning is in effect for all of central and western Iowa, with sustained north winds of 30-40 mph and stronger gusts up to 65 mph. These gusts will cause damage to tree limbs, above-ground power lines, and make driving dangerous for high-profile vehicles. Over 23,000 customers and northwest Iowa are already without power, and additional power outages are expected.The blizzard warning remains in effect through 10 p.m. for northern and western Iowa, where snow will accumulate enough to blow in the strong winds.Power outage updateAs of 4 p.m., MidAmerican Energy is reporting more than 21,000 outages — most of which are in western and northern Iowa. Nearly 8,000 customers were without power in the Fort Dodge area, with 7,000 out around Sioux City, 5,300 in Council Bluffs and another 1,100 in Storm Lake.You can see the updated outage map here.According to the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, nearly 6,500 customers are without power as of 4 p.m. That includes 1,700 in Harrison County, 700 in Carroll County and 600 in Monona County. Grab your ruler: Here's how to accurately measure snowfallIf you are sending us snowfall reports, here are some good practices to use according to the National Weather Service to get the most accurate measurement possible.BEST PRACTICE: Use a snowboard (24”x16” piece of plywood), preferably white, to collect snow.A picnic table or deck without any interference from outside sources can work.If measuring from the ground, find an area with short grasses and be careful not to drive your yardstick into the ground so you don't inflate the measurement.Use a yardstick for measuring.Avoid sheltered areas (sides of buildings & under trees).Be careful of large drifts.If snow has been blown or formed into drifts by wind, take an average of several high and low spots.SNOW PHOTOS: How to share your photos, videos with vlogBeau Bowman's afternoon report from AlgonaPortion of I-29 closes in western IowaInterstate 29 is closed in both directions from Sergeant Bluff to Missouri Valley.Iowa DOT crews say low visibility, stranded vehicles and even downed power lines along the interstate have forced the road closure. The closed stretch of I-29 encompasses about 70 miles.Viewers share hail photosZero visibility on some roads in IowaThe Iowa State Patrol shared video from Highway 20 in Calhoun County, where roads have been completely covered and visibility is near zero.vlog's Beau Bowman also experience zero visibility on Highway 169 just south of Algona.Mile Long Bridge may close due to high windsThe Iowa Department of Transportation says the Mile Long Bridge over Saylorville Lake on Iowa 415 may face emergency closures today due to high winds.Drivers of high-profile vehicles are encouraged to find alternative routes.Any closures will be posted on the Iowa 511 site.Semi-truck runs off road, ends up in Highway 30 median between Boone and AmesKeep an eye on weather across Iowa with vlog's skycamsWeather watchers can keep an eye on conditions by checking our skycam page, which shows aerial views from a dozen sites across the state.Power outages reported in western IowaMidAmerican Energy reported nearly 4,900 customers impacted by the storms in Sioux City and another 2,300 in Storm Lake.You can see the updated outage map here.How much snow is likely? Most of this system's moisture will fall as snow in northwest Iowa from sunrise through midday.Several inches is likely northwest of Carroll, Fort Dodge, and Mason City. Amounts will drop off sharply over a 20-mile distance southeast of these locations. Little to no accumulation is expected in the Des Moines metro and elsewhere. Blizzard Warning in northwest Iowa A Blizzard Warning will be in effect for northwest Iowa until 10 p.m. Wind gusts up to 65 mph will cause significant blowing/drifting snow and lead to whiteout conditions at times. Travel will become dangerous in the warning area. A Winter Weather Advisory is out for areas like Atlantic, Guthrie Center, Boone, and Eldora, where some snow will still fall, but not enough to cause significant issues. Snow will begin in these areas later in the morning.High Wind Warning elsewhere Winds will be strong even where snow isn't falling Wednesday. Northwest Iowa is already under a High Wind Warning. The warning starts for central Iowa at 1:00 this afternoon. These gusts up to 65 mph could damage tree limbs and power lines, even without any snow. Showers and strong stormsThunderstorms already swept across Iowa early this morning, bringing hail to some areas. Another round of storms is possible from midday into this afternoon. This second round will fire up from south-central into eastern Iowa. Temperatures in southeast Iowa will actually rise into the 60s. That, plus a small amount of humidity and strong wind shear will make more hail and even brief tornadoes possible. Snow and storm timingHeavy snow will fall in northwest Iowa through midday. Areas to the southeast will not see snow yet.Early this afternoon, the second round of storms will be popping up in eastern/southeast Iowa.Mid to late afternoon is when snow will finally make it toward the Des Moines area. By this evening, snow will be heading into eastern Iowa and lightening up. Skies will clear toward midnight.» Subscribe to vlog's YouTube page» Download the free vlog app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

Yet another strong weather system moved across Iowa today, dropping a foot of snow on some parts of northern Iowa. Other areas of the state saw rain, sleet, hail and wind gusts over 60 mph.

Wind chills will remain overnight, but temperatures will rise to the mid- to upper-40s on Thursday.

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Interactive Radar | Weather Alerts

School closings | Share your photos

Winter storm, wind gusts knock out power to many Iowans

Crews with Midland Power Cooperative braved blizzard conditions Wednesday afternoon to restore power in Greene County. Director of communications and energy services Ryan Henn told vlog around 4 p.m. they were reporting 400 outages system wide. Half of those outages were in Greene County.

Henn said whiteout conditions in the early afternoon hours put a pause on power restoration. He said safety for linemen and members is their top priority.

"When we do encounter conditions like today where we have whiteout conditions on the roadways, we do make the decision to pull back those crews until it's safe for them to resume restoration efforts," Henn said.

He said galloping lines caused the most outages for their coverage area Wednesday. He said crews will work late into Wednesday evening to get the lights back on.

"These are men who are highly skilled, highly trained and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power," he said.

As of 8:30 p.m., MidAmerican Energy Co. reported 11,525 customers without power. According to their outage map, roughly 2,500 customers in the Council Bluffs area were affected, 5,700 in the Sioux City area and 3,000 in the Fort Dodge area. There were less than 200 customers in the Des Moines area without power at 8:30 p.m.


Highest snowfall reports Wednesday

As of 5:30 p.m., Ledyard in far northern Iowa is reporting the most snow from Wednesday's blizzard. The tiny Kossuth County town (pop. 121) received a foot of snow.

Other totals include 11.5 inches of snow in Algona, 11 inches in Buffalo Center and 8 inches in Armstrong.

As always with snowfall totals, remember that not all reports are received at the same time, so more snow could have accumulated (or already melted) since some of these measurements.


Strongest wind gusts recorded Wednesday

As of 5 p.m., Storm Lake reported the strongest wind gust of the day Wednesday, which saw everything from blizzard conditions to rain and hail.

Peak readings from Storm Lake show gusts of 63 mph, followed by Carroll at 62 mph and Atlantic at 58 mph.


Semi-truck crash on Interstate 80 blocks lanes near Adair; portions of Highway 20 closed

Inside lanes in both directions of Interstate 80 near Adair are blocked after a semi-truck crashed into the median, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. As of 3:45 p.m., Iowa511 is showing short delays around the crash, which happened just west of the Adair exit.

Traffic cameras in the area show several emergency vehicles attempting to clear the wreck.

U.S. Highway 20 is blocked in several spots in Webster and Hamilton counties. As of 3:45 p.m., the westbound lanes between U.S. Highway 169 and County Road P51 southwest of Fort Dodge were blocked due to a crash. At the same time, two crashes were reported in Hamilton County, one at Webster City and a multi-vehicle about three miles west of Webster City. According to the Iowa DOT, the crash west of Webster City is blocking the westbound lanes and there is an 11-minute delay in that area.

This content is imported from Facebook. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Latest forecast update

Blizzard conditions continue to intensify across portions of northern and western Iowa this afternoon. Low visibility to whiteout conditions are making travel extremely dangerous. If you are in the blizzard warning, delay travel until later this evening if at all possible.

A high wind warning is in effect for all of central and western Iowa, with sustained north winds of 30-40 mph and stronger gusts up to 65 mph. These gusts will cause damage to tree limbs, above-ground power lines, and make driving dangerous for high-profile vehicles. Over 23,000 customers and northwest Iowa are already without power, and additional power outages are expected.

The blizzard warning remains in effect through 10 p.m. for northern and western Iowa, where snow will accumulate enough to blow in the strong winds.


Power outage update

As of 4 p.m., MidAmerican Energy is reporting more than 21,000 outages — most of which are in western and northern Iowa.

Nearly 8,000 customers were without power in the Fort Dodge area, with 7,000 out around Sioux City, 5,300 in Council Bluffs and another 1,100 in Storm Lake.

You can .

According to the , nearly 6,500 customers are without power as of 4 p.m. That includes 1,700 in Harrison County, 700 in Carroll County and 600 in Monona County.


Grab your ruler: Here's how to accurately measure snowfall

If you are sending us snowfall reports, here are some good practices to use according to the National Weather Service to get the most accurate measurement possible.

  • BEST PRACTICE: Use a snowboard (24”x16” piece of plywood), preferably white, to collect snow.
  • A picnic table or deck without any interference from outside sources can work.
  • If measuring from the ground, find an area with short grasses and be careful not to drive your yardstick into the ground so you don't inflate the measurement.
  • Use a yardstick for measuring.
  • Avoid sheltered areas (sides of buildings & under trees).
  • Be careful of large drifts.
  • If snow has been blown or formed into drifts by wind, take an average of several high and low spots.

SNOW PHOTOS: How to share your photos, videos with vlog


Beau Bowman's afternoon report from Algona


Portion of I-29 closes in western Iowa

Interstate 29 is closed in both directions from Sergeant Bluff to Missouri Valley.

Iowa DOT crews say low visibility, stranded vehicles and even downed power lines along the interstate have forced the road closure. The closed stretch of I-29 encompasses about 70 miles.


Viewers share hail photos

Mallory Burkhart shared this photo of hail Wednesday morning in Granger, Iowa.
Mallory Burkhart
Mallory Burkhart shared this photo of hail Wednesday morning in Granger, Iowa.
Maria Marzolf shared this photo of hail covering the ground Wednesday morning in Granger, Iowa.
Maria Marzolf
Maria Marzolf shared this photo of hail covering the ground Wednesday morning in Granger, Iowa.
Tim Panyard shared this photo of hail, about three-quarters of an inch, that fell Wednesday morning in Ames, Iowa.
Tim Panyard
Tim Panyard shared this photo of hail, about three-quarters of an inch, that fell Wednesday morning in Ames, Iowa.


Zero visibility on some roads in Iowa

The Iowa State Patrol shared video from Highway 20 in Calhoun County, where roads have been completely covered and visibility is near zero.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

vlog's Beau Bowman also experience zero visibility on Highway 169 just south of Algona.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Mile Long Bridge may close due to high winds

The Iowa Department of Transportation says the Mile Long Bridge over Saylorville Lake on Iowa 415 may face emergency closures today due to high winds.

Drivers of high-profile vehicles are encouraged to find alternative routes.

Any closures will be .


Semi-truck runs off road, ends up in Highway 30 median between Boone and Ames


Keep an eye on weather across Iowa with vlog's skycams

Weather watchers can keep an eye on conditions by checking our skycam page, which shows aerial views from a dozen sites across the state.


Power outages reported in western Iowa

MidAmerican Energy reported nearly 4,900 customers impacted by the storms in Sioux City and another 2,300 in Storm Lake.

You can .


How much snow is likely?

Most of this system's moisture will fall as snow in northwest Iowa from sunrise through midday.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned
Forecast as of Wednesday morning.

Several inches is likely northwest of Carroll, Fort Dodge, and Mason City. Amounts will drop off sharply over a 20-mile distance southeast of these locations.

Little to no accumulation is expected in the Des Moines metro and elsewhere.


Blizzard Warning in northwest Iowa

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

A Blizzard Warning will be in effect for northwest Iowa until 10 p.m. Wind gusts up to 65 mph will cause significant blowing/drifting snow and lead to whiteout conditions at times. Travel will become dangerous in the warning area.

A Winter Weather Advisory is out for areas like Atlantic, Guthrie Center, Boone, and Eldora, where some snow will still fall, but not enough to cause significant issues. Snow will begin in these areas later in the morning.


High Wind Warning elsewhere

Winds will be strong even where snow isn't falling Wednesday.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

Northwest Iowa is already under a High Wind Warning. The warning starts for central Iowa at 1:00 this afternoon. These gusts up to 65 mph could damage tree limbs and power lines, even without any snow.


Showers and strong storms

Thunderstorms already swept across Iowa early this morning, bringing hail to some areas.

Another round of storms is possible from midday into this afternoon. This second round will fire up from south-central into eastern Iowa.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

Temperatures in southeast Iowa will actually rise into the 60s. That, plus a small amount of humidity and strong wind shear will make more hail and even brief tornadoes possible.


Snow and storm timing

Heavy snow will fall in northwest Iowa through midday. Areas to the southeast will not see snow yet.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

Early this afternoon, the second round of storms will be popping up in eastern/southeast Iowa.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

Mid to late afternoon is when snow will finally make it toward the Des Moines area.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

By this evening, snow will be heading into eastern Iowa and lightening up. Skies will clear toward midnight.

iowa weather
Hearst Owned

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