The National Weather Service office in Des Moines has issued a wind chill advisory for Thursday from 4 a.m. until noon for the Perry area and much of central and south-central Iowa.
Wind chills as low as 30 below zero are expected, causing frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes and creating flash freezes on wet or slushy roads, which could become icy Wednesday evening.
A strong Arctic cold front will pass through the state Wednesday afternoon and evening, with gusty northwest winds and light snow immediately behind the front leading to areas of blowing snow over northern Iowa, including the potential for near-blizzard conditions in northwest Iowa.
Rapidly falling temperatures will also accompany the front, which could lead to a flash freeze if local roads are wet or slushy. The bitterly cold temperatures and wind combine to drop wind chill values to dangerously cold levels late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Along with Dallas County, the wind chill advisory includes Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Audubon, Guthrie, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas, Monroe, Wapello, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanoose and Davis counties.
The wind chill advisory includes Perry and the cities of Boone, Ames, Marshalltown, Tama, Toledo, Traer, Dysart, Gladbrook, Audubon, Exira, Guthrie Center, Panora, Bayard, Casey, Waukee, Adel, Des Moines, Newton, Grinnell, Atlantic, Greenfield, Stuart, Adair, Fontanelle, Winterset, Earlham, Indianola, Norwalk, Carlisle, Pella, Knoxville, Oskaloosa, Corning, Creston, Osceola, Chariton, Albia, Ottumwa, Bedford, Lenox, New Market, Mount Ayr, Lamoni, Leon, Corydon, Seymour, Allerton, Humeston, Centerville and Bloomfield.
ThePerryNews.com will update this weather story as forecasts evolve.
