The National Weather Service office in Des Moines has issued a winter storm watch from Saturday afternoon to midday Sunday as another potent winter storm system will move through the southern Plains and lift northeastward across Iowa through the weekend.
The system will bring many different types of weather to Iowa, with heavy wintry mixed precipitation Saturday afternoon changing to all snow Saturday night. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches are forecast, with winds gusting to 50 mph.
Initially, a period of icing is expected across northern Iowa Saturday afternoon, with rain farther south. As much colder air moves into Iowa Saturday night, precipitation will change to all snow, potentially heavy at times. A narrow band of heavy snow is expected to set up across portions of western, central and northern Iowa with this system.
Strong and gusty northwest to west winds will increase across the state Saturday night and into Sunday. The winds will cause areas of blowing snow and potentially near-blizzard conditions, especially in rural areas, as gusting winds combine with icing possibly to bring down tree branches and power lines.
Along with Dallas County, the winter storm watch includes Wright,Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Audubon, Guthrie, Polk, Cass, Adair, Madison, Adams, Union, Taylor and Ringgold counties.
Along with Perry, the winter storm watch includes the cities of Eagle Grove, Clarion, Belmond, Hampton, Parkersburg, Clarksville, Shell Rock, Greene, Aplington, Allison, Dumont, Waverly, Fort Dodge, Webster City, Iowa Falls, Eldora, Ackley, Grundy Center, Reinbeck, Conrad, Dike, Wellsburg, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Jefferson, Boone, Ames, Marshalltown, Audubon, Exira, Guthrie Center, Panora, Bayard, Casey, Waukee, Adel, Des Moines, Atlantic, Greenfield, Stuart, Adair, Fontanelle, Winterset, Earlham, Corning, Creston, Bedford, Lenox, New Market and Mount Ayr.
Travel could be very difficult to hazardous during the period, with areas of blowing snow significantly reducing visibility to less than one-half mile at times.
ThePerryNews.com will continue to monitor forecasts and update this story as conditions evolve.
