Ice Storm Warning issued in Iowa as Midwest braces for 'treacherous' travel conditions
Beginning Friday night, freezing rain is possible across areas in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Drivers should prepare for slick conditions early Saturday. Ice accumulations could lead to down power lines and trees.
Snow, ice to blanket Midwest starting Friday night
A weak storm system will bring the full suite of precipitation types on Friday. Rain, snow and freezing rain are all expected across parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
DES MOINES, Iowa – Days of freezing temperatures and a surge of moisture will create potentially dangerous travel conditions across the Midwest this weekend from ice and snow.
An Ice Storm Warning has been issued for parts of the eastern portion of Iowa beginning Friday evening and lasting through the early Saturday afternoon due to the increasing threat of icing on roads. The warning covers Waterloo and Cedar Rapids for as much as 0.2-0.3 inches of ice accretion.
A Winter Weather Advisory that spans several Midwest states has also been issued.
Iowa's Department of Transportation issued a reminder with winter weather driving tips for new drivers.
Beginning Friday night, freezing rain is possible across areas in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
"Potentially treacherous travel Friday night into Saturday morning as freezing rain develops (greater than 80% chance) and coats surfaces with ice," forecasters with the National Weather Service office in Des Moines said. "Freezing rain will transition to rain from south to north across the state into Saturday."
Forecasters said there is the potential for 0.1-0.2 inches of ice accretion north of Interstate 80 in Iowa outside the Ice Storm Warning areas. According to the FOX Forecast Center, additional ice accretions are possible across areas including Madison in Wisconsin, Minneapolis and Rochester in Minnesota and northwestern Illinois.
The advisory area may experience total snow and sleet accumulations under an inch and ice accretions of 0.1-0.2 inches.
A significant ice event could lead to power outages from downed trees and power lines.
"Just a half an inch of ice can actually add upwards of 280 pounds of weight to a power line," FOX Weather Meteorologist Michael Estime said. "Depending on how much ice we see, downed tree limbs, maybe a couple of power outages into early Saturday morning, Iowa, something that we'll be watching."
Conditions should warm and improve by later Saturday.