A blizzard warning continues through Saturday morning across all of central Iowa. Gusty winds up to 45 MPH will cause near white-out conditions for the next several hours, and travel may be impossible in many rural areas.

Measured snow so far (7:30 a.m.):
Pella – 5.5″ (KNIA/KRLS)
Knoxville – 6.5″ (KNIA/KRLS)
Indianola – 4.5″ (NWS report)
Bussey – 6″ (NWS report)

As of 10:15 a.m., the Iowa DOT says travel is not advised on all area U.S. and state highways locally in Marion and Warren Counties including:
State Highways 5, 14, 92, 163, 316
U.S. Highways 65 and 69
Interstate 35

The DOT’s travel not advised area extends to the vast majority of Mahaska, Jasper, Polk, Monroe, and Lucas Counties as well.

Tow bans have been issued in Marion and Warren Counties, and snow ordinances are once again in effect in local cities.

While Iowa DOT, county, and city plows are in action, today’s combination of snow and wind is extremely hazardous. Please give plows plenty of room to operate if you have to travel, and recognize that some roads may not be usable for the next few days.

The Marion County Road Department says the conditions today through Saturday morning will make clearing roads and keeping roads clear extremely difficult over the next couple of days with the light, fluffy snow and the windy conditions on top of the full ditches and windrows of snow from this week’s earlier storm. Roads may be impossible to drive through at times over the next couple of days.