A Winter Storm Warning is in effect across central Iowa until early Saturday morning. A large swath of 6-10″ of snow is expected by sunrise on Saturday with the heaviest falling through 10 pm. This snow started as very slushy and wet snow but is expected to become lighter and fluffier by the late evening as much colder air moves in.

Below is a look at the timing for the rest of the evening. Snow will remain heaviest through 10 pm, but begin to lighten up between 10 pm and midnight. Eventually, snow will taper off by between 4 and 6 am on Saturday.

Overall snowfall totals will mainly stay between 6 and 10″ with a few spots over 10″. For the rest of the evening, expect an additional 3-6″ of snowfall. Avoid traveling, if possible. Not only are roads completely covered in snowfall, but visibility will remain very low for the rest of the night.

Cold air and wind will intensify through the early morning hours. Wind gusts will reach 30 to 35 mph after midnight, especially across the southern half of the state. Temperatures will drop to the teens.