Northwest Iowa — A February blizzard is forecast to arrive in the area late tonight, and continue raging through the day tomorrow. Our primary broadcast area of O’Brien, Osceola, Lyon and Sioux Counties are under a Blizzard Warning, as is most of the northwestern quarter of Iowa and parts of southwestern Minnesota.
Phil Schumacher is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, and he said this time it will be different that the heavy snow events we’ve experienced earlier this winter.
Schumacher says the snow should begin late tonight, and become heavy by tomorrow morning. He says that the winds that will howl with this storm will cause the biggest problems.
He says we’ll see the worst of the weather during the day tomorrow.
Schumacher says snowfall amounts will vary, but the heaviest amounts will be in the southeastern parts of the area.
He says the relatively warm temperatures will cause the snow to be wetter and heavier, which will allow conditions to improve more quickly.
Several basketball games and other events scheduled for tomorrow have already been rescheduled. To keep on top of the postponements and cancellations, 24/7, click on the “Closures/Delays” tab at kiwaradio.com.
Speaking of blizzards, new research indicates that the reported number of annual blizzards has doubled since the 1960’s. Jill Coleman, a meteorologist at Ball State University says that from 1960-94, the United States averaged about 9 reported blizzards each year, but jumped to about 19 a year since 1995. Coleman’s research also found that blizzards are concentrated in the Dakotas, western Minnesota and northwest Iowa, with this area averaging at least one blizzard per year over the study’s 55-year reporting period.
