Iowa weather: Dozens of Iowa schools cancel classes due to blizzard
Updated: 5:32 AM CST Mar 5, 2025
GRANDCHILDREN’S SPORTING EVENTS. ALL RIGHT. A BLIZZARD WARNING OFFICIALLY GOES INTO EFFECT IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS. A LITTLE MORE THAN AN HOUR NOW HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA. JASON, WE KNOW, THOUGH, RISKY CONDITIONS IN SOME PART OF THE STATE ALREADY, AND IT COULD BE A BUMPY RIDE UNTIL TOMORROW AFTERNOON. YEAH, IT DEFINITELY WILL. I MEAN, WE HAVE SEEN THESE ROADS ACROSS REALLY THE WESTERN THIRD OF THE STATE JUST BECOME ABSOLUTELY TREACHEROUS. YOU CAN SEE TRAVEL NOT ADVISED IN ALL OF THESE AREAS WHERE WE’VE GOT PURPLE ROADS. AND THAT’S NUDGING UP TO THE METRO RIGHT NOW. AREAS LIKE FORT DODGE AGAIN TRAVEL NOT ADVISED AMERICANS REPORTING MORE THAN 14,000 PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE WITHOUT POWER RIGHT NOW, INCLUDING AROUND 1300 IN THE METRO AND MORE THAN 6000 IN FORT DODGE. AGAIN, YOU GET THE WIND, YOU GET THE SNOW, AND YOU GET THE ICE AND SPOTS, AND THAT CAN TAKE DOWN POWER LINES, THAT CAN TAKE DOWN TREE BRANCHES AND THROW IT DOWN ON POWER LINES. SO AS WE HEAD INTO THE OVERNIGHT, THERE WILL BE MORE OF THAT. I CAN PROMISE YOU THAT MUCH, EVEN AS WE JUST GET A LITTLE BIT OF SNOW. YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH THE VISIBILITY IS REDUCED BECAUSE OF THAT WIND, AND IT’S GOING TO STAY STRONG INTO THE MORNING HOURS, EVEN THROUGH 6 A.M., AS WE PICK UP A LITTLE BIT MORE SNOW. WINDS GUSTING OVER 50MPH. VISIBILITIES AROUND A MILE. WE’LL START TO SEE THAT. FINALLY RELAX BY LATE MORNING HOURS. BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT SNOW IS NOT DONE YET. ALGONA AN ADDITIONAL 6.4IN AND THEY’VE ALREADY GOTTEN QUITE A BIT. SO LOOKING ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE, SEEING THAT RAIN TRANSITION TO SNOW NEAR WAUKEE, DOWN HIGHWAY 169, WE LOOK NORTHWEST OF THERE NEAR FORT DODGE, THROUGH CARROLL ALREADY HAS TRANSITIONED TO SNOW, AND THE TEMPERATURES AND EVEN SURFACE TEMPERATURES AT THIS POINT HAVE PLUMMETED. SO THE RAIN THAT WE GOT, SEEING SOME OF THAT TRANSITION TO SNOW, TO ICE ON THE ROADS, AND WE STILL HAVE HEAVY RAIN THROUGH EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. SHERIDAN THROUGH LIBERTY, DOWN THROUGH VAN WERT, ALL THE WAY UPWARDS TOWARDS MARSHALLTOWN AND TOLEDO, WHICH THAT TRANSITIONING LINE RIGHT THERE IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO MARCH EASTWARD AS WE PUNCH DOWN THAT COLDER AIR WITH THOSE STOUT WINDS AND THOSE STOUT WINDS, AS YOU SAW, ARE GOING TO BE STICKING AROUND FOR A BIT. SO 2 A.M. YOU CAN SEE THAT LINE CONTINUING TO PUSH EASTWARD. 61 MILE PER HOUR WINDS IN ALGONA. IF YOU’RE IF YOU HEAR SOME NONSTOP HOWLING WINDS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT, KNOW THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THAT ACROSS NEARLY THE ENTIRE STATE HERE AS WE’RE PUSHING CLOSE TO 60MPH FOR WIND GUSTS INTO TOMORROW MORNING, THAT SNOW EVENTUALLY GOING TO TAPER BACK BY NOON. WE’VE GOT THAT LARGELY THROUGH EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. SO THE SNOW IS GOING TO STOP FALLING, BUT WE’LL LIKELY CONTINUE TO SEE AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME WITH BLOWING SNOW. THAT PUTS THAT SNOW BACK ON THE ROADS, AS EVEN BY 3 P.M., WE’RE TALKING WIND GUSTS IN THE METRO AT 54MPH AND 58MPH IN AMES, AND THAT EVENTUALLY DOES FINALLY DIE. DOWN BY 8 P.M., BUT A PRETTY PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME WHERE WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING SOME VERY STRONG WINDS. AND THEN THE NEXT SYSTEM STARTS TO PUSH IN LATE THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, YOU CAN SEE A LINE OF SNOW IS GOING TO DEVELOP AND PUSH THROUGH INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, AGAIN MAKING FOR A HEADACHE OF A COMMUTE FOR YOUR FRIDAY MORNING. SO IF YOU’VE GOT TRAVEL PLANS AGAIN ON FRIDAY, WELL, IT MAY NOT BE AS BAD WIND WISE AS THIS SYSTEM, BUT IT’S STILL GOING TO PUT DOWN SOME SNOW. STILL HAVE SOME RAIN TO GET THROUGH FOR CENTRAL EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE, A HALF INCH TO AROUND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH, AND YOUR SNOW TRACK. NOW THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD. KEEP IN MIND THIS IS IN ADDITION TO WHAT A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE SEEN THROUGH WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. SO ANOTHER 4 TO 6IN UPWARDS TOWARDS ALGONA METRO ON THE ORDER OF AROUND AN INCH OR TWO. AGAIN, IT DOESN’T TAKE MUCH WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT WINDS AROUND 60MPH. ALL YOU NEED IS AN INCH OR TWO FOR VISIBILITIES TO QUICKLY PLUMMET TO AROUND ZERO, AND FOR THOSE ROADS TO CONTINUALLY BE COATED. SO TEMPERATURES BOUNCE TO 42 ON THURSDAY AND THEN WE’RE DOWN TO 39 WITH THAT SNOW CHANCE ON FRIDAY. LOSE AN HOUR OF SLEEP THIS WEEKEND, BUT GAIN SOME WARMTH. WE’RE BACK CLOSE TO 50 ON MONDAY AND IT’S LIKE IT’S NOT EVEN WINTER. NEXT WEEK. WE’RE BACK
Iowa weather: Dozens of Iowa schools cancel classes due to blizzard
Updated: 5:32 AM CST Mar 5, 2025
Iowa school districts are modifying Wednesday’s class schedules ahead of the expected overnight blizzard. Closings | Interactive Radar | Weather AlertsMost of the state, including central Iowa counties such as Polk, Dallas, Story, Boone, Madison and Warren, fall under a blizzard warning that goes into effect at midnight and will last until 3 p.m. Wednesday. The warning will start at 9 p.m. Tuesday for areas west and north of the metro.In total, more than 270 schools, churches and community centers have reported closures or delays to KCCI as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, Des Moines and several other central Iowa districts had canceled classes. That also includes Ankeny, Bondurant-Farrar, Johnston, Southeast Polk, Urbandale and Waukee, among others.You can see our full list of school closings and delays here.Several other districts have announced that classes will be held virtually on Wednesday, including Bedford, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Davis County, Eagle Grove, Gilmore City-Bradgate, Lenox, Mount Ayr, Southwest Valley and West Bend-Mallard. » Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest headlines from KCCI Boys substate basketball schedule changesHere’s a list of Class 4A substate basketball schedule changes as of 10 a.m. Tuesday:Dowling Catholic at Linn-Mar: Tuesday’s tip-off time moved up to 6 p.m. Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln at Waukee: Postponed to 7 p.m. WednesdaySioux City East at Waukee Northwest: Postponed to 7 p.m. WednesdayKeep an eye on weather across Iowa with KCCI’s skycamsWeather watchers can keep an eye on conditions by checking our skycam page, which shows aerial views from a dozen sites across the state.
Iowa school districts are modifying Wednesday’s class schedules ahead of the expected overnight blizzard.
Closings | Interactive Radar | Weather Alerts
Most of the state, including central Iowa counties such as Polk, Dallas, Story, Boone, Madison and Warren, fall under a blizzard warning that goes into effect at midnight and will last until 3 p.m. Wednesday. The warning will start at 9 p.m. Tuesday for areas west and north of the metro.
In total, more than 270 schools, churches and community centers have reported closures or delays to KCCI as of 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, Des Moines and several other central Iowa districts had canceled classes. That also includes Ankeny, Bondurant-Farrar, Johnston, Southeast Polk, Urbandale and Waukee, among others.
You can see our full list of school closings and delays here.
Several other districts have announced that classes will be held virtually on Wednesday, including Bedford, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Davis County, Eagle Grove, Gilmore City-Bradgate, Lenox, Mount Ayr, Southwest Valley and West Bend-Mallard.
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
Get the latest headlines from KCCI
Here’s a list of Class 4A substate basketball schedule changes as of 10 a.m. Tuesday:
- Dowling Catholic at Linn-Mar: Tuesday’s tip-off time moved up to 6 p.m.
- Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln at Waukee: Postponed to 7 p.m. Wednesday
- Sioux City East at Waukee Northwest: Postponed to 7 p.m. Wednesday
Keep an eye on weather across Iowa with KCCI’s skycams
Weather watchers can keep an eye on conditions by checking our skycam page, which shows aerial views from a dozen sites across the state.
