Winter Storm Warning Issued for Western and Central Iowa: Heavy Snow and Difficult Travel Expected
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this NWS weather alert directly from NOAA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for several Iowa counties, with 5 to 8 inches of snow and hazardous travel conditions expected through Friday morning.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Winter Storm Warning
- Affected area
- Western and Central Iowa
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Des Moines IA
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Western and Central Iowa.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Des Moines has issued a Winter Storm Warning for portions of western and central Iowa. This alert is effective from 3:00 PM CST today through 6:00 AM CST Friday, February 20.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following Iowa counties:
- Webster
- Crawford
- Carroll
- Greene
- Boone
- Audubon
- Guthrie
- Dallas
- Cass
Expected Conditions
Heavy snow is forecast for the region, with total accumulations expected between 5 and 8 inches. Precipitation will begin this afternoon and evening, potentially starting as a rain/snow mix in southern and western areas before transitioning to all snow. Residents should be aware that snow rates may exceed 1 inch per hour at times this evening, leading to rapid accumulation on roadways and slick travel conditions. A sharp gradient in snowfall totals is expected on either side of the heaviest band.
Timeline
- Onset: 3:00 PM CST, Thursday, February 19
- Duration: The warning remains in effect until 6:00 AM CST, Friday, February 20
- Peak Impact: Significant impacts are expected during the Thursday evening commute.
What You Should Do
Travel could be very difficult. If you must travel, the National Weather Service recommends keeping an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. For the latest travel conditions, residents can check the Iowa 511 app, visit www.511ia.org, or dial 511.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
Related Weather Alerts
All Weather Alerts →Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NWS weather alert.