(Spirit Lake)– A severe winter storm that brought freezing rain, lightning, thunder, sleet, snow and blizzard conditions knocked out power and telephone service to most of the Iowa Great Lakes Saturday.
The storm started late Friday with freezing drizzle that quickly turned to freezing rain. That was followed by heavy thunderstorms that brought heavy amounts of freezing rain and sleet…before it finally changed to snow. About five inches of snow fell…combined with winds gusting to almost 50 miles-per-hour…producing whiteout conditions.
The combination of the strong winds and ice caused power lines to go down…knocking out electricity to many areas of Dickinson county. Crews have been working throughout the day (Saturday) restoring both electricity and telephone service.
The adverse conditions also caused problems for motorists…sending many into ditches. So far, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office has reported no serious incidents.
