(Spirit Lake)– The first significant winter storm of the season is wreaking havoc on travelers trying to get home from Thanksgiving. The storm has been affecting a large part of the upper Midwest.
Snow started falling in the Iowa Great Lakes late Friday afternoon. By 7:00 am this (Sat.) morning, nearly 7 inches of snow had fallen. The National Weather Service says the snow, moderate to heavy at times, will continue throughout the day with an ADDITIONAL 5 to 6 inches expected by the time it starts to diminish this (Sat.) evening.
Forecasters say the wind will also pick up later this (Sat.) afternoon with gusts as high as 30 mph or greater, resulting in considerable blowing and drifting snow, further complicating travel. Officials are urging people not to travel if it can be avoided. Numerous events throughout the region scheduled for today (Sat.) and this (Sat.) evening have either been cancelled or postponed. You can find the full list by clicking on the weather tab at Explore Okoboji-dot-com. Just scroll down to “Weather Related Announcements”.
Forecasters say conditions should improve somewhat through the day on Sunday, but even then snow and ice covered roads will likely remain an issue. That could be the case even for the Monday morning commute.
Anyone who feels they MUST travel today (Sat.) should be sure to have a winter survival kit with them in their vehicle.
