Plows pulled from roads as snow, wind continue

Travel is not recommend anywhere in Eastern Iowa as a major winter storm with snowfall totals close to 12 inches and higher along  with strong winds are causing all sorts of treacherous conditions.

Blizzard warnings are issued for much of central, southern and eastern Iowa into Wednesday morning. The storm is part of a massive 2,000-mile system that threatened to leave about a third of the nation covered in a hodge-podge of harsh weather.

Over 200 schools were closed in Iowa on Tuesday. The University of Iowa in Iowa City canceled classes or Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. More are likely canceled on Wednesday. (See the full list of closings and delays)

Road conditions in Eastern Iowa, Cedar Rapids

Conditions on Iowa roadways continue to deteriorate. If not closed, nearly all roads in the eastern two-thirds of Iowa are being reported by the Iowa State Patrol as “travel not advised.”

With high winds expected to continue, road conditions are expected to remain hazardous well into Wednesday morning.

EASTERN IOWA - Due to the blizzard conditions, visibility has diminished to the point it is no longer safe for Iowa Department of Transportation  snowplows to be on the roads.

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids is under a blizzard warning and has a snow emergency in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday. Snow fall is over four inches today and the rate of snowfall is more than one inch per hour.

Currently, there are severe road conditions in the more rural parts of the city with up to three-foot drifts on some of the main arterials. Crews are starting to work in tandem because of safety concerns. Visibility in parts of the Cedar Rapids near the airport is less than 200 feet. Drivers should take extreme care when driving, officials say.

Residents are requested to park on the even side of road or in driveways on Wednesday to support snow removal work.

IOWA COUNTY - The Iowa County Sheriff's Office is urging citizen to refrain from driving on roadways. Roadway and visibility conditions are making it nearly impossible to travel at this time. This warning includes all Primary and Secondary roads including I-80, U.S. 151, U.S. 6 and all other state and county roadways within Iowa County.

Roads that are closed in Eastern Iowa as of 11:05 p.m.

• U.S. 218 - Benton County (La Porte to U.S. 30)
• Iowa 1 - Washington County (Brighton to Kalona)
• Iowa 22 - Washington and Muscatine counties (Nichols to Kalona)

(For more on road conditions go here)

Resources to keep you informed

The latest radar, forecast models and more

Cancellations, delays and snow emergencies

KCRG-TV9's Weather Water Cooler blog

Road conditions

Eastern Iowa Aiport

Winter storm photos

Photographers Liz Martin, Cliff Jette, Brian Ray have been out in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids to tell the story of the blizzard in images.

Iowa National Guard mobilizes to help

The Iowa National Guard mobilized a small number of troops for snow duty on Tuesday as a massive winter storm slogging across the nation's midsection arrived in Iowa, where heavy snow and strong winds were creating blizzard conditions.

"Their job will be to assist local law enforcement and the Iowa Department of Transportation as needed," said Guard spokesman Col. Greg Hapgood, adding that could include helping stranded motorists. He said teams were sent to Iowa City, Mount Pleasant and Davenport.

Snow, winds to continue overnight

Three-foot snow drifts will be commonplace in rural Linn County on Wednesday if the forecast holds true, officials said.

An early February blizzard is predicted to dump 8 to 12 inches of snow in the area. The heavy snowfall combined with wind gusts of up to 50 mph will make for treacherous travel. Authorities are asking motorists to use extreme caution, and if possible, stay home.

Linn County Engineer Steve Gannon said the heavy snow and howling winds could result in plows being pulled off the roads. He said they will retreat if plowing becomes dangerous or ineffective.

Pulling the plows “will be a likelihood, if we get that kind of wind,” Gannon said. “You just can't keep up with 50 mile per hour winds.”

About 20 employees are expected to begin plowing Linn County roads at 4 a.m., with another 25 ready to help at 7 a.m., after the sunrise. Unless they are pulled off the roads first, they'll stop around 6 p.m. due to darkness.

Gannon said rural residents should avoid the roads if possible on Wednesday. Doing otherwise could get them stranded or stuck, he said.

“There's not much we can do to assure them that, if they venture out, that they'll be able to find a way back,” Gannon said.

In Cedar Rapids, officials said about 90 plows would be clearing streets and sidewalks starting around 3 or 4 a.m.

Craig Hanson, the city's public works maintenance manager, expects southern parts of Cedar Rapids to get more snow than in northern parts of the city. That would reverse a trend. About eight more inches of snow has fallen on the north edge of the city this winter, he said.

Most communities in the area, including Cedar Rapids, declared a snow emergency Tuesday afternoon. Parking is prohibited on snow routes.

Cedar Rapids police Sgt. Mike Wallerstedt said there were no plans to bring in extra officers because of the snowstorm, but said all shifts would be fully staffed. He said motorists who must drive should allow extra time for their trip, leave plenty of stopping distance and slow down.

“We are hoping and anticipating that the public will heed the warnings and stay off the streets,” Wallerstedt said. “That would certainly make our jobs easier.”