Iowa winter storm will make Friday evening commute tough

Forecasters are predicting a winter storm could dump nearly a foot of snow on parts of Iowa, though the heaviest snowfall is predicted to fall west of Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.

The storm moves into central Iowa on Friday, with wind gusts of 20 to 25 mph causing blowing and drifting snow.

The storm then moves into Eastern Iowa, where 3 to 6 inches of snow — probably on the lower end of that prediction — is forecast to fall Friday into Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Most of the snow is expected to fall in the Des Moines area, with accumulations of 7 to 11 inches.

The National Weather Service warns that travel will be hazardous at times and that the Friday evening commute is likely to be affected.

The Gazette added information to this story.