Snow causes some traffic tie-ups

The snow that fell overnight and through Tuesday morning caused some traffic issues in Eastern Iowa.

One eastbound lane of Interstate 80 was closed near Williamsburg at 6:30 a.m. while crews cleared a semi-trailer truck crash, according to the Iowa State Patrol.

Also, a traffic accident on First Avenue East at Cottage Grove Parkway in Cedar Rapids constrained westbound traffic to one lane.  Traffic was backing up by over 10 blocks, according to public works maintenance manager Craig Hansen.

Interstate 380 traffic was moving slowly during the morning rush hour, slowing down to a near stop at times going south near the Iowa River bridge. A few cars had gone off the road.

There were 30 property damage crashes in Cedar Rapids, according to police spokesperson Cristy Hamblin. Among them was one minor personal injury crash, at 6:47 am at 27th Street and Franklin Avenue NE. According to police, Lisa McKirgan, 52, of Cedar Rapids was eastbound on Franklin Avenue  and had a stop sign, while Joseph Wolf, 60, of Hiawatha was southbound on 27th Street. McKirgan was unable to stop at the stop sign and hit Wolf, pushing Wolf into a utility pole. McKirgan was taken by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center for minor injuries, police said. She was also cited for failure to maintain control.

Other accident reports:

• Iowa City Police responded to 4 crashes since 4:30 a.m., all minor.
• Iowa State Patrol District 12 had the following crash reports since 6 a.m: A road closure on Highway 30 at Mount Vernon, with non-life threatening injuries; several cars in ditches in Jones and Jackson counties, all minor; 4-6 collisions in Cedar County, two of them blocking the road; and 1-2 minor crashes in Clinton County.

The snow will come to an end later this morning, but the wind and the cold will continue, according to KCRG-TV9 First Alert Storm Team meteorologist Kaj O'Mara. Highs will occur early in the morning as temperatures fall through the day.

Tonight, under a clear sky, fresh snow, and little wind, lows will fall to around 0 in most locations.

Our active pattern continues this week with scattered flurries on Thursday, and a good chance of measurable snow again by Friday. And next week looks just as busy, with a chance of rain or snow next Monday and Tuesday.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Pinpoint Doppler Radar
• Storm updates
• Iowa road conditions
• Delays and cancellations
• Weather Water Cooler