Winter Storm Warning as Rain Changes to Snow in Eastern Iowa

A winter storm warning has entered local headlines as a storm system approaching from the west will bring rain to Cedar Rapids Thursday afternoon and change over to snow Thursday evening, creating slick spots on roadways into Friday morning.

What to expect Thursday night into Friday

Cloudy skies will give way to rain Thursday afternoon before colder air moves in and forces a changeover to snow Thursday evening in Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities, and that transition will create slick spots on roadways tonight into Friday morning.

Where the heaviest snow is forecast

The heaviest snow is expected north of a line stretching from Waterloo to Prairie du Chien, where 2 to 4 inches of accumulation is possible; areas south of that line will see lighter amounts, generally a trace to 2 inches. A few degrees' difference in temperature could shift those totals.

Winter Storm Warning: travel and timing details

Drivers should be prepared for treacherous conditions during the Thursday evening commute as rain mixes with snow, producing spots of slush and ice through Friday morning. Friday itself will be windier but drier as the system moves out, with temperatures remaining chilly through the weekend.

Forecasters note the transition from rain to snow is the key factor for road impacts on Thursday evening and early Friday in Cedar Rapids, and the timing of colder air arriving from the west will determine where the higher 2 to 4 inch totals set up north of the Waterloo–Prairie du Chien line.

Stay with First Alert Weather for the latest updates on this developing system; meteorologists will continue tracking accumulations and the movement of colder air through Friday, and will update forecasts as conditions evolve tonight into Friday morning.

The next confirmed milestone is the system moving out on Friday, when conditions are expected to become drier even as temperatures stay chilly through the weekend.