Weather Alert in Iowa
Winter Storm Watch issued March 13 at 12:34AM CDT until March 16 at 1:00PM CDT by NWS La Crosse WI
AREAS AFFECTED: Mitchell; Howard; Winneshiek; Allamakee; Floyd; Chickasaw; Fayette; Clayton; Wabasha; Dodge; Olmsted; Winona; Mower; Fillmore; Houston
DESCRIPTION: ...TWO MAJOR WINTER STORMS OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING AND FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING... .The first winter storm will move through northern Wisconsin from overnight tonight into this morning. It will bring snow to areas along and north of US Highway 10 in central Wisconsin with expected amounts rising rapidly north of Wisconsin Highway 29. With wind gusts ramping up overnight to 45 to 50 mph by this morning, unsheltered areas will see blowing and drifting snow leading to hazardous driving conditions. Light snow and blowing snow are expected to linger through this morning and then decrease this afternoon. A second winter storm could approach historic levels as a large band of 12 to 18 inches of snow falls across the region with localized amounts up to 24 inches. The main uncertainty in the forecast is exactly where this band sets up with the highest confidence currently from southeast Minnesota to between I-90 and Highway 29 in Wisconsin. There will be a relatively sharp gradient in snow amounts on the southern side of the snow band over northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. In addition to the heavy snow, winds increase Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, with gusts of 35 to 50 mph possible west of the Mississippi River. These winds could lead to widespread blowing and drifting of snow and blizzard conditions, especially west of the Mississippi River. Regardless of exact snow amounts, expect widespread major travel impacts regionwide with some roads possibly becoming impassable. * WHAT...Blizzard conditions possible. Highest total snow accumulations between 12 and 18 inches with localized amounts approaching 24 inches possible. Lesser amounts of 6 to 12 inches of snow possible outside of this band. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph. A glaze of ice is also possible if the storm trends further north. * WHERE...Portions of north central and northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. * WHEN...From Saturday evening through Monday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.
INSTRUCTION: Prepare for possible blizzard conditions. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.
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Weather Topic: What are Wall Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Wall Clouds
Next Topic: Altocumulus Clouds
A wall cloud forms underneath the base of a cumulonimbus cloud,
and can be a hotbed for deadly tornadoes.
Wall clouds are formed by air flowing into the cumulonimbus clouds, which can
result in the wall cloud descending from the base of the cumulonimbus cloud, or
rising fractus clouds which join to the base of the storm cloud as the wall cloud
takes shape.
Wall clouds can be very large, and in the Northern Hemisphere they generally
form at the southern edge of cumulonimbus clouds.
Next Topic: Altocumulus Clouds
Weather Topic: What are Altostratus Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Altostratus Clouds
Next Topic: Cirrocumulus Clouds
Altostratus clouds form at mid to high-level altitudes
(between 2 and 7 km) and are created by a warm, stable air mass which causes
water vapor
to condense as it rise through the atmosphere. Usually altostratus clouds are
featureless sheets characterized by a uniform color.
In some cases, wind punching through the cloud formation may give it a waved
appearance, called altostratus undulatus. Altostratus clouds
are commonly seen with other cloud formations accompanying them.
Next Topic: Cirrocumulus Clouds
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