(Des Moines) The meteorological winter months of December, January and February are upon us. Soon the precipitation will change from rain to snow, and with that comes the typical Winter Weather Advisories, and the dreaded Winter Storm Warnings, Blizzard Warnings, and new this season is the Snow Squall Warning.
Today, we’re going to talk about when and why the National Service issues a Winter Weather Advisory. Chad Hahn, Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, says a Winter Weather Advisory highlights the first stage of an approaching winter weather system.
Hahn says the main message is; they expect motorists to make it from point “A” to point “B” if they slow down and allow extra time on the roadways.
Forecasters issue a Winter Storm Warning when they expect six inches or more snow to fall in a certain area. We will talk more about this on Thursday.
Snowfall amounts vary across Iowa. The average snowfall amount for the southern tier of the state is around 20-inches, in the northern tier around 40 inches. The average snowfall amount along the Interstate 80 corridor is around 30 inches.
