Snowstorm packs 1-2 punch
Bad on Monday, worse weather is on the wayBy KATIE WILLIAMS and JESSE HELLING, Messenger staff writers
Article Photos
Fact Box
Winter Weather Survival Car Kit
- Candles
- Matches
- Blanket
- Flashlight
- Shovel
- Charged cell phone
- Food
- The number of a towing company
- A book or deck of cards to help pass the time
Blowing snow brought much of north central Iowa to a halt Monday - and worse weather is expected as the week progresses.
Webster County and the Fort Dodge area received 2 inches of new snow on top of the 5 inches already on the ground, said Tony Jorgensen, coordinator for the Webster County Emergency Management Agency.
"It's going to be very, very cold with temperatures in the below-zero teens and that's not including what the wind chills will do," he said.
Wednesday and Thursday nights are expected to be worse, Jorgensen said.
On Wednesday, another blizzard is expected, with the wind starting very early, he said.
"Skin freezes in an incredibly short amount of time in those kind of temperatures," he said. "Don't travel unless you absolutely have to, and bring your winter weather survival kit. It's just too dangerous to be traveling. People are really taking their lives in their hands in this kind of weather."
Many area school districts canceled classes Monday.
A snow day was called in the Fort Dodge school district by 6:20 a.m., said Superintendent Linda Brock.
"Visibility out in the county was not good," Brock said.
The 4 p.m. flight from Fort Dodge to Minneapolis was canceled Monday, said Rhonda Chambers, director of aviation for the Fort Dodge Regional Airport.
However, the airport remained open, with several smaller planes successfully landing, Chambers said.
"We do whatever we can to keep the airfield open," she said. "We try to keep at least one runway open."
Lt. Kelly Hindman, of the Iowa State Patrol, said there had been no major accidents reported on Monday afternoon.
"In the immediate area, things are looking good," he said.
There were a few reports of cars sliding off the road during the morning commute on Monday, he said.
"We're just working to get people home and stay home," Hindman said.
He said he anticipated that today will continue to be difficult for drivers and recommends anyone who can stay home, do so.
Everyone driving in the blizzard should have a winter survival kit that contains warm, dry clothes, food for a short period of time and a fully charged cell phone, he said
"The wind chills are going to be brutal," Hindman said.
He said in the age of cell phones, law enforcement are able to reach people quickly but there are fewer officers to make rescues in the evening hours, so be prepared to wait for a little while.
"So far so good, but I suspect that the worst is yet to come," Hindman said.
Assistant Police Chief Kevin Doty, Fort Dodge Police Department, said he hopes people will continue to play it safe on the roads.
"People are being cautious and that's great," he said. "Listen to the weather forecasts and don't drive unless you have to."
He said the most important thing people can do when driving in a blizzard is to keep the car headlights on.
"Even in the daylight it can be really hard to see through all that blowing snow when you're driving in a blizzard," Doty said. "You want to give people every opportunity to see you and keeping your lights on really helps."
If an accident does occur and a person gets stuck for any length of time, it's important to crack a window to let fresh air in and keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, Doty said.
Contact Katie Williams at (515) 573-2141 or katie@messengernews.net and Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
