Between Monday and today, Fort Dodge is expected to see 5 to 8 inches of snowfall, according to the National Weather Service out of Des Moines. On Monday, flurries began around 2:30 p.m, with the NWS predicting snow rates of 1 inch per hour possible at times overnight and into Tuesday morning.

After most snowfall has ended, the NWS expects wind speeds and wind gusts to increase, causing blowing and drifting snow Tuesday afternoon and evening.

“We lucked out,” said Webster County Sheriff Luke Fleener. “Southern Iowa is going to get the worst.”

According to the National Weather Service, portions of southern Iowa could see as much as 12 to 15 inches of snowfall.

Still, Fleener asks area residents to stay off the roads unless they have to travel and, if they do have to travel during the storm, keep an emergency kit in their vehicle.

“Use good judgment,” he said. “Sometimes conditions get bad enough that even our deputies can’t get to people that are stranded until morning.”

During a storm, the Webster County snow plows get pulled off the roads around 6 p.m. and don’t go back out until 4 a.m., meaning a stranded motorist could be waiting in the cold for several hours until help can arrive.

If a vehicle does slide into a ditch and the engine can still run and is being used to keep warm, Iowa State Patrol Trooper Paul Gardner said it’s important to make sure the vehicle’s exhaust pipes are not blocked.

If travel is absolutely necessary, Gardner said, there are some things drivers should do to be prepared for an emergency.

“Always make sure you have plenty of supplies with you like food, water, plenty of warm clothing in case you’re stranded or if you crash into the ditch,” he told The Messenger last fall. “And always make sure your cell phone is fully charged, or carry a cell phone charger to be able to call 911 or communicate with others.”

After a storm, when roads are safe to travel again, it’s still important for drivers to take precautions, Gardner said.

“Check their tires, their windshield wipers and make sure they have a first aid kit in their vehicle in case they get stranded,” he said. “If people are going to be out and about, they need to make sure they’re driving at a safe speed, avoid tailgating other vehicles, watching out for emergency vehicles and most importantly, make sure they’re buckled up.”

Fort Dodge plans for snow

The city of Fort Dodge plows were first sent out at 3 p.m., with four plows taking care of bridges, hills and main roads, according to Doug Barkema, operations manager for the Public Works Department.

At 7 p.m., six plows were sent out for the bridges, hills, main roads and snow routes. At 11 p.m., another shift of snow plows was sent out, and at 3 a.m., Barkema expected to have the city’s entire fleet of 10 plows, a grader and end loaders on the streets.

With the construction on the Kenyon Road Bridge, the city is encouraging travelers to use the Karl King Bridge during snowfall, Barkema said. Because of the construction, the Kenyon Road Bridge is just one lane going in each direction.

“We’re very concerned about it,” Barkema said. “If we have to, we’re going to have to close it down.”

If a decision to close the Kenyon Road Bridge is made, the information will be pushed out on the city’s official social media pages, and The Messenger will share it as well.

Barkema also encourages Fort Dodge residents to move their cars off the street, adding that if the city receives more than 2 inches of snow, a tow ban will be issued.

MidAmerican Energy Co. prepares for snowfall

With the NWS projecting 7 to 12 inches of snowfall across much of the MidAmerican Energy Co. service area through Tuesday, the electric company is prepared for possible weather-related problems.

MidAmerican Media Relations Manager Geoff Greenwood said in an email that the company plans to hold some line crews in parts of its service area beyond their normal shifts. The company also alerted other crews to be on standby overnight to respond quickly to an outage or incident.

While most snowfalls alone don’t threaten MidAmerican’s infrastructure, Greenwood wrote, they do increase the risk of traffic crashes that can involve equipment like utility poles. Heavy, wet snow can also cause branches to fall, damaging overhead lines.

In case of a power outage

If a power outage does occur during this, or any, winter storm, some area communities may have warming centers set up for residents.

In Otho, the Otho Fire Department has a generator that it will use to power the fire station in the event of a citywide power outage. The department will share that information on its Facebook page Otho Fire & Rescue.

The cities of Dayton and Gowrie have city generators that will power the city’s electric grid if they lose service from the utility provider, according to Dylan Hagen, emergency management coordinator for Webster County.

For residents who don’t live in a community with generators or warming centers available, they should plan ahead for the possibility of losing electricity, Hagen said. If possible, they should plan to have family or friends they can stay with, he said.

If staying somewhere else isn’t an option, Hagen said, residents should make sure they have plenty of warm clothing, blankets, water, food and medications in case they can’t get out for a few days.

Hagen also warns that with the winds expected after the storm, snow will likely be blowing and drifting and can drift up along the side of a house, blocking ventilation for furnaces and water heaters. He said residents should make sure those ventilation sources are clear to prevent carbon monoxide from backing up into their home.

Traveler information

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SALT Center open

Warming center open 1-4 p.m., Monday through Friday throughout the winter

First Baptist Church, 28 N. 10th St., Fort Dodge

(Also open Saturdays if temperatures are 10 degrees or colder)

Closings and delays (as of 4 p.m. Monday)

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows — Virtual learning only Tuesday

St. Edmond Catholic School — High School basketball games were postponed Monday evening. Slam the Stigma event originally scheduled for Monday has been postponed to Thursday during the games against Manson Northwest Webster.