A winter snow storm dumped several inches of unexpected snow on the Des Moines area Tuesday morning, much of it during the morning rush hour. Forecasters are adjusting their predictions as more snow moves into the region.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Jeff Johnson says the storm's trajectory defied predictions, which had put most of the snowfall in southeast Iowa.
"It’s the nature of the beast somewhat," he says. "Sometimes the winter storms, they come out a little bit - in this case, a little further northwest - than originally thought. But when that happens we just roll with it."
Johnson predicts five to nine inches of accumulation for most of central Iowa, including the Des Moines area, by the time the snow tapers off Wednesday morning. Some isolated areas could get as much as a foot.
Central Iowans should expect snow off and on throughout the day and overnight, as well as some significant winds.
"It’s not gonna be a blizzard, but it will be bad enough to cause some blowing and drifting snow," Johnson says.
Parts of southeast Iowa also had received around seven inches of snow as of mid-day.