*This is an updated version of this story.
If you don’t have to travel, it's best to stay off Iowa roads today since the blizzard that blanketed parts of the southwest U.S. has moved into the Midwest as a heavy snowstorm. Roughly 5000 Iowa Department of Transportation trucks are out clearing snow from the state’s interstates and highways, most of which are partially or completely covered with snow, ice and slush.
Craig Bargfrede of the Iowa DOT says some of the worst road conditions are north of a diagonal line that starts at about the point where I-35 meets the Missouri border, and then goes northeast to Dubuque
"So north of that line is snow. South of that line, it's kind of a rain-snow-sleet mixture," says Bargfrede.
Though the snow in parts of Iowa stopped falling earlier today, this break is not going to last. Starting at around 7 or 8 pm tonight, the National Weather Service predicts the state getting another 3-4 inches thanks to a band of snow that's traveling north from Kansas City.
"Visibility is going to be brutal," says NWS meteorologist Ken Harding. "The wind chills are in the single digits, and with the blowing snow, it's definitely a taste of winter that we're not use to...don't let your guard down."
Most of Iowa can expect a total of 3-7 inches of snow by tomorrow morning, and the area between Fort Dodge and Waterloo may get up to 10 inches.
The Weather Service says most of the snow in Iowa will cease falling around midnight, and due to freezing temperatures the snow will likely not melt through the rest of the week.
