Blizzard warning no longer in place for Des Moines metro: Live … – Des Moines Register

National Weather Service calls off blizzard warning for some Iowa counties

In a hopeful sign, the National Weather Service early Friday lowered the blizzard warning for some Iowa counties, including most of the Des Moines metro, though a wind chill warning and winter weather advisory still apply. In some other parts of Iowa, it reduced the blizzard warning to a winter storm warning. Much of the northern half of the state, however, remains under a blizzard warning.

The change represented a reversal from the previous forecast, when the weather service said conditions would likely worsen through Friday. In its forecast discussion, it said the change was made because of improvements in visibility. Blowing snow continues to cut visibility to a mile or less in the blizzard warning area, but in southwest counties, the weather service said, “visibility has remained steady at 8 miles or better.”

“To account for this improvement the southwest counties in the winter storm warming and blizzard warning have been converted to a winter weather advisory and wind chill warning,” the weather service said.

It also said that “towards Saturday morning” the center of the storm “should push far enough east that winds will diminish towards 30 mph across the area. This should reduce visibility concerns (from) blowing snow, which at this point should also start to compact and become less blowable in general. When this happens the winter storm warning and blizzard warning will expire, to be replaced by the wind chill warning.”

Once wind chills rise above minus 30 degrees ― they were at minus 39 degrees early Friday in Des Moines, with 32 mph winds and 44 mph gusts ― when the wind chill warnings may begin to fold, the weather service said.

It cautioned that even then, however, temperatures will still be dangerously low, “especially for anyone that becomes stranded in blizzard conditions.”