Siouxland has been shut down today by more than a foot of snow and high winds that make travel dangerous and often impossible. And the weather service says blizzard conditions are expected to last through the weekend.
The Woodbury County Sheriff’s office is asking residents to stay home. If you have to travel, make sure your vehicle has blankets, a shovel, hand warmers, phone charger and necessary medications.
The Iowa Department of Transportation is cautioning people to stay off the roads in NW Iowa. https://511ia.org
The Nebraska Department of Roads has announced sections of Highway 20, Highway 35 and Highway 12 are considered closed and impassable.
Those sections include:
- Hwy 20 from Jackson westbound
- Hwy 35 from Dakota City westbound
- Hwy 12 from Willis to Ponca
According to the South Sioux City/Dakota County 911 Communications Center, plows will focus only north/south highways only and will only be plowing during daylight. Once conditions improve, officials will consider plowing the east/west highways.
https://new.511.nebraska.gov
In Yankton County, South Dakota, officials announced that plows are being pulled off county roads. They said that is because of poor visibility as well as drifts reforming faster than they are being plowed.
Plows will be back out on county roads once winds diminish, officials said.
Officials in Monona County, Iowa pulled plows off roads today 3:30 p.m. and won’t be back out until Saturday at 5 a.m.
The Iowa 511 website shows towing is not recommended across most of the state.
In other news today, Iowa Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum has announced she’s not running for reelection this year. The Democrat from Dubuque has been in the legislature for three decades.
In a statement this morning, she says it’s been an honor to serve and she’s, quote, “excited to pass the torch to the next generation of leaders who will champion a brighter future for Iowa.”
Jochum says she will focus on fighting for Iowans during this legislative session and on getting more Democrats elected to the Iowa Senate this year.
Republicans hold a supermajority in the Iowa Senate after the 2022 elections. Last summer, Democrats ousted Senator Zach Wahls over his staffing decisions and voted Jochum into the top spot.
