Snowfall Likely for Parts of Iowa Saturday

Confidence is increasing that parts of Iowa will see accumulating snowfall from late Saturday through Saturday night, but the exact track of the storm remains highly uncertain, and small shifts will determine who sees measurable snow and who sees little to none.

The Weather Prediction Center (WPC) highlights a growing signal for snowfall across much of central to northwest Iowa, with probabilities that will likely increase as model confidence improves.

Here’s the current outlook from the WPC:

• 60–90% probability of at least 1 inch across a broad area from central Iowa into northwest Iowa.
• 40–70% probability of at least 2 inches within the same general corridor.
• 20–40% probability of 4 inches or more over portions of northwest Iowa, where the strongest forcing may align.

These probabilities reflect increasing confidence in snowfall somewhere within this zone, but the exact placement of the heaviest band remains uncertain. As forecast models come into better agreement, these probabilities will likely shift—and likely increase.

What’s Driving This Weekend’s Snow Chance?

A storm system will move into the region Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. It’s been showing up in weather models for several days, but those models haven’t fully agreed on where the main snow band will set up. Some keep it farther north, others drop it to the south.

Because of this, a 50–75 mile shift in the storm’s track could mean the difference between several inches of snow—or very little—for your area.

Timing: Snow Possible Saturday Afternoon Through Sunday Morning

Snow may begin developing in northwest Iowa after 3 PM on Saturday, especially if the storm takes a more northern track. As the evening progresses, snow could spread southeast into parts of central Iowa after 7 PM, depending on how far south the main band sets up.

The system will move through quickly, with snow expected to exit the state from west to east by mid to late Sunday morning, generally between 9 AM and noon. Behind the storm, winds are expected to increase, which could lead to areas of blowing snow, especially in open and rural areas where light, powdery snow has accumulated.

Stay Tuned for Updates

As we get closer to Saturday, weather models should come into better agreement. Once that happens, we’ll have a clearer picture of where the snow band will set up and how much snow is likely.

We’ll continue to update IowaWeather.com and ISCN social channels (Facebook & X) as new information becomes available.