Des Moines, Iowa — On Friday, parts of the Midwest braced for freezing rain, particularly in Iowa where meteorologists are predicting an ice storm for the weekend.
The National Weather Service issued warnings indicating that the ice, coupled with strong winds in cities such as Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, could create conditions that may down power lines and damage foliage.
Forecasters cautioned that travel could become nearly impossible as road surfaces, especially bridges and overpasses, would likely become slippery and dangerous from Friday night into Saturday morning.
In other regions, lake-effect snow from the Great Lakes has led to heavy snowfall in certain areas near Buffalo, New York, with some communities receiving over 3 feet (close to 1 meter) of snow. In stark contrast, Buffalo’s business district and its northern suburbs only received a light dusting of snow.
The National Weather Service reported that the town of Eden recorded the highest snow accumulation in the region with 42.5 inches (1.08 meters) of snow falling between Wednesday and Friday.
In anticipation of the storm, New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency.
Iowa and southern Minnesota were under a winter weather advisory, while residents of Omaha, Nebraska’s largest city, were warned to prepare for impending freezing rain, expected to start Friday evening.
In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, local officials expressed relief that a serious incident was averted Thursday when a box truck lost control on an icy Interstate 94, colliding with emergency vehicles that had been stationed on the shoulder due to a previous accident.
The sheriff’s office released footage of the incident, depicting first responders hastily moving out of harm’s way as the box truck veered into their vehicles, eventually rolling onto its side and sliding down the road.
Fortunately, the fire truck remained upright but did incur some damage.
Other than the truck driver, who sustained minor injuries and was treated, no one else was harmed.
Sheriff Richard Fuller commented on the situation, noting, “Everyone appears to be unhurt, rattled maybe a little bit, but the good thing is you get to go home from being rattled.”
