Drivers along the Iowa-Illinois border may face rapidly changing travel conditions late Sunday and early Monday as a powerful Midwest winter storm approaches the Mississippi River Valley, bringing the possibility of heavy snow and severe winds to the Quad Cities region.
According to the NOAA, a huge storm that formed over the northern High Plains Friday will intensify as it moves into the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Sunday and Monday. The most confidence for considerable snowfall is currently in Minnesota and Wisconsin, although the system’s southern edge might stretch into eastern Iowa and western Illinois.
Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock Island, and Moline are communities along the Mississippi River that are near the southern limit of the probable snow corridor. If the storm track swings slightly south, snowfall rates could reach 1 inch per hour Sunday night, with totals topping 6 inches in some regions.
Winds of 30 to 45 mph may also cause blowing snow along key travel routes such as Interstate 80, Interstate 74, and U.S. 61, limiting visibility and causing hazardous evening driving conditions.
Forecasters warn that the exact storm route remains unknown, and even minor changes could significantly alter snowfall totals at the Iowa-Illinois border.