Blizzard warning will make travel dangerous in parts of Eastern Iowa on Wednesday

Strong winds — some gusting up to 60 mph — will move into Eastern Iowa Wednesday afternoon, making travel dangerous in some parts of the region.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for Linn, Jones, Benton, Buchanan and Delaware counties. It includes the cities of Cedar Rapids, Vinton, Manchester, Anamosa and Independence. The warning begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until midnight.

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Blowing snow is expected to reduce visibility, which could drop below a quarter mile, creating whiteout conditions in areas that have one or more inches of snow on the ground.

The storm also will bring bursts of snow showers, according to the National Weather Service’s Quad Cities bureau’s weather briefing, which was last updated at 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday.

People are advised to consider postponing travel in the blizzard warning area, and allow extra travel time in other parts of Eastern Iowa. High profile vehicles should use “extreme caution,” the NWS warns.

The high winds could cause loose objects to be blown around, and tree branches could be blown down during the storm.

Following the blizzard conditions Wednesday afternoon and evening, arctic air is expected to spread across the area late this week, bringing wind chills of minus-20 to minus-35 on Friday morning.

An Extreme Cold Watch is in effect from 12 a.m. Friday, through noon Saturday. The watch area stretches across Eastern Iowa, and includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Independence, Manchester and Maquoketa.