Viral Iowa Blizzard Forecast Fires Up Local Weather Expert

Winter in the Midwest.  It's going to snow.  When?  How much?  Typically forecasters can't tell until it gets closer.

One forecast in Iowa is predicting a big blizzard coming our way.  But others are saying not to pay attention to that prediction.

Could Iowa Get 12 Inches Of Snow Next Week?

We could.  Or we couldn't.  But if you have seen a Facebook post that has gone viral from the "Cedar Valley Storm Chasing" Facebook page, we could see 8-16 inches from one side of Iowa to the other.

The post that has been shared over 2,000 times says,

Old man winter is about to make an appearance in more ways than one for some parts of the midwest. Although we are unable to fine tune at this time exactly where we are confident that a significant storm will take place sometime around January 8-10.

Here is the map of where it could fall.

Not So Fast Says KWQC Weather Team

KWQC Chief Meteorologist Erik Maitland is pumping the brakes on the storm chasers by saying,

Here we go, AGAIN! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pay LITTLE attention to these "mega-snowfall" posts on social media!!! These are seemingly posted to get clicks, shares, and likes and are EXTREMELY irresponsible. Why? Because they are posting just 1 model, WAY too far out to have any forecast cred! I really am beginning to think, now, that they want to scare people - whoever these amateurs are! Pic 1 is what has been floating around for a couple of days. Pic 2 is what the same model shows TODAY. Notice the DRASTIC change.

Now, if you saw and believed the first pic a few days ago and pic 2 is actually what happens, people like ME lose cred because you're going to think we ALL made the same forecast. Well, this is NOT a forecast. I STILL don't know what we'll see that far out because things can and DO change, quite quickly in the winter months! This is raw model data.

 

 

So what will we get next week?  12 inches?  1 inch?  Something between that.  At this point, nobody can tell for certain.  If a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazon and causes a cow to sneeze causing a stampede it could add to the storm and we may end up with 5 feet of snow.

Better keep an eye and ear on the forecast for this week and all of the winter cause we live in the Midwest in the winter and you never know what might happen.