A winter storm warning takes effect for the entire listening area at 6 o'clock tonight, but Cedar Rapids city crews have been hard at work getting ready for the last 24 hours. I talked with Streets Superintendent Mike Duffy this morning to discuss the city's preparations. I also have an update from CBS 2 on the travel impacts and snowfall forecast(s).

Now I said the city has been preparing for the last 24 hours, but in all honesty they've been readying Iowa's second-largest city since August. That's when they began to stockpile materials to fight snow and ice. Some 4,500 tons of salt can be piled into the salt dome at the City Services Center. There's also 10,000 gallons of brine on hand along with six brine applicators and 90 different pieces of snow removal equipment.

Below is my interview this morning with the Streets Superintendent, Mike Duffy. The Snow Emergency he discusses begins at 5 this afternoon and continues 'til 5 Saturday afternoon.

CBS 2 provided us with the following graphics. As you can see, the brunt of the storm is expected to hit during the evening hours:

Travel Impact
CBS 2
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Snowfall rates could be as high as 1-2 inches per hour this evening, which could make visibility alone very difficult. Cedar Rapids' record for one-day snowfall in November is seven inches in 1971 while the Iowa City record is 6.0 inches, set in 1976. Stay tuned to your radio, listen live here or via RadioPup, and our website for the very latest. A number of schools have already announced early dismissals for today and other cities are declaring snow emergencies as well. Keep up-to-date on the latest here.

SnowMap
CBS 2
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[via City of Cedar Rapids and CBS 2]

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