The first snowfall of the year in Iowa left a mark. Many experienced an alarm going off on their cell phones with a snow squall warning early Thursday morning. This is

Snow moved into central Iowa Thursday morning, causing slick roads and near whiteout conditions. The National Weather Service issued a snow squall warning that ended at 9:30 a.m. Snow squalls are generally characterized by both heavy snow and strong winds occurring within a short time frame.

Your phone may be buzzing start the new year and showing an alert you're not accustomed to: A snow squall warning. So, what's a snow squall? According to the National Weather Service, "a snow squall is an intense short-lived burst of heavy snowfall that leads to a quick reduction in visibilities and is often accompanied by gusty winds.

Plan on snowy and slick conditions across central Iowa on Thursday, with snow accumulations between 2-4 inches expected.

A Snow Squall Warning was issued this morning for parts of western and central Iowa, due to visibility being greatly reduced by heavy snow. The Iowa DOT says many roads across Iowa’s western half are completely snow-covered and National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says the storm system is headed east,

The National Weather Service in Des Moines has cautioned commuters to plan for slippery conditions on Thursday as a brief period of heavy snow is expected to fall.