Post-caucus storm leads to closures

While this week’s storm held off until after the Iowa Caucuses were completed on Monday night, it still had a significant impact on planned activities in Jasper County and the rest of the state on Tuesday.

A storm dropped as much as 10 inches of snow in some parts of the state by 2 p.m. Tuesday. Accompanied by strong easterly winds, the slushy storm is expected to move out of central Iowa by Wednesday, but it will yield to a cold end to the workweek that could leave behind dangerous driving conditions.

Many facilities and other places in Jasper County follow the lead of public schools. All five school districts in the county, including the Newton Community School District, canceled school Tuesday.

More than three inches of snow had fallen in the northwest half of Jasper County by 2 p.m. Tuesday. More snow was in the forecast, and a winter weather advisory remained in place for Jasper, Tama, Poweshiek, Warren, Union, Clarke, Taylor and Ringgold counties until 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The Newton Public Library and Newton’s Salvation Army facility were also closed Tuesday.

In advance of this week’s storm, Connie McQuiston with Jasper County issued a reminder about Salvation Army policies about weather closures.

“If Newton schools are closed due to weather, the Salvation Army will not open that day, either,” McQuiston said in an email. “If school is merely delayed, they will be open at their usual time that day.”

A Human Service Provider meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, would be canceled if both the Salvation Army and the schools are canceled.

Gov. Terry Branstad’s planned a book signing event at the Newton YMCA along with author Mike Chapman, of Newton, which was set for Tuesday morning. It was postponed and will be rescheduled.

Many government offices were open Tuesday. A general-obligation bond election for Prairie City-Monroe Schools proceeded Tuesday as scheduled.

The National Weather Service released a map that showed the southeastern part of the county got about two inches of snow by 2 p.m. Tuesday, though more snow was possible later in the evening.

Jasper County seemed to largely avoid the central path of the main storm, which tracked southwest to northeast. While Jasper is a county that received the southern edge of the storm pack — an edge that came through Osceola and near Indianola — the main band dropped 10 inches of snow in Fort Dodge and brought the northern half of the state to a standstill.

The City of Newton’s snow removal operations are in effect until further notice. Street parking is not allowed on residential streets between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. until snow removal operations have expired.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com