CARROLL, Iowa — Temperatures are starting off Tuesday in the -10s and -20s across the state, with wind chills ranging anywhere from the -20s and -30s in central and southern Iowa, to as low as the -40s in parts of northern Iowa.
A Wind Chill Warning is in effect through 10 a.m. Tuesday, marking one of the longest-lasting wind chill warnings ever issued by the National Weather Service here in Des Moines.
For the latest forecast from Local 5, click here.
In an attempt not to overload the power grid, planned rolling power outages impacted many Iowans in western and north-central Iowa on Tuesday morning.
According to social media posts by the Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative, residents in several towns in Carroll County had their power shut off for a period of time Tuesday morning.
More outages could be coming through Thursday, according to the company.
CEO Jim Gossett said he's worked in the electricity business for years and what's happening now is unprecedented.
"Because of the cold weather, in that power market in those 14 states, they can't generate any more power and therefore we are asked to limit our power," Gossett said. "I have coworkers who have worked here for 40 years, and they have never seen anything like this."
This is the first time in history an Energy Emergency Level 2 or 3 has been declared by RVEC's regional transmission operative, Southwest Power Pool.
The Southwest Power Pool, a 14-state group of utilities, expects loads to increase in the coming days as record-breaking low temperatures blanket millions of its customers in the southern United States.
Customers are asked to conserve energy by turning down the heat and delaying the use of large appliances.
Power outages could last around 45 minutes, according to RVEC.
MidAmerican Energy has asked customers to be "energy-aware" and reduce usage because of the cold.