DES MOINES, Iowa — Although Thursday's forecast calls for afternoon temperatures in the 50s and 60s, a winter wonderland in mid-October is a familiar memory.
Three years ago, on Oct. 19, 2020, the National Weather Service issued a rare Snow Squall Warning for the Des Moines metro area around 11:45 a.m.
The warning included towns in Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Polk and Warren counties, particularly those close to I-35, I-235 and I-80.
Until that day, the metro had never been under a Snow Squall Warning.
Just one hour after the warning was issued, both Ankeny and Guthrie Center had reported snow totals near 7 inches.
Grimes and Polk City recorded at least a half-foot, while Alleman and Minburn reported 5.5 inches and 3 inches, respectively.
The Iowa Department of Transportation warned drivers in Ankeny to avoid travel along I-35 as hazardous road conditions quickly developed and visibility rapidly dropped.
While some parts of central Iowa experienced significant snow, the heaviest bands of snow fell along and north of I-235, leaving lower amounts farther south.
At Des Moines International Airport, just 1.2 inches fell before the snow ended.
Unlike typical snow, snow squalls have a sudden onset, going from no snow to heavy snow in a short period of time.
Snow squalls are characterized by both heavy snow and strong winds, which can create whiteout conditions.
This results in rapidly deteriorating road conditions, often causing accidents.
Thankfully, snow squalls typically last less than two hours.
Similar to tornado warnings or flash flood warnings, snow squall warnings will trigger a wireless emergency alert on the phones of those in the warned area.
These are most likely to be issued during peak travel times like the morning and evening rush hour.
If you see a snow squall warning pop up on your phone, it's time to get off the roads until conditions improve.