Winter Storm Warning Issued for Parts of Eastern Iowa

[UPDATE 2 PM] I told you earlier today that the National Weather said they could be increasing snowfall totals over the next 24 hours. They didn't wait that long. They've also already upgraded Cedar Rapids from a Winter Storm Watch to a Winter Storm Warning. The warning is in effect from noon Friday through noon Saturday, January 19.

The National Weather Service now forecasts six to nine inches of snow for Cedar Rapids but warns that accumulations may be over that nine-inch mark in some locations. Here's the latest snowfall forecast from the NWS:

[ORIGINAL STORY] At least we can say it won't be a surprise. We've been watching it for days and the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities has now issued a Winter Storm Watch. Here's the timeline, expected snowfall totals, and the two things that will make this storm different than what we experienced last weekend.

The Winter Storm Watch goes from noon Friday through Saturday morning. The blue counties are under the Winter Storm Watch. The purple counties are currently under a Winter Weather Advisory.

The National Weather Service currently expects 5 to 8 inches of snow to fall throughout the corridor. However, they also warn

Snow/rain ratios will be increasing during this winter storm. Thus it is possible that snowfall amounts could trend higher over the next 24 hours.

The possibility of eight inches is obviously very close to the nine that CBS 2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swais said could happen more than 48 hours ago. He also shared that it appears unseasonably cold weather could be coming for a number of weeks after this story leaves and that more snow is likely next week.

The snow this weekend will be much lighter than last weekend. Friday's forecast high is 25 degrees. The heaviest snow is expected to fall Friday night when temperatures drop into the mid-teens. At that time, winds are also expected to increase, causing blowing and drifting of the light (at least in weight) snow.

The good news is it should all be over Saturday morning. Except for the clean-up, that is.