Iowa Storm Center | Radar, NWS Forecast, Winter Alerts

Public bid Ames, Iowa rock salt bids for 2026–27: $97.49–$100 a ton, delivered, on 2,500 tonsEst. contractor bulk Bulk rock salt at the yard: roughly $100–$150 a ton, depending on volume and freightEst. treated salt Pre-treated bulk salt usually runs $20–$50 a ton over plain rock saltEst. salt brine Salt brine by the gallon: roughly $0.20–$0.40, before deliveryEst. bagged rock salt Pallet of 49 × 50 lb rock salt bags: roughly $240–$330Est. ice melt pallet Pallet of 49 × 50 lb blended ice melt: roughly $430–$600Est. calcium chloride Calcium chloride pellets run $800+ a pallet. It's the cold-weather specialistNOAA normal Cedar Rapids averages 34.3 inches of snow a seasonNOAA normal Iowa City averages 27.5 inches of snow a seasonNOAA normal Des Moines averages 36.5 inches of snow a seasonRule of thumb Plain rock salt slows way down below about 15°F pavement temperatureFall pre-buy Lock in tons and pickup or delivery before the first storm, not during itPublic bid Ames, Iowa rock salt bids for 2026–27: $97.49–$100 a ton, delivered, on 2,500 tonsEst. contractor bulk Bulk rock salt at the yard: roughly $100–$150 a ton, depending on volume and freightEst. treated salt Pre-treated bulk salt usually runs $20–$50 a ton over plain rock saltEst. salt brine Salt brine by the gallon: roughly $0.20–$0.40, before deliveryEst. bagged rock salt Pallet of 49 × 50 lb rock salt bags: roughly $240–$330Est. ice melt pallet Pallet of 49 × 50 lb blended ice melt: roughly $430–$600Est. calcium chloride Calcium chloride pellets run $800+ a pallet. It's the cold-weather specialistNOAA normal Cedar Rapids averages 34.3 inches of snow a seasonNOAA normal Iowa City averages 27.5 inches of snow a seasonNOAA normal Des Moines averages 36.5 inches of snow a seasonRule of thumb Plain rock salt slows way down below about 15°F pavement temperatureFall pre-buy Lock in tons and pickup or delivery before the first storm, not during it

Live radar

Radar

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NWS radar, Central Iowa: Des Moines radar — Central Iowa: Des Moines radar. Source: NOAA / National Weather Service

NWS radar, Upper Mississippi Valley region — Upper Mississippi Valley region. Source: NOAA / National Weather Service

NWS radar, National — National. Source: NOAA / National Weather Service

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NOAA Climate Prediction Center

Winter outlook, December–February

NOAA CPC seasonal temperature outlook for December through February — Temperature outlook. Source: NOAA CPC (live image, updated monthly).

NOAA CPC seasonal precipitation outlook for December through February — Precipitation outlook. Source: NOAA CPC (live image, updated monthly).

In plain English (NOAA CPC outlook issued October 15, 2026, for Dec 2026–Feb 2027): NOAA's maps lean toward above-normal temperatures for Iowa this winter, about a 33–50% chance depending on the part of the state, with the stronger lean in the northeast. For precipitation, most of Iowa shows equal chances of above, near or below normal, and the far west leans slightly wetter. These are probabilities, not a forecast of any storm. A warmer-leaning winter still brings snow and ice to Iowa, and winters that hover near freezing tend to bring more freeze-thaw and refreeze work. The maps above update automatically when NOAA issues a new outlook (third Thursday of each month), so this summary may lag behind them.

Official outlooks: NOAA CPC seasonal outlooks. We don't make our own predictions.

Storm Center

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Winter outlook, December–February