Another weekend, another winter storm

(This story has been updated to include vehicle accidents.)

MARENGO — For the third weekend in a row, a winter storm dumped several inches of snow across Iowa creating hazardous conditions for drivers.

Snow began falling in Iowa overnight Friday, and by Saturday morning roads in Poweshiek and Iowa Counties were marked as completely covered on Iowa Department of Transportation maps.

By 10 a.m., the DOT advised against traveling in Poweshiek and Iowa Counties and issued a tow ban for those state roads.

Law enforcement dealt with several crashes on Interstate 80 including one near Victor that backed up traffic for miles at 11:30 a.m.

The DOT advised people not to travel from central Iowa to the Illinois boarder not only on the interstate but on nearby state highways.

“Travel is not advised on Interstate 80 between Iowa City and Des Moines,” reported the Southeast Iowa Weather Updates Facebook page. “Numerous accidents have already been reported this morning as heavy snow continues to fall. Stay home if you can today!”

Traffic was backed up for hours on Interstate 80 east of Iowa City Saturday afternoon due to weather and crashes.

Interstate 80 from Coral Ridge Ave. (Exit 240) to Plainview Rd. (Exit 284) opened around 11 p.m. Saturday. The DOT said travelers on that stretch of road could experience varied conditions, from seasonal to ice-covered.

“As temperatures continue to plunge tonight into Sunday, improvement in conditions will be slow until temperatures approach near/above freezing Monday,” said the National Weather Service in Des Moines Saturday evening.

In the aftermath of the storm, Belle Plaine reported 3.5 inches of snow, Marengo, 4 inches, Williamsburg, 5 inches, Parnell, 5.5, Upper South Amana, 4 and West Amana, 3.6, according to the National Weather Service.

The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office investigated several crashes during the winter storm.

About 11:49 a.m. a sheriff’s deputy investigated a crash at 1871 G Ave. between a car and a semi tractor-trailer. According to the accident report, Eloy Perez, 63, was driving a 2012 Buick Encore north on G Avenue behind the semi, when he noticed the semi slowing down and having trouble maintaining control, the accident report says.

Perez hit his brakes, but due to the slick road conditions, continued to slide. Not wanting to hit the back of the semi-trailer, he moved into the southbound lane. Just as he was next to the rear of the semi-trailer, the trailer lost traction and struck the back passenger side door of the car, pushing the car into the ditch, the accident report says.

The driver of the semi did not stop following the crash, the report says.

Perez was given a ride to the Pilot gas station near the Interstate 80 201 mile-marker.

Sheriff’s deputies were called to a single-vehicle crash about 12:34 p.m. Saturday at mile maker 206 on Interstate 80.

Kwin Kunkle, 40, was driving west on Interstate 80 when she saw multiple semis coming to a stop in the road due to another accident during the snowstorm, the report says.

Kunkle tried to stop but could not. To avoid the semis, she turned to the left and struck a cable barrier post and the cable, causing damage to the post and to her 2021 Jeep Compass.

Kunkle left her car on the median and was given a ride to Days Inn in Williamsburg, the Sheriff’s Department said.

At about 12:49 p.m., Special Deputy Blake Heller attempted to locate an Amazon semi tractor-trailer involved in a crash with at least one vehicle.

Robert J Feller, 59, informed dispatch that the vehicles had moved south of Interstate 80 on H Avenue for safety, according to the accident report.

The weather conditions were cloudy with heavy snow, blowing snow and fairly low visibility and the roadway was completely covered in snow resulting in many accidents and vehicles stuck in the ditch, Heller said in his report.

Heller located a Honda and the Amazon semi about 1 p.m. Feller had been driving the 2026 Honda CRV and had stopped behind another vehicle which was stopped because of another accident, the accident report said.

The semi drove up behind and struck the Honda in the rear, causing the Honda to collide with another vehicle in front of it.

Kutlu Ozdurak, 52, the driver of a Freightliner pulling the Amazon trailer, said he thought the vehicles ahead of him were moving, and by the time he realized they were not, he was unable to stop and collided with Feller’s vehicle.

Feller’s vehicle had rear end damage, the collision report said, the rear window was broken out and the lift gate to the SUV was damaged.

Feller said he was sore and his back was stiff, but he would seek treatment himself.

Both parties drove away about 1:40 p.m., the accident report said.

About 2:17 p.m. Saturday, a sheriff’s deputy investigated a crash near mile marker 207 on Interstate 80.

Kenneth Robinson, 49, was driving a 2025 Freightliner pulling a utility trailer west on I-80 and slowed down as traffic ahead of him slowed.

Robinson told the deputy that the passenger side tires hit some ice, causing the vehicle to slide to the left. His tire caught the shoulder, and the thick snow pulled him into the median, damaging multiple cable barrier posts and his semi.

Robinson arranged for a tow for the vehicle.

About 2:37 p.m. Iowa County Deputy Andrew Pahl arrived at mile marker 208 on I-80 where two semis had collided.

Billy Wiser, 44, was driving a 2024 Kenworth registered to Walmart Transportation and was slowing down because traffic in front of him was slowing when he felt someone rearend his trailer, the accident report said.

Abduselam Adem, 31, was driving a 2019 Mack registered to ABE Express. He said tried to avoid hitting the Kenworth but, due to slippery road conditions and poor visibility, he could not avoid the collision, the report said.

Adem’s semi sustained disabling damage to the engine compartment and would have to be towed.

Williamsburg police reported one accident due to the weather Saturday. Owen Emmett Rosenberg, 18, of Amana, was northbound on P Avenue about 6 p.m. in a 2009 Honda SUV when his passenger-side tires slid off the east side of the roadway which was covered with ice and snow causing the edges of the pavement not to be visible.

Rosenberg over-corrected and slid off the opposite side of the roadway, the accident report says. As the vehicle entered the shoulder, it rolled onto its top.

The road was not lighted, the accident report said. The road’s surface had ice on it, and snow was blowing across the road.

Rosenberg was wearing a seat belt and was uninjured.

After two days of frigid cold, temperatures are expected to rise above freezing and into the 40s this week.

The Weather Channel has no snowfall in its 10-day forecast for Eastern Iowa.