Icy conditions possible on Wednesday, IDOT says be prepared if you need to travel

MASON CITY — North-central Iowa will likely see a wintry mix with freezing rain on Wednesday, mainly in the afternoon and evening hours.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Pete Hjelmstad says people will need to be ready when they hit the roads on Wednesday.  “We have had little to zero winter driving experience this year. Ice is probably one of the hardest things to deal with. I know we’ve said it a lot, but I know that human nature is to put it off unless you need it, but make sure your vehicle is ready, make sure you have a full tank of gas. Have the right air pressure in your tires. Have that winter survival kit. Take your cell phone with you, make sure it’s charged, make sure you’ve got a charger.”

He says they’ve updated their road conditions website to better show ice-covered roads.  “We actually have added another layer. You know we had the colors with the green and the blue and all that. We’ve now added blue with dots and purple with dots. That means partially covered with ice or completely covered with ice. Again, it will be in the legend on 5-1-1. We’ve added a few more layers to try and make things even a little bit more specific for your driving conditions.”

Hjelmstad reminds you to check the forecast as well as the current road conditions through their 511ia.org website.