© Mathew Putney
Those who had packed away their winter coats, shovels, snowblowers and snowmobiles were suddenly unpacking Saturday.
A winter storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of Northeast Iowa, including the Cedar Valley, sending drivers, cities and event organizers alike back into winter-weather mode just four days after the official start of spring.
Temperatures in the 50s and emerging perennials earlier this week yielded to thundersnow and blizzard-like conditions Friday night well into Saturday afternoon, bringing the snowplows back and canceling or postponing events from Easter egg hunts to a gun violence protest march.
"Safety is our number one concern, whether you're talking about the right for students to feel safe in their schools or keeping folks off the road when conditions are this bad," said Christopher Schwartz, community organizer for Americans for Democratic Action Iowa, which postponed its March for Our Lives rally in Cedar Falls.
The storm blasted its way through north and Northeast Iowa, with 16 inches of snow falling by 3 p.m. Saturday in parts of Cerro Gordo, Floyd and Mitchell counties, according to the National Weather Service.
A Winter Storm Warning was extended through 7 p.m. Sunday. Most area cities declared snow emergencies.
Comment: See also: