THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY ARE PLANNING TO REOPEN INTERSTATE 35 EARLY MONDAY AFTERNOON.
THE AGENCIES HAD CLOSED I-35 FROM AMES TO CLEAR LAKE, AND LATER TO THE MINNESOTA STATE LINE, ON SUNDAY AS IT HAD BECOME IMPASSABLE DUE TO WINTER ROADWAY CONDITIONS AND ALMOST ZERO VISIBILITY FROM BLOWING SNOW.
THEY ARE ALSO COORDINATING WITH OFFICIALS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA, WHO HAD CLOSED SEGMENTS OF I-35 IN THAT STATE DUE TO THE WINTER STORM.
STATE AND LOCAL AGENCIES ARE CONTINUING TO WORK TO REMOVE DISABLED VEHICLES FROM TRAFFIC LANES AND TO COMPLETE SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL TO ENSURE THE ROADWAY IS SAFE FOR DRIVING.
THE IOWA DOT AND DPS STILL DO NOT ADVISE TRAVELERS TO SEEK ALTERNATE ROUTES UNTIL LATER IN THE DAY, AS THESE ARE LIKELY TO BE HAZARDOUS AND HAVE VERY LIMITED ACCESS TO SHELTER AND TRAVELER SERVICES.
DRIVERS SHOULD CHECK IOWA 5-1-1 BEFORE STARTING A TRIP FOR CURRENT ROADWAY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE STATE.
UPDATE 12/29/25 9:50AM
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WHILE SIOUX CITY DIDN’T GET MUCH SNOW ON SUNDAY, THE WINTER STORM THAT BLEW THROUGH THE AREA BROUGHT TRAVEL TO A STANDSTILL IN PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA.
THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY CLOSED INTERSTATE 35 TO ALL TRAFFIC AT 2:30 SUNDAY AFTERNOON BETWEEN AMES AND CLEAR LAKE.
THE STATE PATROL SAYS THE COMBINATION OF RAIN ON FREEZING PAVEMENTS, SNOW SQUALLS, AND HIGH WINDS CREATED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS THAT MADE THE ROADWAY IMPASSABLE FOR TRAVEL..
THE D-O-T AND D-P-S INSTALLED BARRIERS ACROSS THE FREEWAY LANES TO DIRECT TRAFFIC OFF AT EXITS.
THEY ALSO LOWERED BARRIERS AT ALL ON-RAMPS FOR INTERCHANGES IN BETWEEN AMES AND CLEAR LAKE.
THE CLOSURE WILL CONTINUE UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVE, WITH NO SPECIFIC TARGET TIME TO REOPEN.
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