DOT Plow on Highway 30 in Greene County. Photo courtesy of DOT

The Greene County Sheriff is urging everyone to stay home and not travel on the roads.

Sheriff Jack Williams tells Raccoon Valley Radio travel is impossible throughout the county. He says Highway 30 west of Scranton is down to one-quarter of a lane, other roads in the county are drifted shut and are impassable. Williams points out the Iowa Department of Transportation will leave plow trucks on the state highways a little bit longer, but will be pulling them off later this afternoon. He is telling everyone to stay home and do not travel. A tow ban remains in place for Greene County.

County Engineer Wade Weiss tells Raccoon Valley Radio Secondary Roads crews have been out since 5am plowing the paved routes, as well as some gravel routes. He says crews will be out one more time to clear the roads, before stopping for the day and restarting at 7am tomorrow. He notes some gravel routes were not plowed and are drifted shut at this time.

Additionally, Jefferson Public Works Director Dave Morlan says crews have been out early this morning and plowed the entire town once. He points out earlier this morning, there were several vehicles stranded and abandoned in the middle of the road throughout the town and crews were able to plow a path for a tow truck to get them off of the roads. Morlan notes there is close to a ten-foot snow drift on Central Avenue near the water tower and that plows will be pulled off shortly before 4pm. He believes crews will be out early tomorrow morning to try and plow the roads again. Morlan says travel is not advised within city limits.