OTTUMWA —
Mike O’Hara chuckled when the caller asked about winter shoppers and buying extra shovels.
Few people expect intense winter weather after so much nice weather, but O’Hara said he and his staff at O’Hara Hardware in Ottumwa are ready for customers and their needs when wicked winter weather hits southern Iowa later this week.
And yes, he did stock more Ice Melt and shovels.
“People are getting ready, and I’ve even sold some snow blowers,” O’Hara said Tuesday afternoon.
Meterologist Rod Donavon of the National Weather Service said a winter storm during the day on Thursday is expected to hit Iowa.
“Right now a storm is expected to arrive in Ottumwa around noon Thursday,” Donavon said Tuesday afternoon. “There will be generally light snowfall, which will continue Thursday night.”
By Friday morning, the accumulation could be 4-8 inches. In addition, gusty winds, with the snow, coud reduce visibility, he added.
“The big travel impact will be hazardous roads after Thursday and in the evening,” Donavon said. “It’s a storm system that we’ve been able to track and latch onto as soon as it moved through Alaska.”
Wapello County Engineer Brian Moore said county road crews are ready, “as they always are.
“We just watch for the forecasts, and we’re ready when they come in. This one is nothing different,” he said.
When asked if he knew how many people had come through his store, O’Hara said he hadn’t had a chance to count.
“We’ve had a brisk business, but I haven’t ever started this at such a late date in the year,” O’Hara said.
More winter items were delivered to his store, and he said he was lucky another shipment of several items came in before Thursday’s expected storm
“I’m stocked up and ready for it now,” he said.
Ottumwa
Storm alert: Wicked winter weather on its way
- Ottumwa
-
-
Barber shows no signs of cutting career short
OTTUMWA -- Darrell Smith's hands are steady and sure as he picks up his clippers and straight razor to begin his first haircut and shave of the day. Smith, 88, has cut hair for 62 years and has owned Smitty's Barber Shop on Albia Road for the past 58
- Roaring winds Southeast Iowa in clean-up mode after storm passes through OTTUMWA — Work crews in and around Wapello County put in a lot of hours. And they were ready to do it again. “We had the storms roll through there last night,” said Ryan Stensland, a spokesman for Alliant Energy. “Down in southeast part of the state,
-
Flood debris removal up for consideration
OTTUMWA — A month after heavy rainfall caused rivers and streams to flood Ottumwa streets and homes, the city council will solidify a plan to remove the debris left behind. At the council's meeting tonight, members will consider awarding the $12,500
-
Reviving downtown's upper stories
Building by building, the upper stories of downtown Ottumwa are coming back to life after some have sat empty for half a century.
- Expanding Ottumwa's trail system OTTUMWA — The Market Street Bridge is a major link in connecting Ottumwa's north side to its south side. The seventh annual Wapello County Trails Council mediathon kicked off Saturday morning with volunteers on the phones taking pledges from the comm
-
Searching for the perfect book
A steady stream of people snatched up books, magazines, DVDs and more at the annual Pages for Pennies book sale at Bridge View Center this weekend.
-
Staff eager for swimmers Beach Ottumwa improvements
OTTUMWA — When kids talk about the last weeks of school, one subject that often comes up is The Beach Ottumwa. It'll be ready soon, said employees. On Friday, the maintenance staff was installing the fountain heads that shoot water straight up at the
- Mixed reactions to tax reduction OTTUMWA — During past public forums in Ottumwa, Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, told voters the state should follow its own laws and make taxes equal across the board. This week, legislators in Des Moines took a first step toward that goal, which is a
-
New sports store coming to mall
OTTUMWA — A new tenant is coming to Quincy Place Mall. Lexington Realty International announced Friday afternoon the mall's newest tenant, MC Sports. Construction has already begun, and the store is anticipated to open just in time for back-to-school
- Wellness challenge asks people to live healthy OTTUMWA — Are you ready for the Live Healthy Iowa 10-Week Wellness Challenge? Some of the city employees joined Live Healthy Iowa, and Jody Gates, the city's health director, was captain of one of the two teams of about a dozen people. "Our goals for
- More Ottumwa Headlines
-
