Winter Storm Rocky: Snow Fall Totals in Ames

Winter Storm Rocky tracked farther northwest than many weather experts expected bringing Ames much more than the .9 inches anticipated Tuesday morning.

An official National Weather Service cooperative site five miles southeast of Ames reported a total of 8.7 inches of snowfall. And National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Skow said about 6 to 8 inches of snow was reported across Ames.

Skow said the National Weather Service and other forecasters expected the heaviest amounts of snow to fall over southeast Iowa in areas like Lamoni, Centerville and Bloomfield instead of heading Northwest to Des Moines and Ames.

“Now and then one takes us by surprise and this one did,” Skow said.

The storm might drop another inch or less of snow by this afternoon.

But it won't be the area's last douse of snow.

There's another chance of snow early next week, Skow said. And it's not unusual to see heavy snowfall in late March or April.

Ames Newsletter/Ames Patch Facebook page/Twitter: @AmesPatch

SEE MORE ON PATCH

• Winter Storm Rocky: Weather Closings and Cancellations in Ames
• Winter Storm Rocky: Ames Snow Ordinance in Effect at 5 p.m.
• Winter Storm Rocky Weather Closings
• Winter Storm Rocky: Ames Under Winter Weather Advisory