Manbearpig Shuts Off Power To Nearly 100,000 Throughout Iowa

It's mid-40s and raining here in Opieland tonight.

In central Iowa, however, nearly 100,000 people can't even get on the internet:

A dangerous winter’s brew of freezing rain, high winds, sleet and snow has resulted in treacherous travel conditions throughout the state.

In addition, at least 95,000 Iowans were without power, a number that is expected to increase as more snow sweeps across the state tonight and Sunday...

...Alliant reported 500 downed power lines. MidAmerican Energy, which serves the Des Moines metropolian area, said at 3:45 p.m. today that about 25,000 customers were without power.

Towns hardest hit include Newton, 9,000 customers; Marshalltown, 8,000 customers; and Grinnell, 7,000 customers...

...National Weather Service meteorologists said rain and freezing rain would turn into show by Saturday night and into Sunday.

“This very well could be the worst winter storm we’ve seen this year, in terms of the overall impact,” said Rich Kinney, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Johnston.

Kinney said a severe storm is possible in portions of central Iowa, generating penny-sized hail.

“We’ve already got wet to icy roads, depending on how well the roads have been treated,” added meteorologist Brad Fillbach. “Any time you get snow on top of ice, you don’t know where the ice is.”

Polk County could see between 5 and 8 inches of total snow by noon Sunday.

Northern Iowa could see much more, with cities like Algona expected to get as much as a foot of snow. The winter storm warning expires at noon Sunday for Des Moines.

Sure glad the Register Editorial Board told you yahoos in Iowa to Step Up On Global Warming.

And wouldn't it just be ironic that tens of thousands of Iowans won't be able to watch the Oscars on Sunday night and see Al Gore win an award for his phony, bullshit, and lie-filled "documentary" (what a fucking mockery they've made of that category over the past few years what with that fat asshole Michael Moore winning) about global warming because their power is out due to an ice storm and blizzard?