Area hunkers down for first major snowstorm of the year

Chickasaw County and the surrounding area braced for the first real snowstorm of the season Friday as area schools either called off classes or made plans to dismiss early and several events were postponed or called off.
A winter storm warning went into effect at noon on Friday and runs through 6 a.m. on Saturday, and National Weather Service forecasters say 6 to 8 inches of snow could fall. They also are warning that the storm will bring considerable blowing and drifting.
By 5:30 p.m, New Hampton had received 5 inches of snow while North Washington had seven inches on the ground.
Snow began falling in the New Hampton area around 11 a.m., and visibility, especially in open rural areas, immediately took a nose dive.
Nashua-Plainfield officials cancelled classes Friday, and New Hampton, Turkey Valley and Sumner-Fredericksburg officials announced that they would dismiss classes early. New Hampton is dismissing three hours early, Turkey Valley will send students home at 12:15 p.m. and Sumner-Fredericksburg students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.
All four districts won’t have any activities or practices on Friday night.
The large-group speech contest that was scheduled for Postville on Saturday was postponed until Wednesday.
The storm has also led to the cancellation of a wrestling tournament in Ankeny that New Hampton/Turkey Valley was scheduled to participate in on Saturday, but as of Friday evening, the Chickasaws’ girls basketball games with Cedar Falls on Saturday afternoon and evening remain on.
The Chickasaw Wellness Complex announced it would close at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and, as of now, it plans to open at its regualrly scheduled time on Monday. 
— For more on the weather, please refer back to nhtrib.com, and for storm coverage, see the Jan. 22 Tribune