This winter storm is packing quite the punch, with several inches of snow on the way.

The next round has moved in quickly in from the south, and some heavier snows will be with us by late afternoon lasting into the evening and overnight. Strong winds will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow, with whiteout conditions possible tonight.

For most of us, about 6 to 10 inches will be possible tonight, with lesser amounts northwest of Waterloo, and higher amounts south of Iowa City. If you must travel tonight, carry a winter survival kit should you become stranded.

There are several school closings across eastern Iowa this midday. To mention a few Cedar Rapids is dismissing according to their early dismissal schedule, Linn Mar Schools and Dubuque Schools are dismissing 2 hours early, and College Community is also dismissing 2 hours early.

91 street and sidewalk plows are on standby for the 7 to 12 inches of snow expected in the area.

Cedar Rapids plow drivers didn't have quite as much snow as expected to deal with overnight. But the city is still anticipating a long day and night of work as round two of the storm bears down.

The inch to inch and a half of snow that fell overnight actually made quite a difference in how the city gets ready to handle the main event beginning this evening.

Because the snow didn't accumulate the expected two to four inches, crews only needed to plow the main roads and streets. That saved wear and tear on the equipment.

Based on the forecast, the city is likely to declare a snow emergency sometime late this afternoon and then hold second shift workers to help overnight drivers begin plowing.

As the snow tapers off in the early morning, all plow drivers will get the call to clear the city.

It might seem like a lot of extra work to clear a bit of snow now when a whole lot more is on the way. But one man says doing a bit of it at a time works out better.

"I think it's easier," Chuck Mathison said. "You're not blowing quite as much snow ... not the wear and tear on it ."

And while some crews wait for the real snow fun to start, others have different kind of mess to deal with. A water main break closed a small section of 10th Street NW.

Those crews won't get the call with some other city departments to help plow because they'll have their own problems to deal with.

Also, due to the weather the City of Cedar Rapids is postponing the three special events scheduled for this week for residents to meet city manager Jeff Pomeranz.

The storm is affecting travel of all types-- from the roads to the skies. This midday, at least five flights are cancelled going out of The Eastern Iowa Airport.

Yesterday, four major airlines announced that because of this storm, flights booked for today and tomorrow can be changed free of charge.

If you're headed out of town, make sure to check with your airline to see if they're involved with that, as the storm is expected to delay and cancel more flights.