Charles City struck by late winter blizzard

Schools canceled classes and businesses closed as Charles City was struck by a blizzard on the last official day of winter on Wednesday, March 19.

The National Weather Service reported that Charles City had received 6 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Authorities reported numerous instances of vehicles getting stuck and there were several cars and semis that had gone off the roadway by Thursday morning on the Avenue of the Saints west of Charles City.

Also part of the storm Wednesday morning was the relatively rare “thundersnow,” a storm with thunder and lightning but where the conditions are present to produce snow instead of rain, the NWS said.