Winter is in full effect in southeast Iowa, and motorists are advised to take extra steps to avoid an unwanted collision or vehicle in the ditch this season.

A Winter Weather Advisory issued by the National Weather Service Quad Cities Office is in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday, as blowing snow and bitterly cold wind chills are expected. Winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour, gusting as high as 45 miles per hour are expected, which could significantly reduce visibility, especially in rural areas. Washington County Sheriff Jared Schneider advises to stay off the roads during a winter storm if you can. Otherwise he urges motorists to turn off cruise control, slow down, and give vehicles ahead of you plenty of room, “Driving too fast is going to get you into trouble, applying your brakes too quickly. Evasive actions while you’re driving is not going to respond the same way it would on dry pavement. So those are all things that you shouldn’t do, because if you do any of those you’re probably going to end up having some issues.”

Residents should also bundle up Wednesday, as wind chills as low as 20 below zero can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Unsecured items could also be moved around in these winds. Bitter cold temperatures are forecasted through Thursday, listen to KCII for weather updates.