By: Mark Fitzgerald An unpredictable ice storm that glazed over even some major highways in south-central Iowa delayed newspaper deliveries Sunday and Monday.
At 10 a.m. Monday, The Des Moines Register had not yet completed deliveries in several rural counties, but it looked like all customers will eventually get their papers today, said Scott Warner, circulation customer service manager.
"It changes by the hour," Warner said. "We're supposed to get another round of freezing rain and ice." Warner said the greater Des Moines area was delivered on time Monday, but that in the rural counties road continued to be closed.
In its Monday editions, the paper had warned that "customers in Poweshiek and Jefferson counties will likely not see a newspaper today."
In Cedar Rapids, The Gazette estimated Monday morning that about 5% of its motor route deliveries were still running late -- a big improvement on Sunday, said Vice President of Circulation Scott Swenson.
"On Sunday we had maybe 30% to 40% of our deliveries running quite late, up to 10 or 11 a.m.," he said.
Monday's ice storm was bad in Cedar Rapids -- it closed all schools -- but it was timed well for newspaper deliveries, easing off in the very early morning hours and not returning in force until about 8 a.m. That window allowed fairly normal delivery, Swenson said.
Forecasters predicted the freezing rain would turn to snow Monday night, leading to the season's first significant accumulations.
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