Tow Ban? What Constitutes a Tow Ban?

With a Winter Storm Warning in effect, authorities have now issued a tow ban for Fayette, Clayton, Allamakee, and Winneshiek Counties.

But exactly what IS a tow ban?

According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, a tow ban is a ban on towing; pretty simple.

Who can issue this ban? Law enforcement will determine if conditions are too dangerous for towing companies to operate in a certain area, in this case, Northeast Iowa in general.

Now if there is a tow ban in effect, and you drive your vehicle into a ditch, said vehicle will stay into said ditch until conditions (weather, we're talking about) improve, and then the ban is lifted.

Now here's the kicker: since a lift on a ban might take hours, or even days, you're going to need to find a way to get to a safe place, until conditions improve enough to pull your vehicle out.

If you're not sure if, when, and where a tow ban has been posted, you may find that information on www.511ia.org. Or just by calling 511, from any phone.

The current winter storm warnings state that heavy snow is expected, along with light freezing drizzle.

How much snow? The National Weather Service predicts total accumulations of 5 to 7 inches, possibly up to 8 inches in areas of Northeast Iowa, along with ice accumulations of a light glaze expected.

The latest road conditions, along with any tow ban, can be found on-line at 511ia.org, or by calling 511.

The Winter Storm Warning will be in effect until 6am Wednesday, which may be a bit longer than you would want your car to sit in a ditch!