While the first winter storm of the year just missed Ames, other areas across the state received upwards of 14 inches of snow.

The snow storm was pushed more than 30 miles south and outside the range of Ames by “an underestimated southbound wind,” said Allan Curtis of the National Weather Service.

“A lot of these winter weather paths have a degree of uncertainty,” Curtis said. “One thing that we know and has come to fruition is where the heavy snowfall has occurred. The part we didn’t know really was the northern edge of the storm — whether we would see snow in Ames or even Des Moines.”

The City of Ames was aware of the likelihood snow wasn’t going to fall, but was preparing for the worst scenario where Ames could have gotten four inches of snow. In this scenario, Ames students traveling home from Thanksgiving break could have had issues traveling safely through Ames.

The city also released a statement reminding people of the snow ordinance that triggers when two or more inches of snow falls and makes residents move their cars out of streets that are designated snow routes.

“We are preparing for the worst though,” said Justin Clausen, operations manager for the Department of Public Works. “Students coming back from Thanksgiving break heightens the need to get this information out as soon as possible — that there is a storm coming and that the snow ordinance could be in effect.”

While Ames received no snow and the ordinance never went into effect, Ames could be receiving enough snow later in the week to potentially trigger the ordinance.

“When we look into the week, maybe next Friday or Saturday, we could see more snow in Ames,” Curtis said. “But our models are, for the lack of a better term, all over the place. When we are looking at one model it is saying something different than other models that we use.”

If a significant amount of snow falls, it is important to know the details of the Ames snow ordinance.

The ordinance requires people with vehicles parked along designated snow routes, which are labeled by red and white signs, to move their vehicles to routes not used by the plows.

Vehicles can return to being parked on the street after snow stops falling and the street has been plowed “curb to curb.”

While it isn’t required to remove cars from areas and streets that aren’t designated snow routes, the City of Ames recommends all Ames residents move their vehicles out of residential streets so people can travel as safely as possible.

Vehicles in violation of the ordinance can be ticketed and in some cases towed.