Snow leads to 50-car pileup in Iowa, United States

The pile-up in Iowa on Interstate 35. There are reportedly a number of injuries from serious to walking wounded.

While we swelter in the Southern Hemisphere, heavy snowfall in the United States has led to a massive pileup on a major highway in Iowa.

There appears to be around 50 vehicles involved in the crash, which forced the closure of Interstate 35 near Ames, Iowa.

Several people were reportedly injured but there were no reports of fatalities, said Sgt. Nathan Ludwig, spokesman for Iowa State Patrol.

"It's a mess," Ludwig said. "They're trying to get everyone to slow down."

One of the biggest issues was drivers trying to get on the highway and then crashing into the accident, Ludwig said.

Most of Iowa can expect heavy snowfall, with around 20cm of snow forecast.