We have an ongoing ground blizzard taking place here in Iowa this evening causing many issues including total white out conditions and a no travel advisory being declared for the northern 1/3rd of Iowa. Anywhere from 45 to 50MPH wind gusts have been common with a few reports as high as 60MPH from such places as Sioux City. The worst of the conditions is the northern 3 to 4 counties of Iowa or about along at north of highway 20 where the NWS issued a blizzard warning. The cause of the high winds is a clipper system that skirted northeastern Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. This very same clipper is what also gave us that brief break from arctic air you felt today as warm air flowed ahead the system. The temperature here in Cumming on the south side of the Des Moines metro went from around 6.F this morning to 27.F by 3pm. Even 30s were reported as far north as southwest Iowa, of course that’s now dropping since the arctic front has passed through. However I will think of that 27.F and remember it for tomorrows cold.

 

The entire state saw the winds but northern Iowa was effected more severely because anywhere from a dusting to 2″ of new snow fell this morning setting the stage for blizzard conditions when 45-55MPH came blowing in behind the arctic front picking up that new snow. Once the winds started many reports of extreme conditions and zero visibility came in from many communities in northern Iowa including Mason City, Estherville, New Hampton and Charles City to name a few. Here closer to Des Moines we had a sudden gust of winds when that front came through and our snowcover from the Jan 5th storm came blowing off the farm fields making open areas experience some ground blizzard conditions but not nearly as severe as the northern part of the state. Be careful if you’re in this area.

 

Wind Gusts Reported

Sioux City 60MPH gust

Des Moines 52MPH

Mason City 52MPH

Estherville 52MPH

Clarion 51MPH

Cedar Rapids 48MPH

Ankeny 47MPH

Ames 47MPH

Iowa City 47MPH

Creston 46MPH

Davenport 45MPH

Waterloo 44MPH