Alert archive / Iowa / Blizzard Watches in 2016

Blizzard Watch 2, NWS La Crosse, WI

February 6, 20164 counties in Iowa; Dodge County, Mower County, Minnesota

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this blizzard watch at Feb 6, 2016, 3:18 PM CST for 4 counties in Iowa; Dodge County, Mower County, Minnesota. It took effect at Feb 7, 2016, 3:00 PM CST. It was in force for .

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 6, 2016, 3:18 PM CST (21:18 UTC)
In effect from
Feb 7, 2016, 3:00 PM CST
Expired
Feb 7, 2016, 4:13 AM CST
In force
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI

Counties Chickasaw County, IA, Floyd County, IA, Howard County, IA, Mitchell County, IA, Dodge County, MN, Mower County, MN

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 125 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:15 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 176 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2016-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2016-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 163 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1065 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
163 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
246 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

171 
WWUS43 KARX 062118
WSWARX

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
318 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2016

...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA
AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY...

.LOW PRESSURE DROPPING INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION WILL USHER IN
MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS OF 35 TO 45
MPH LATER SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY. ALONG WITH THE WIND WILL
COME PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS...WITH ACCUMULATION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES
EXPECTED. STRONG WIND GUSTS WILL HELP BLOW AROUND THAT NEW
SNOW...AS WELL AS EXISTING SNOW ON THE GROUND...LEADING TO
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A PERIOD OF
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. SHOULD THESE BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS DEVELOP...TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERELY IMPACTED.

IAZ008-009-018-019-MNZ086-094-070530-
/O.NEW.KARX.BZ.A.0002.160207T2100Z-160209T0000Z/
MITCHELL-HOWARD-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-DODGE-MOWER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLES CITY...AUSTIN
318 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2016

...BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON. 

* BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH 
  MONDAY AFTERNOON. 

* NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 35 TO 45 MPH COULD CAUSE WHITEOUT
  CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS
  ALSO LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

* NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION OF UP TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE.

* TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE...INCLUDING 
  DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY
DANGEROUS.

$$

LAWRENCE/DAS
2 follow-up statements
658 
WWUS43 KARX 070313
WSWARX

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
913 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2016

...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA
AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY...

.A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL DROP ACROSS THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER
VALLEY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES
AND STRONG NORTHWEST WIND GUSTS FROM 35 TO 45 MPH WILL FOLLOW THE
FRONT. PERIODS OF SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED AS WELL WITH 1 TO 2
INCHES OF NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. AS A RESULT...EXPECT AREAS
OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH POSSIBLE WHITE OUT CONDITIONS AT
TIMES. BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS COULD CONTINUE SUNDAY NIGHT AND
INTO MONDAY. SHOULD THESE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOP...TRAVEL IS
LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERELY IMPACTED.

IAZ008-009-018-019-MNZ086-094-071115-
/O.CON.KARX.BZ.A.0002.160207T2100Z-160209T0000Z/
MITCHELL-HOWARD-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-DODGE-MOWER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLES CITY...AUSTIN
913 PM CST SAT FEB 6 2016

...BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY AFTERNOON...

* BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON
  THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

* NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING 35 TO 45 MPH COULD CAUSE WHITEOUT
  CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS
  ALSO LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS AND ACROSS HIGHER TERRAIN.

* NEW SNOW ACCUMULATION OF UP TO 2 INCHES IS POSSIBLE.

* TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE...INCLUDING DURING
  THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY
DANGEROUS.

$$

ROGERS
681 
WWUS43 KARX 071013
WSWARX

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
413 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2016

...OCCASIONAL BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXPECTED WEST OF U.S. HIGHWAY
63 FROM TONIGHT INTO MONDAY...

.STRONG NORTHWEST WIND GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH WILL DEVELOP ACROSS
NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO
MONDAY. THESE WINDS WILL CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING
OF THE SNOW THAT IS ALREADY ON THE GROUND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER. IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW THAT ALREADY EXISTS...ANYWHERE FROM
1 TO 1.5 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL FROM SNOW
SHOWERS. OCCASIONAL BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR WEST OF U.S.
HIGHWAY 63...AND OCCASIONAL WHITE OUTS WILL OCCUR EAST OF THIS
HIGHWAY IN NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA FROM TONIGHT
INTO MONDAY. TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BECOME SEVERELY IMPACTED.

MNZ086-094-071815-
/O.UPG.KARX.BZ.A.0002.160207T2100Z-160209T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KARX.BZ.W.0001.160208T0100Z-160208T1800Z/
DODGE-MOWER-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...AUSTIN
413 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2016

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST
MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST
MONDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP AROUND 7 PM AND THEN 
  DIMINISH AROUND NOON MONDAY. 

* WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 MPH WILL CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS 
  IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS 
  LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. TREE BRANCHES COULD FALL 
  AS WELL.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1.5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE...INCLUDING DURING 
  THE MORNING COMMUTE ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR
THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

$$

IAZ008-009-018-019-071815-
/O.UPG.KARX.BZ.A.0002.160207T2100Z-160209T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KARX.BZ.W.0001.160208T0100Z-160209T0000Z/
MITCHELL-HOWARD-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...CHARLES CITY
413 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2016

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST
MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST
MONDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP AROUND 7 PM AND THEN
  DIMINISH DURING THE AFTERNOON MONDAY.

* WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 MPH WILL CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS 
  IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS 
  LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. TREE BRANCHES COULD FALL 
  AS WELL.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1.5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. 

* TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE...INCLUDING DURING 
  THE MORNING COMMUTE ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR
THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

$$

MNZ079-087-088-095-096-071815-
/O.NEW.KARX.WW.Y.0005.160208T0100Z-160208T1800Z/
WABASHA-OLMSTED-WINONA-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROCHESTER...WINONA
413 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON CST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST MONDAY.

* EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP AROUND 7 PM AND THEN DIMINISH AROUND 
  NOON MONDAY. 

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1.5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. 

* WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 40 MPH WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING 
  AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY ON RIDGE TOPS AND IN OPEN 
  AREAS. IN ADDITION...AREAS OF POOR VISIBILITY ARE EXPECTED. 

* PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS...INCLUDING DURING THE 
  MORNING COMMUTE ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL
CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED
ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN
BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

$$

IAZ010-011-029-030-071815-
/O.NEW.KARX.WW.Y.0005.160208T0100Z-160209T0000Z/
WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-FAYETTE-CLAYTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DECORAH...WAUKON...OELWEIN
413 AM CST SUN FEB 7 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO
6 PM CST MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...WHICH IS IN
EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM CST MONDAY.

* EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP AROUND 7 PM AND THEN DIMINISH AROUND 
  6 PM MONDAY.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1.5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. 

* WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 40 MPH WILL CAUSE AREAS OF BLOWING 
  AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY ON RIDGE TOPS AND IN OPEN 
  AREAS. IN ADDITION...AREAS OF POOR VISIBILITY ARE EXPECTED. 

* PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS...INCLUDING DURING THE 
  MORNING COMMUTE ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL
CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED
ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN
BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

$$

BOYNE/04

Nearby

Blizzard Watches in Iowa, 2016Blizzard Watches in Minnesota, 2016Every blizzard watch in 2016

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.