A 74-year old man was injured on the northwest side of Rochester, MN when a chunk of ice and snow flew off a truck and hit the front end of his vehicle, deploying the airbag, causing him to lose control and hit a telephone pole. He was placed in critical condition at a local hospital.
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The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.
A 74-year old man was injured on the northwest side of Rochester, MN when a chunk of ice and snow flew off a truck and hit the front end of his vehicle, deploying the airbag, causing him to lose control and hit a telephone pole. He was placed in critical condition at a local hospital.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 27, 3:04 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
304 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008
.SHORT TERM...THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT
MAIN FORECAST CONCERN IS WITH THE PRECIPITATION TONIGHT AND THE
CHANCES AGAIN BY MONDAY NIGHT.
SURFACE ANALYSIS THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER
NORTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR WITH A COLD FRONT SOUTH INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS.
LOCAL AND REGIONAL RADARS INDICATED MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION AT
THIS TIME IS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND FOR THE MOST PART
HAS NOW SHIFTED EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. BOTH THE 27.12Z NAM AND
GFS SHOW A STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH COMING ACROSS TONIGHT AS THE
THE LONG WAVE TROUGH AXIS MOVES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. STRONG
QG CONVERGENCE SHOULD OCCUR FROM 850 MB UP THROUGH 300 MB WITH
THIS WAVE. STRONG PV ADVECTION ALSO EXPECTED IN THE 500-300 MB
LAYER WITH THE GFS SHOWING OVER 30 PVU/S THROUGH 06Z. WITH ALL
THIS STRONG FORCING THE CONCERN IS NOT IF IT WILL PRECIPITATE
AGAIN BUT WHERE. THE 12Z MODELS AND 27.09Z SREFS WERE PRETTY
INSISTENT ON SHOWING A BAND OF PRECIPITATION FROM ABOUT KOLZ
THROUGH KMDZ AND EAST. THE 27.18Z NAM AND 27.15Z WHILE SHOWING THE
PRECIPITATION IN MUCH THE SAME AREA ARE MUCH LOWER ON QPF AMOUNTS
THROWING CONSIDERABLE DOUBT INTO EXACTLY HOW MUCH SNOW WILL FALL.
CUT BACK ON QPF AMOUNTS FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST AS IT WAS BUT
MAY NOT HAVE GONE FAR ENOUGH. FOR NOW WILL GO WITH SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES EAST OF THE KOLZ-KMDZ LINE. THESE
AMOUNTS DO NOT MEET ADVISORY CRITERIA BUT THE BUFKIT SOUNDINGS
FROM THE 27.12Z NAM AND GFS BOTH SHOW THE POTENTIAL FOR A PERIOD
OF MIXED PRECIPITATION BETWEEN 00Z AND 03Z. COULD SEE A LITTLE
FREEZING RAIN OR DRIZZLE...SLEET AND SNOW BEFORE GOING TO ALL
SNOW. FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL LEAVE
THE ADVISORY IN PLACE FOR NOW BUT WOULD EXPECT THE EVENING SHIFT
TO BE ABLE TO CANCEL THIS EARLY. ALREADY DROPPED SOME OF THE
WESTERN COUNTIES OUT WHERE NO MIXED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED AND
SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD BE LESS THAN 2 INCHES.
THE NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION THEN COMES MONDAY NIGHT. ZONAL
FLOW EXPECTED TO SET UP AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE LONG WAVE TROUGH
TONIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW A PRETTY STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH TO
CROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST STARTING MONDAY NIGHT. THE SURFACE LOW
WITH THIS SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO CROSS SOUTH DAKOTA
MONDAY NIGHT GIVING THE REGION A GOOD SHOT OF WARM AIR ADVECTION.
THE GFS PRODUCES UP TO 6 MICROBARS/S OF UPGLIDE ON THE 285K
SURFACE FROM THIS WARM AIR ADVECTION BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE BEST
SATURATION WILL STAY FROM ABOUT THE TWIN CITIES OVER TOWARD GREEN
BAY AND NORTH. HAVE INTRODUCE SOME LOW END CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE
NORTH WITH THIS SYSTEM.
.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
DECENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE OPERATIONAL 27.06Z GFS AND 27.00Z
THROUGH ABOUT THURSDAY AND THEN SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES. WITH A FAST
ZONAL FLOW...TIMING DIFFERENCES THAT FAR OUT ARE TO BE EXPECTED
AND HAVE TRENDED TOWARD THE HPC GUIDANCE AND 27.00Z GFS ENSEMBLE
MEANS TO RESOLVE ANY DIFFERENCES. SHORT WAVE TROUGH AND SURFACE
LOW COME ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY. WITH GOOD AGREEMENT SHOWN WITH
THIS SYSTEM RAISED THE POPS FOR THE ENTIRE AREA WITH HIGHEST
VALUES ACROSS THE NORTH. FOR NOW HAVE STAYED WITH CHANCE POPS BUT
THESE WILL LIKELY HAVE TO GO UP WITH LATER FORECASTS. THE NEXT
SYSTEM BECOMES THE DIFFICULT ONE TO TIME AS THE SHORT WAVE TROUGH
AND SURFACE LOW PRESSURE ZIP BY TO THE NORTH. FOR NOW WILL HAVE
LOW END CHANCE POPS FROM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY UNTIL A BETTER
HANDLE ON THE TIMING CAN BE ACHIEVED.
&&
.AVIATION...
WESTERLY FLOW HAS SENT TEMPERATURES DOWN THROUGH THE DAY.
THANKFULLY...MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION SHIFTED EAST AS
WELL...KEEPING THE FREEZING RAIN MINIMAL. LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY
AND MODEL INPUT SUGGEST ANOTHER SURGE OF MOISTURE AND LIFT COULD
WRAP BACK WESTWARD INTO THE REGION THIS EVENING. HIGHER THREAT FOR
PRECIPITATION AT KLSE THAN AT KRST...BUT EITHER WAY LOOKING LIKE IT
SHOULD FALL IN THE FORM OF SNOW. A FEW INCHES ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE
WITH MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT.
SYSTEM WILL PULL AWAY LATE TONIGHT...WITH CLEARING SKIES FROM WEST
TO EAST EXPECTED EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
&&
.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR WIZ017-WIZ029-
WIZ032-WIZ033-WIZ034-WIZ041-WIZ042-WIZ043-WIZ044-WIZ053-
WIZ054-WIZ055-WIZ061.
MN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR MNZ088-MNZ096.
IA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SUNDAY FOR IAZ010-IAZ011-
IAZ029-IAZ030.
&&
SHORT/LONG TERM...04
AVIATION...MWHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 427 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-281200- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE- FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON- WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 427 PM CST SAT DEC 27 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ANY REMAINING WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BY THIS EVENING WITH LIGHT SNOW LIKELY THROUGH MUCH OF THE NIGHT. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS IN MANY AREAS HAVE MADE ROADS SLIPPERY IN SPOTS...AND THIS WILL BE COVERED BY A BLANKET OF LIGHT SNOW TONIGHT. AREAS EAST OF A LINE FROM OELWEIN THROUGH DECORAH TO WINONA AND MONDOVI WILL SEE 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH A LITTLE HIGHER AMOUNTS OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN NEAR MAUSTON. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. WEST OF THIS LINE...INCLUDING CHARLES CITY AND ROCHESTER...SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS AROUND AN INCH OR SO ARE POSSIBLE...WITH THE THREAT OF THE WINTRY MIX HAVING ENDED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A FEW WEAKER WEATHER DISTURBANCES WILL BRING SNOW CHANCES TO THE AREA ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT...AND AGAIN FROM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS LOOK POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS OF PRECIPITATION TYPES...ALONG WITH ANY SNOW OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY WOULD BE APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. BINAU
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1149 AM CST SAT DEC 27 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1130 AM FREEZING RAIN 1 WNW OELWEIN 42.68N 91.93W
12/27/2008 M0.31 INCH FAYETTE IA AMATEUR RADIO
ICE ON POWER LINES ONE SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH.
&&
MWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A 74-year old man was injured on the northwest side of Rochester, MN when a chunk of ice and snow flew off a truck and hit the front end of his vehicle, deploying the airbag, causing him to lose control and hit a telephone pole. He was placed in critical condition at a local hospital.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, December 2008
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 141748.