Iowa, 2010

Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Iowa, January 20, 2010

January 20, 2010 · NWS FSD · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous, and power lines and trees were damaged.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$200,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS FSD wrote it up.

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of a quarter inch or a little more in the Sioux City to Storm lake areas of northwest Iowa.Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous, and power lines and trees were damaged.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 ice storm, 5 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Plymouth

When
January 20, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Plymouth forecast zone
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of a quarter to a half inch. Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous and difficult. Damage to trees and power lines was reported, including more than 200 utility poles brought down by the ice, and there were scattered power outages.

Ice Storm, Sioux

When
January 20, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Sioux forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of around a quarter inch in the southern part of Sioux County, with lesser accumulations to the north. Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous and difficult. Damage to trees and power lines was reported, and there were scattered power outages.

Ice Storm, Woodbury

When
January 20, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Woodbury forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of around a quarter inch. Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous and difficult. Damage to trees and power lines was reported, and there were scattered power outages. Downed power lines and poles blocked at least one intersection in Sioux City.

Ice Storm, Ida

When
January 20, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Ida forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
42.387, -95.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of around a quarter inch. Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous and difficult. Damage to trees and power lines was reported, and there were scattered power outages.

Ice Storm, Cherokee

When
January 20, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Cherokee forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of around a quarter inch in the southern part of Cherokee County, with lesser accumulations to the north. Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous and difficult. Damage to trees and power lines was reported, and there were scattered power outages.

Ice Storm, Buena Vista

When
January 20, 12:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Buena Vista forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
42.736, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain produced ice accumulations of around a quarter inch in the southern part of Cherokee County, with lesser accumulations to the north. Travel and walking were made extremely hazardous and difficult. Damage to trees and power lines was reported, and there were scattered power outages.

Winter Weather, Lyon

When
January 20, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle, mixed at times with snow, produced a light glazing of ice, making driving and walking surfaces very slick.

Winter Weather, O'Brien

When
January 20, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
O'Brien forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.084, -95.625 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle, mixed at times with snow, produced a light glazing of ice, making driving and walking surfaces very slick.

Winter Weather, Clay

When
January 20, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle, mixed at times with snow, produced a light glazing of ice, making driving and walking surfaces very slick.

Winter Weather, Osceola

When
January 20, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Osceola forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
43.379, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle, mixed at times with snow, produced a light glazing of ice, making driving and walking surfaces very slick.

Winter Weather, Dickinson

When
January 20, 2:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
43.378, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Freezing rain and freezing drizzle, mixed at times with snow, produced a light glazing of ice, making driving and walking surfaces very slick.

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2010

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 212020, 212021, 212022, 212023, 212024, 212025, 212026, 212027, 212028, 212029, 212030.