Extreme Cold in Iowa, January 27, 2014

Name: Extreme Cold in Iowa, January 27, 2014
Start: 2014-01-27T02:00
End: 2014-01-27T21:00
Location: Iowa

January 27, 2014 · NWS DMX · 26 events in 26 counties and zones

Following the high wind and blizzard event of the 26th, very cold temperatures moved into the state with readings well below zero. Gusty northwest winds continued through the day on the 27th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 26 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 26

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 DMX wrote it up.

Following the high wind and blizzard event of the 26th, very cold temperatures moved into the state with readings well below zero. Gusty northwest winds continued through the day on the 27th. Wind Chill values fell to 30 to 45 degrees below zero by the morning of the 27th. Recovery was slow with daytime highs in the single digits either side of zero. Winds diminished during the evening of the 27th and wind chill values rose to around 25 below by mid-evening.

What forecasters said that day

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 Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 26, 11:27 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 26, 11:27 PM CST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 26, 10:46 PM CST, 3 hours 14 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 26, 8:16 PM CST, 5 hours 44 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 26, 8:32 PM CST, 5 hours 28 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 26, 8:38 PM CST, 5 hours 22 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 26, 8:42 PM CST, 5 hours 18 minutes before

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Local storm report, Jan 26, 8:59 PM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before

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Local storm report, Jan 26, 9:45 PM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

26 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Emmet

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Emmet forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Kossuth

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Kossuth forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Winnebago

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Winnebago forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.378, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Worth

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Worth forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.377, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Palo Alto

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Palo Alto forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.082, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hancock

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cerro Gordo

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Cerro Gordo forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Pocahontas

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Pocahontas forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.734, -94.679 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Humboldt

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wright

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Wright forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Franklin

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Franklin forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Butler

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Butler forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.732, -92.790 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Bremer

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Bremer forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.775, -92.318 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Sac

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Sac forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Calhoun

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Webster

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hamilton

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hardin

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.240 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Grundy

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Grundy forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.402, -92.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Black Hawk

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Black Hawk forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.470, -92.309 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Greene

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Boone

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Story

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Story forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marshall

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.036, -92.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Tama

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Tama forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.080, -92.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Poweshiek

When: January 27, 2:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where: Poweshiek forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, January 2014

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: 485212, 485213, 485214, 485215, 485216, 485217, 485218, 485219, 485220, 485221, 485222, 485223, 485224, 485225, 485226, 485227, 485228, 485229, 485230, 485231, 485232, 485233, 485234, 485235, 485236, 494742.