Freezing rain caused icy areas in northwest Iowa. The freezing rain was light near the northern border of the state, and changed to light snow, with northwest winds gusting to 45 mph causing a few areas of blowing snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS FSD wrote it up.
Freezing rain caused icy areas in northwest Iowa. The freezing rain was light near the northern border of the state, and changed to light snow, with northwest winds gusting to 45 mph causing a few areas of blowing snow. Further south, in the Sioux City to Storm Lake area, the freezing rain was heavier and caused widespread icing, and there was little or no snow or blowing snow.
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 Sioux Falls, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 9, 5:18 PM CST, 10 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 518 PM CST Mon Jan 9 2017 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 338 PM CST Mon Jan 9 2017 Quasi-zonal flow continues tonight and Tuesday with one short wave moving to the I 29 corridor by 12Z Tuesday, followed on its heels by a second short wave rapidly moving through Tuesday morning and ushering in a strong surface cold front. In the near term, soundings are rather moisture starved early this evening, with only a hint of moisture in our far northern zones, extending into southwest MN along an 850mb baroclinic zone/frontal boundary. However moisture does pick up late tonight ahead of the surface front, first in our northwest zones, then throughout our entire north late tonight and early Tuesday. Precip tonight continues to be a real challenge. The model soundings show primarily sleet in our north and east later this evening, with a warm and dry layer of air from 850-800mb, but saturation elsewhere in the sounding plus a very cold dome near the surface. This seeder feeder mechanism should be able to fall through that thin dry layer at least by late evening, but QPF amounts are extremely minimal. Definitely not enough to warrant a winter weather advisory headline at this time, because there is a huge question that the stratus depth could very well be overdone on the various models as they were today and yesterday. If the stratus does not develop this evening in our north and east, then it will likely be dry. Now later tonight, moisture depth does increase and saturate up through a deep layer just ahead of the surface wind shift. Therefore likely pops are warranted first in our northwest zones around Huron late tonight, moving across the rest of our northern zones generally along and north of I 90 toward day break Tuesday. Precip type continues to look like a wintry mix after midnight due to the aforementioned soundings described above looking the same, and with very minimal QPF. But the saturation hits very rapidly, at the same time wet bulbing down the temperatures aloft to warrant all snow. Therefore when the precipitation begins in earnest, the precip type will be primarily snowfall late tonight and early Tuesday which is why we did not go with a headline at this time. Snowfall amounts of around an inch to inch and a half could fall along the Highway 14 corridor, with a dusting toward I 90. Now for areas south of I 90, the moisture profiles are quite weak. Therefore am mainly concerned about a patchy freezing drizzle threat along with some light sleet. Amounts will be extremely minor. But the problem is if this occurs, it will likely be close to the early Tuesday morning commute to work. But again, if the stratus depth is overdone by these models, its possible the Yankton, Sioux City and Storm Lake areas may not hardly get anything at all. So this is all conditional on stratus, because the mid levels are not extremely moist. Concerning temperatures, lows tonight will be fairly seasonably mild for this time of year. But the modified arctic air will spill in for Tuesday producing only a very minimal temperature rise. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday night through Monday) Issued at 338 PM CST Mon Jan 9 2017 The leading nose of the Arctic air settles in on Tuesday, but a series of weaker waves will keep the southward progression slow. With this slower progression these weak waves will have a little thermal band, occasionally within the dendritic layer/s, to promote some snowfall. For now the better chances Tuesday night should be along and north of highway 14 while Wednesday night it should be to the south of Interstate 90. Did lower the lows and highs Tuesday night into Wednesday north of Interstate 90 as the Arctic air looks to settle in a little sooner. Also lowered lows Thursday night with the Arctic high near and overhead. In the outer periods, Friday through Monday, Arctic high pressure should be lifting east of the area with a modified cold air mass over the weekend into Monday. Overall looks like dry conditions but a few chances for light snow over northwest Iowa through the period as stronger jet energy moves through parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Temperatures will be quite a bit below normal on Friday still, but Saturday through Monday will be near to above normal, especially if we end up getting little to no additional snow cover through the next few days. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Tuesday evening) Issued at 514 PM CST Mon Jan 9 2017 Deteriorating conditions from north to south after 06Z tonight as ceilings lower into the IFR range with snow or brief mixed precipitation developing from the I-90 corridor northward. Any precipitation amounts are expected to be light. Improving conditions are expected after 15Z on Tuesday. && .FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. IA...None. NE...None. && SHORT TERM...MJ LONG TERM...08 AVIATION...JM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD 919 PM CST MON JAN 9 2017 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-110330- LYON IA-OSCEOLA-DICKINSON-SIOUX-O'BRIEN-CLAY IA-PLYMOUTH-CHEROKEE- BUENA VISTA-WOODBURY-IDA-LINCOLN MN-LYON MN-MURRAY-COTTONWOOD- NOBLES-JACKSON-PIPESTONE-ROCK-DIXON-DAKOTA-BEADLE-KINGSBURY- BROOKINGS-GREGORY-JERAULD-SANBORN-MINER-LAKE-MOODY-BRULE-AURORA- DAVISON-HANSON-MCCOOK-MINNEHAHA-CHARLES MIX-DOUGLAS-HUTCHINSON- TURNER-LINCOLN SD-BON HOMME-YANKTON-CLAY SD-UNION- 919 PM CST MON JAN 9 2017 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST IOWA...WEST CENTRAL IOWA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST NEBRASKA...CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA...EAST CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA... SOUTH CENTRAL SOUTH DAKOTA AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT LIGHT FREEZING RAIN MAY DEVELOP VERY LATE TONIGHT WITH MINIMAL ICE ACCUMULATION EXPECTED...THOUGH EVEN VERY LIGHT AMOUNTS COULD RESULT IN SLIPPERY CONDITIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL QUICKLY TRANSITION TO SNOW ON TUESDAY MORNING...THEN TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM AROUND HALF AND INCH ALONG THE INTERSTATE 90 CORRIDOR TO NEAR 1 INCH ALONG HIGHWAY 14. LESS THAN HALF AN INCH IS EXPECTED SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90. LATE WEEK...MUCH COLDER AIR AND BRISK WINDS WILL REVIVE THE RISK OF DANGEROUSLY COLD WIND CHILLS. THE COLDEST WINDS CHILLS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Light and patchy freezing rain caused some icy surfaces. The freezing rain changed to light snow with accumulations less than one inch. Increasing northwest winds gusted to 45 mph and cause a few areas of blowing snow while the snow was falling.
Light and patchy freezing rain caused some icy surfaces. The freezing rain changed to light snow with accumulations less than one inch. Increasing northwest winds gusted to 45 mph and cause a few areas of blowing snow while the snow was falling.
Light freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in several vehicle accidents.
Light but widespread freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. Many roads were completely covered with a light ice accumulation.
Light but widespread freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. Many roads were completely covered with a light ice accumulation.
Light but widespread freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. Many roads were completely covered with a light ice accumulation.
Light but widespread freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. Many roads, including Interstate 29 and part of U.S. Highway 75 were completely covered with a light ice accumulation. Interstate 29 from Sergeant Bluff to Salix was closed between 730 and 800 am due to multiple accidents involving at least six semi trucks, as well as other vehicles.
Light but widespread freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. Many roads were completely covered with a light ice accumulation.
Light but widespread freezing rain caused icy surfaces, resulting in numerous vehicle accidents. Many roads were completely covered with a light ice accumulation.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2017
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 665857, 665858, 665860, 665862, 665864, 665865, 665867, 665868, 665869.