Gusty winds developed behind a cold front that pushed through Iowa during the evening hours. Most gusts were in the range of 40 to 50 mph, however one especially strong gust to 58 mph was recorded at the Mason City Airport.
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The episode as NWS DMX wrote it up.
Gusty winds developed behind a cold front that pushed through Iowa during the evening hours. Most gusts were in the range of 40 to 50 mph, however one especially strong gust to 58 mph was recorded at the Mason City Airport.
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 8, 11:45 AM CST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Des Moines IA 1145 AM CST Tue Jan 8 2019 .DISCUSSION.../Today through Monday/ Issued at 322 AM CST Tue Jan 8 2019 Relatively compact but energetic low pressure trough crossing the region today is evident in satellite imagery and surface observations. The mid-level trough is broken into two shortwaves, the first of which is crossing the western two thirds of Iowa at this time and reflected in a sharp surface trough. This has generated some clouds and light precipitation on its leading flank, which is currently moving eastward across about the eastern half of Iowa ahead of the aforementioned surface trough. However, very little of the precipitation has been reaching the ground and mainly just in the form of sprinkles/flurries with no real impact. Behind the surface trough surface observations show an area of strong and gusty northwest winds associated with a tight pressure gradient across much of Nebraska, western Iowa, eastern South Dakota and southwestern Minnesota at this time. This region of strong winds will spread eastward across our forecast area early this morning, then persist right through the day with robust low- level daytime mixing. The second mid-level shortwave will dig a bit as it moves across Minnesota toward Wisconsin and northern Illinois later today. As the wave passes just to our northeast it will provide further enhancement of the wind fields and turbulent mixing, and will also generate additional clouds and probably light precipitation across northeastern Iowa. While no accumulation is anticipated, any snow showers that develop could combine with the strong winds to produce transient visibility restrictions up around Mason City/Waterloo this afternoon. However, the big weather story for today will be the strong winds, and the advisory in effect messages this hazard well with no changes made to the headline early this morning. The strong winds today should begin to diminish overnight tonight, but will be slow to do so thanks to continuing cold air advection and associated low-level mixing. However, most clouds and any lingering precipitation will be scoured out to the east and the winds should be notably lower by Wednesday morning. A surface high pressure ridge will move quickly over the region around Wednesday night providing some cooler but quiet weather, then surface flow will turn back to southeast by Thursday in advance of the next system. This will come in the form of a much broader and fairly slow-moving mid-level trough affecting Iowa at the end of the work week. This trough will slowly deepen/sharpen as it moves overhead, slowing its progress and making for a period of clouds and light precipitation chances for much of the forecast area from late Friday into early Saturday. While surface temperatures generally support light snow with this system, especially Friday night into early Saturday morning, forecast soundings show that the shallow nature of the saturation will lead to problems with ice introduction and a potential for freezing drizzle/light freezing rain at times. Given the variation in model solutions at this range as well as the desire to focus on the strong wind hazard today have not yet added full top-down grids and freezing rain/drizzle to the official forecast, but this possibility does bear watching in the next couple days. From the latter half of the weekend into early next week the forecast becomes dry, quiet, and milder. && .AVIATION.../For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Wednesday afternoon/ Issued at 1145 AM CST Tue Jan 8 2019 Winds remain the main concern through period with gusts approaching 40kt at times north sites KMCW/KALO with mid 30kt gusts elsewhere. Now expecting peak winds through 00z and slightly diminishing aft 00z. Secondary front entering northern Iowa with possible snow showers along boundary. KMCW most likely to see possible impacts with KALO possible flurries. Across north sites brief period of MVFR cigs through 00z as well. Mixed layer winds increase again aft 15z Wed, but not as strong. /rev && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory until 9 PM CST this evening for IAZ004>007-015>017- 023>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086-092>097. && DISCUSSION...Lee AVIATION...REV
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Des Moines IA 343 AM CST Tue Jan 8 2019 IAZ005>007-016-017-026>028-039-090945- Kossuth-Winnebago-Worth-Hancock-Cerro Gordo-Franklin-Butler- Bremer-Black Hawk- 343 AM CST Tue Jan 8 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight A Wind Advisory is in effect for the area today into this evening. Please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for further details. In addition, light snow is possible today. While little to no accumulations are expected, this may result in some visibility restrictions at times. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not needed at this time. IAZ004-015-023>025-033>038-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>086- 092>097-090945- Emmet-Palo Alto-Pocahontas-Humboldt-Wright-Sac-Calhoun-Webster- Hamilton-Hardin-Grundy-Crawford-Carroll-Greene-Boone-Story- Marshall-Tama-Audubon-Guthrie-Dallas-Polk-Jasper-Poweshiek-Cass- Adair-Madison-Warren-Marion-Mahaska-Adams-Union-Clarke-Lucas- Monroe-Wapello-Taylor-Ringgold-Decatur-Wayne-Appanoose-Davis- 343 AM CST Tue Jan 8 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Iowa. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight A Wind Advisory is in effect for the area today into this evening. Please refer to the National Weather Service website at weather.gov/desmoines for further details. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not needed at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mason City Airport ASOS recorded a 58 mph gust.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2019
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: 802507.