Brisk winds in advance of the center of strong arctic high pressure brought wind chill readings to -25 to -35 during the overnight and morning of January 19.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
Brisk winds in advance of the center of strong arctic high pressure brought wind chill readings to -25 to -35 during the overnight and morning of January 19.
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 18, 10:49 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD
1049 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020
.UPDATE...
Issued at 605 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020
Latest surface observations show that visibility has improved
considerably across much of the region late this afternoon, so
allowed blizzard and winter weather advisory headlines to expire
as anticipated. Satellite imagery just before sunset showed
blowing snow streamers across much of southwest MN and northwest
IA. Areas of blowing and drifting snow will linger in these
areas this evening, but the worst is over.
Expanded the wind chill advisory a few counties west to cover the
remainder of areas along and west of the Missouri River. These
areas will likely be on the edge of an area of wind chills in the
20s below.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Sunday)
Issued at 245 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020
Winds will continue this afternoon, with northwesterly gusts to
45 mph causing widespread low visibility, blowing, and drifting
snow. Blizzard Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories cover these
threats. After sunset the wind gusts will become less intense and
less frequent due to a relaxing pressure gradient, and this should
slowly improve conditions at the surface. Continue to drive
cautiously overnight, as patchy blowing and drifting snow will
remain possible.
This evening and overnight, the cold Canadian air mass along with
continued breezy northwest winds will cause wind chills to be in the
negative 20 to negative 30 range. These values can cause
frostbite in 15 minutes, so be sure to have a winter safety kit in
your car and bundle up if headed outside. Besides the continued
cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills, Sunday does not look
very active weather-wise, as dry northwesterly flow dominates the
upper levels.
.LONG TERM...(Sunday Night through Saturday)
Issued at 245 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020
Sunday night into Monday morning, a quick-moving upper level
shortwave will plunge southward. The atmosphere is quite moisture-
starved, so no accumulating snowfall is expected, but weak lift
and temperatures in the dendritic growth zone may be enough to
cause scattered flurries west and south of both Sioux Falls and
Sioux City.
Sunday night's system will usher in a reinforcing push of cold air
for Monday, with highs in the single digits. Wind chills remain in
the negative 10 to negative 25 range until late Monday. On
Tuesday a ridge aloft and the surface high moving to the east
will help force southerly surface winds gusting 25 to 30 mph.
Daytime temperatures will be much warmer; however, the winds will
keep outside conditions feeling quite chilly. Winds lighten on
Wednesday, which will be our next chance for temperatures above
normal (and above freezing). Mid to upper 30s are currently
forecast making this the mildest day of the next seven. On
Wednesday evening into Thursday, a longwave trough moves over the
central CONUS. The majority of the energy with this wave looks to
remain south of the region. That being said, there will increased
cloud cover with periodic chances for light snow given modest
synoptic scale lift. This trough remains over the region through
Friday, after which time drier air looks to move in from the
northwest.
&&
.AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Sunday night)
Issued at 1044 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020
Expect VFR conditions to prevail through the TAF period. Still expect
gusts up to 30 kts to mix down overnight. Northwest winds will
slowly weaken overnight, reaching 10 kts or less Sunday morning.
&&
.FSD WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SD...Wind Chill Advisory until noon CST Sunday for SDZ038>040-050-
052>071.
MN...Wind Chill Advisory until noon CST Sunday for MNZ071-072-080-081-
089-090-097-098.
IA...Wind Chill Advisory until noon CST Sunday for IAZ001>003-012>014-
020>022-031-032.
NE...Wind Chill Advisory until noon CST Sunday for NEZ013-014.
&&
UPDATE...BP
SHORT TERM...VandenBoogart
LONG TERM...VandenBoogart
AVIATION...BPHazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 708 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-191300- Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O'Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee- Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-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-Bon Homme-Yankton- Union- 708 PM CST Sat Jan 18 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for 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. Patchy blowing snow will continue to cause reduced visibility at times. Very cold temperatures combined with a blustery northwest wind will produce wind chills of 20 to 35 below zero. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday. Wind chills of 10 to 30 below zero can be expected Sunday through Monday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SIOUX FALLS SD
920 PM CST SAT JAN 18 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM SNOW 2 NE WORTHINGTON 43.64N 95.58W
01/18/2020 M6.0 INCH NOBLES MN CO-OP OBSERVER
0800 AM SNOW TYNDALL 42.99N 97.87W
01/18/2020 M4.0 INCH BON HOMME SD CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.
0800 AM SNOW 5 W BRUCE 44.43N 97.00W
01/18/2020 M5.8 INCH BROOKINGS SD COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION SD-BK-45 BRUCE 5.3 W.
0800 AM SNOW 2 NNE BROOKINGS 44.33N 96.77W
01/18/2020 M5.8 INCH BROOKINGS SD CO-OP OBSERVER
0700 AM SNOW BROOKINGS 44.30N 96.79W
01/18/2020 M6.0 INCH BROOKINGS SD COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION SD-BK-7 BROOKINGS 0.2 SSW.
1100 PM SNOW 1 SSW MITCHELL 43.71N 98.04W
01/17/2020 M6.8 INCH DAVISON SD CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION MCLS2 MITCHELL.
0700 AM SNOW 4 SSW PICKSTOWN 43.02N 98.56W
01/18/2020 M5.0 INCH GREGORY SD CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION PCKS2 PICKSTOWN 4
SSW.
0700 AM SNOW 8 SSW HERRICK 43.00N 99.23W
01/18/2020 M5.0 INCH GREGORY SD COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION SD-GY-12 HERRICK 8.2 SSW.
0700 AM SNOW 2 N CHESTER 43.93N 96.93W
01/18/2020 M5.5 INCH LAKE SD CO-OP OBSERVER
0900 AM SNOW 1 NNW CANTON 43.31N 96.59W
01/18/2020 M7.1 INCH LINCOLN SD CO-OP OBSERVER
0700 AM SNOW 4 SSE SIOUX FALLS 43.49N 96.71W
01/18/2020 M6.8 INCH LINCOLN SD COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION SD-LN-32 SIOUX FALLS 3.6
SSE.
0800 AM SNOW MONTROSE 43.70N 97.19W
01/18/2020 M4.0 INCH MCCOOK SD CO-OP OBSERVER
0800 AM SNOW 1 ENE WALL LAKE 43.53N 96.95W
01/18/2020 M7.5 INCH MINNEHAHA SD COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION SD-MH-8 HARTFORD 6.4 S.
0600 AM SNOW EDGERTON 43.87N 96.13W
01/18/2020 M6.0 INCH PIPESTONE MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-PS-6 EDGERTON 0.2 WSW.
0800 AM SNOW HILLS 43.53N 96.36W
01/18/2020 M7.0 INCH ROCK MN COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION MN-RK-5 HILLS 0.2 NW.
0500 PM SNOW PONCA 42.57N 96.71W
01/18/2020 E5.5 INCH DIXON NE PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL. REPORT VIA SOCIAL MEDIA.
0700 AM HEAVY SNOW HULL 43.19N 96.13W
01/18/2020 E6.0 INCH SIOUX IA PUBLIC
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL, RECEIVED REPORT VIA
SOCIAL MEDIA.
0600 AM HEAVY SNOW 2 S HURON 44.34N 98.22W
01/18/2020 M6.3 INCH BEADLE SD OFFICIAL NWS OBS
24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL.
0915 AM HEAVY SNOW 4 SSE SIOUX FALLS 43.49N 96.71W
01/18/2020 M7.2 INCH LINCOLN SD CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL, RECEIVED REPORT VIA
SOCIAL MEDIA.
0600 AM HEAVY SNOW 3 N SIOUX FALLS 43.59N 96.73W
01/18/2020 M7.1 INCH MINNEHAHA SD OFFICIAL NWS OBS
24 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL.
0800 AM SNOW 1 ENE CHEROKEE 42.76N 95.54W
01/18/2020 M6.0 INCH CHEROKEE IA CO-OP OBSERVER
0900 AM SNOW 1 N SPENCER 43.17N 95.15W
01/18/2020 M7.4 INCH CLAY IA CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL.
0700 AM SNOW SHELDON 43.18N 95.85W
01/18/2020 M5.8 INCH O'BRIEN IA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION SHDI4 SHELDON.
0700 AM SNOW SIBLEY 43.40N 95.75W
01/18/2020 M7.0 INCH OSCEOLA IA CO-OP OBSERVER
0800 AM SNOW ORANGE CITY 43.01N 96.07W
01/18/2020 M5.0 INCH SIOUX IA COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION IA-SX-9 ORANGE CITY 0.4
WNW.
0700 AM SNOW ORANGE CITY 43.00N 96.05W
01/18/2020 M6.0 INCH SIOUX IA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION ORCI4 ORANGE CITY.
0700 AM SNOW 4 NNE HORNICK 42.28N 96.06W
01/18/2020 M2.4 INCH WOODBURY IA CO-OP OBSERVER
0838 AM SNOW JACKSON 43.63N 94.99W
01/18/2020 M7.2 INCH JACKSON MN PUBLIC
0700 AM SNOW 2 NNE LAKEFIELD 43.70N 95.15W
01/18/2020 M7.0 INCH JACKSON MN CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION LKFM5 LAKEFIELD 2 NE.
0800 AM SNOW 1 N MARSHALL 44.47N 95.79W
01/18/2020 M5.5 INCH LYON MN CO-OP OBSERVER
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Coldest wind chill readings reached -30F at 0300CST January 19 at a location 2 miles east of Concord.
Coldest wind chill readings reached -30F at 0300CST January 19 at a location 2 miles east of Concord, and -26F at 0800CST at Sioux Gateway Airport.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nebraska in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Nebraska, January 2020
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: 874228, 874229.