Iowa, 2022

Winter Storm and Extreme Cold in Iowa, January 1 to 2, 2022

January 1 to 2, 2022 · NWS DMX · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

A surface low lifted out of the four corners region and into the central US, tracking across Missouri. A broad deformation zone on the north side of the system swept across the southern half of Iowa on January 1st, fed by moisture transport out of the Gulf and the Pacific Northwest.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
19

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.

A surface low lifted out of the four corners region and into the central US, tracking across Missouri. A broad deformation zone on the north side of the system swept across the southern half of Iowa on January 1st, fed by moisture transport out of the Gulf and the Pacific Northwest. With ample moisture and deep saturation within the dendritic growth zone, snow to liquid ratios were rather high. A large portion of central and southeast Iowa saw snow accumulations of four to six inches, with localized pockets of seven to nine inch accumulations. This was accompanied by gusty winds ushering in arctic air. As snow was still falling in southern Iowa, winds gusted to between 25 to 35 mph with periods of visibility below a quarter mile. As the system exited the area, the arctic air mass settled in, and wind chills across northern Iowa dropped into the -20 to -30 degree range overnight into the morning of January 2nd.

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 1, 5:24 AM CST, 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 5:24 AM CST, 36 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 1, 4:30 AM CST, 1 hour 30 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

16 winter storm, 2 heavy snow, 1 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Union

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Union forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Ringgold

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Ringgold forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.735, -94.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clarke

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Clarke forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.029, -93.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Decatur

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Decatur forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Lucas

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Lucas forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Monroe

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Appanoose

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Appanoose forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Wapello

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Wapello forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Davis

When
January 1, 6:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Davis forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.748, -92.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marion

When
January 1, 9:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Marion forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Dallas

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Dallas forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Madison

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Polk

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Warren

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Warren forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Jasper

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Jasper forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Poweshiek

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Poweshiek forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mahaska

When
January 1, 10:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Mahaska forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cerro Gordo

When
January 1, 8:00 PM CST to January 2, 9:00 AM CST
Where
Cerro Gordo forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
43.082, -93.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2022

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: 1003109, 1003142, 1003143, 1003144, 1003145, 1003149, 1003150, 1003151, 1003152, 1003153, 1003110, 1003138, 1003139, 1003140, 1003141, 1003146, 1003147, 1003148, 1003108.