Winter Weather in Winneshiek, Iowa

This winter system brought near-blizzard conditions to portions of Winneshiek County during the morning hours as the combination of gusty winds and falling snow created hazardous conditions at times from the low visibilities. Snowfall amounts across the county ranged around 1 inch with the highest observed total being 1.1 inches 8 miles east-northeast of Decorah. Additionally, the peak wind gust of 40 mph in the county occurred at the AWOS in Decorah.

During the first week of March, a powerful mid-latitude cyclone progressed through the Upper Midwest overnight on the 4th and into the morning and afternoon on the 5th. As this occurred, rain changed over to snow with increasing winds during the early morning hours on March 5th. Widespread wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph with falling snow led to visibilities falling to a quarter mile or less, resulting in blizzard conditions across portions of northeast Iowa.