High Wind — O'brien, Iowa

2025-12-10 · O'brien, Iowa

Event narrative

Synoptic northwest winds were occasionally sustained from 40 to 46 mph at an Iowa Mesonet station 1 mile south of Calumet as well as gusts as high as 64 mph at a personal weather station near Sheldon.

Wider weather episode

An amplifying clipper system raced from southern Alberta to Wisconsin from later on December 9 through midday on December 10. Intense synoptic winds developed on the back side of the system behind the surging cold front. Widespread northwest wind gusts reached 50 to 70 mph over several hours and resulted in considerable small limb damage and some spotty infrastructure damage.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1307099. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.