Winter Weather — Buena Vista, Iowa

2025-12-28 to 2025-12-29 · Buena Vista, Iowa

Event narrative

Intermittent short duration blizzard or near-blizzard conditions occurred, divided by a longer improvement in conditions as falling snow ended for a time during the late afternoon and evening. When gusty northwest winds from 35 to 55 mph were concurrent with light snowfall, which totaled 1.0 inches at Sioux Rapids, brief whiteout conditions were reported that disrupted travel.

Wider weather episode

A potent winter storm moved from Kansas northeastward to the Great Lakes on December 28 into the morning hours of December 29. The system brought a leading and more prominent band of snowfall during the morning and midday on December 28, followed by a break in precipitation. As the system deepened during the evening, the band of snowfall wrapped back southward through far eastern South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, and northwest Iowa. When the current and previous snow combined with winds gusting from 40 to 60 mph, widespread blizzard conditions developed from southwest Minnesota into northwest Iowa. State Departments of Transportation advised no travel across southern Minnesota and portions of Iowa from late morning on the 28th through mid-morning of the 29th. Numerous roadways were closed due to numerous crashes. Total snowfall reached as high as 2 to 5 inches in much of southwest Minnesota into northwest Iowa, with 1 to 2 inches along the Missouri River and Interstate 29 corridors and lesser amounts toward the mid James River valley.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1308447. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.