Blizzard — Kossuth, Iowa

2010-01-25 to 2010-01-26 · Kossuth, Iowa

Wider weather episode

After a warm weekend, cold air pushed southeast across Iowa on the 24th into the 25th. A strong upper level low pressure system rotated south around the primary closed low centered over the Great Lakes during the day on the 25th. Light snow developed in advance of the upper low with most of the state receiving anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of light fluffy snow the night of the 24th into the day on the 25th. A prolonged period of strong winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts 45 to 55 mph resulted in visibility ranging from zero to 1/4 mile with significant blowing and drifting of snow. County law enforcement and emergency managers reported that many roads drifted shut and plows had been pulled off many highways and county roads due to the futile and life-threatening effort to clear the roads. Numerous people were stranded in vehicles. Numerous vehicular accidents had occurred and large sections of state highways and the interstates were closed. Individual closings were too numerous to list here. Primary closings include Interstate 35 from Ames north to the Minnesota Line, U.S. 65 from U.S. Highway 20 north to the Minnesota Line, and Iowa Highway 3 from northwest of Waterloo to U.S. Highway 169 north of Fort Dodge. Some of the notable reports include a 20 vehicle accident on US Hwy 65 south of Mason City around 2 pm. Most schools in the area were closed, while others let out early. Drifts as high as 4 feet were reported in Emmet county with multiple semis and vehicles in ditches. Drifts were also 4 feet in Humboldt county. Many counties reported that emergency responders had been pulled off the road and only responded to the most critical accidents. By the early evening, nearly all secondary roads in the state had drifted shut, in addition to numerous primary highways. Travel was discouraged over nearly all of the western three quarters of the state. Most schools closed early on the 25th, with nearly all evening activities canceled. Some of the schools in the hardest hit areas remained closed on the 26th, and nearly all schools had a delayed start. Preliminary reports indicate that there were 5 fatalities during the blizzard, 4 due to auto accidents. The fifth fatality was due to exposure as the man tried to walk to get help after his car had gone into a ditch in Kossuth County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 203220. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.