Winter Weather — Mills, Iowa

2012-01-11 · Mills, Iowa

Event narrative

Light snow accompanied an Arctic cold front that passed through the area during the

afternoon of January 11th. Although snow amounts were mostly 1/2 inch or less, the ground temperatures were above freezing when the snow started which caused some initial melting. The roads quickly froze as north winds gusted over 45 to 50 mph and temperatures plummeted into the teens and 20s. This caused a glaze of ice to form on roads from the Omaha area into western Iowa during the evening rush hour. A 62 year-old man died in Mills county due to the slick roads and strong winds which caused a head-on crash on Highway 34.

Wider weather episode

Light snow accompanied an Arctic cold front that passed through extreme eastern Nebraska and west central Iowa during the afternoon of January 11th. Although snow amounts were mostly 1/2 inch or less, the ground temperatures were above freezing when the snow started which caused some initial melting. The roads quickly froze as north winds gusted over 45 to 50 mph and temperatures plummeted into the teens and 20s. This caused a glaze of ice to form on roads from the Omaha area into western Iowa during the evening rush hour. In Pottawattamie county, law enforcement and rescue personnel responded to a number of vehicle accidents, rollovers and vehicles in ditches. One 62 year-old man died in Mills county due to the slick roads and strong winds which caused a head-on crash on Highway 34.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 354429. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.