Winter Storm — Cedar, Iowa

2020-01-10 to 2020-01-11 · Cedar, Iowa

Event narrative

The COOP observer in Lowden reported a quarter of an inch of ice and 1.5 inches of snow. Shortly after midnight on January 11, 2020 a tractor trailer slid off of Interstate 80 and fell over on its side near West Branch, Iowa or near mile marker 255. A passenger in the tractor trailer was killed. The crash was caused by icy conditions.

Wider weather episode

A strong winter storm system brought heavy precipitation of 1 to 2 inches to areas along and east of the Mississippi River January 10 into January 11. Much of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois saw a wintry mix of sleet, snow, freezing rain and freezing drizzle. Slick roads were common, with several accidents reported throughout the region. There were numerous reports of ice accumulations between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. Some trees were downed from the weight of the ice and numerous power outages were reported. Snowfall amounts were generally between 1 and 3 inches.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 871694. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.