Blizzard — Sioux, Iowa

2021-01-14 to 2021-01-15 · Sioux, Iowa

Event narrative

As snow developed and began to accumulate during the evening on January 14, the increase in winds to a sustained 30 to 40 mph, with a few gusts as high as 51 mph at an Iowa Department of Transportation site at Alton and 44 mph near Maurice (SXK), resulted in widespread near white-out conditions. Shortly after snowfall began, a vehicle lost control and collided with another traveling in the opposite direction west of Alton, resulting in an indirect fatality to one driver and an indirect injury to the other. Snowfall totaled 3.0 inches at Sioux Center and 2.5 inches at Orange City.

Wider weather episode

A strong northwesterly jet streak digging through the central Rockies produced intense and deep cyclogenesis across Iowa on January 14 and 15. Initial precipitation swept through the area as rain, but a surge of cold air into the slowing cyclone wrapped snowfall back into northeast Nebraska as winds increased to 40 to 60 mph, resulting in periods of blizzard conditions.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 938960. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.