A potent winter storm moved out of southern Canada and across the upper Midwest Friday and Saturday, January 21st-22nd, 2005. It brought heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions to the region, especially Friday evening and early Saturday morning. Snowfall totals of 6-10 inches were common across the area, with wind gusts that exceeded 50 mph over parts of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. The highest snowfall total received was 11.3 inches at Black River Falls, WI, and the highest wind gust was 52 mph at Oelwein, IA.
Blizzard conditions developed early Saturday morning when a passing cold front quickly increased northwest winds. Combined with the fresh snow, visibilities dropped quickly, especially in the open and flat terrain areas of southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. White out conditions were reported and many roads were impassable.
Winter Storm Watches were issued on Wednesday afternoon for this storm (48 hours in advance). They were replaced with Winter Storm Warnings on Friday before the snow moved in. Some of the warnings were then upgraded to Blizzard Warnings Friday evening.
Some pictures from the snowfall:
Snow totals for January 21-22.
SNOWFALL REPORTS NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1120 AM CST SUN JAN 23 2005 ...SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM JAN 21-22 WINTER STORM... LOCATION COUNTY SNOWFALL SNOWDEPTH ...IOWA... WAUKON WINNESHIEK 10.2 LANSING ALLAMAKEE 10.0 LANSING 4SE ALLAMAKEE 9.0 12 WATERVILLE 8S ALLAMAKEE 9.0 FARMERSBURG CLAYTON 8.5 WAUKON 8NW WINNESHIEK 8.0 CRESCO HOWARD 8.0 13 DORCHESTER ALLAMAKEE 7.0 11 OSSIAN WINNESHIEK 7.0 FAYETTE FAYETTE 6.4 16 GARNAVILLO CLAYTON 6.4 IONIA 2W CHICKASAW 6.2 VOLGA 1NE CLAYTON 6.0 STACYVILLE MITCHELL 5.5 NORTH WASHINGTON CHICKASAW 5.0 ELKADER 6SSW CLAYTON 4.7 9 EDGEWOOD CLAYTON 4.3 ST. ANSGAR 7N MITCHELL 4.2 NEW HAMPTON CHICKASAW 4.0 CHARLES CITY FLOYD 5.0 ...MINNESOTA... WINONA WINONA 10.0 STEWARTVILLE OLMSTED 9.6 ROCHESTER OLMSTED 9.3 DODGE CENTER DODGE 9.0 ROLLINGSTONE WINONA 9.0 GRAND MEADOW MOWER 8.6 10 CALEDONIA 6S HOUSTON 8.5 WABASHA WABASHA 8.2 9 RENO HOUSTON 8.0 9 HIGHLAND FILLMORE 8.0 LAKE CITY WABASHA 7.7 8 GOODVIEW WINONA 7.5 PRESTON FILLMORE 7.5 SPRING VALLEY FILLMORE 7.5 WEST CONCORD DODGE 7.5 SPRING GROVE 4N HOUSTON 7.2 ALTURA WINONA 7.2 BYRON OLMSTRD 7.0 WINONA DAM 5A WINONA 7.0 10 MANTORVILLE DODGE 7.0 8 LA CRESCENT 1NNW HOUSTON 6.8 CHATFIELD FILLMORE 6.3 ELGIN 2SSW WABASHA 6.2 8 ST. CHARLES WINONA 6.2 ZUMBRO FALLS WABASHA 5.8 8 ...WISCONSIN... BLACK RIVER FALLS JACKSON 11.3 TAYLOR JACKSON 10.0 13 HUB CITY RICHLAND 9.9 14 VICTORY VERNON 9.5 WARRENS 5WSW MONROE 9.3 13 TREMPEALEAU TREMPEALEAU 9.0 PRAIRIE DU CHIEN CRAWFORD 9.0 MONTANA BUFFALO 9.0 LA CROSSE 5SE LA CROSSE 9.0 BLUE RIVER GRANT 9.0 ETTRICK 5SE TREMPEALEAU 9.0 13 FENNIMORE GRANT 9.0 BLAIR TREMPEALEAU 8.8 12 CENTERVILLE TREMPEALEAU 8.0 ARCADIA TREMPEALEAU 8.0 ONTARIO VERNON 8.0 CUBA CITY 2NW GRANT 8.0 MONDOVI 6S BUFFALO 8.0 OSSEO TREMPEALEAU 8.0 LA CROSSE LA CROSSE 8.0 10 MONROE CENTER ADAMS 8.0 14 LA CROSSE WFO LA CROSSE 7.6 9 GAYS MILLS CRAWFORD 7.6 12 STODDARD 3NE VERNON 7.6 9 LA CROSSE 1N LA CROSSE 7.5 HIXTON 5W JACKSON 7.5 TUNNEL CITY MONROE 7.5 LA CROSSE 4NNW LA CROSSE 7.2 10 HOLLAND LA CROSSE 7.2 KIELER GRANT 7.1 LA FARGE VERNON 7.0 12 GALESVILLE TREMPEALEAU 7.0 WYALUSING GRANT 7.0 MILLSTON JACKSON 7.0 HATFIELD JACKSON 7.0 ONALASKA LA CROSSE 7.0 SPARTA MONROE 7.0 10 WESTBY 1NE VERNON 7.0 10 HOLMEN 2S LA CROSSE 6.8 9 MEDFORD TAYLOR CO AP 2S TAYLOR 6.8 VIROQUA VERNON 6.5 ARKDALE 2NE ADAMS 6.5 FRIENDSHIP ADAMS 6.5 LUBLIN TAYLOR 6.5 NECEDAH 2SE JUNEAU 6.1 9 HILLSBORO VERNON 6.0 10 GOODRICH 1E TAYLOR 6.0 LAKE CAMELOT ADAMS 6.0 PERKINSTOWN 5E TAYLOR 5.3 MEDFORD TAYLOR 5.0 11 NEILLSVILLE 3SW CLARK 3.0 $$ |