More snow, bitter cold headed our way
By Journal staff | Posted: Saturday, December 20, 2008
Sioux City residents uncover their snowbound vehicles along Jackson Street while digging out Friday after 10.3 inches of snow fell on the city overnight. Another blustery day was expected today with more snow. (Staff photo by Tim Hynds)
SIOUX CITY -- Nearly a foot of snow didn't stop the plans of an Everly, Iowa, family, to undertake a shopping run in Sioux City.
So by 8 a.m. Friday, once about 10 inches of snow had landed, Jay Woodall, wife Starr Woodall and two daughters headed out. Just before 11 a.m. they were loading a Guitar Hero and other items from the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Floyd Boulevard into their Chevy Malibu that was crusted with snow.
Some might think embarking on a shopping trip after a major snowstorm is a little crazy, but with more snow, bitter temperatures and blizzard conditions predicted this weekend, the Woodalls might have had the right idea.
Meteorologist Joe Sheehan of the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls said another 1 1/2 inches of snow could fall by noon today, followed by winds of 20-30 mph with gusts of 40 mph.
The winds could cause subzero wind chill readings and whiteout conditions.
Wind chill readings are expected to be 10-15 degrees below zero by mid-afternoon today, 20-25 below overnight and 30 below by daybreak on Sunday, Sheehan said.
Schools across the state sent students home on Thursday before the storm hit, and told them to stay home on Friday.
The National Weather Service said Friday that up to 11 inches of snow had fallen in northern Iowa, with a half inch of ice in the south and a mix in central Iowa, including 1 to 2 inches of sleet.
Locally, Sioux City led the way with 10.3 inches of snow. Ten inches fell in Sheldon, Holly Springs and Everly.
Less snow fell in Nebraska and South Dakota, although 9 inches of snow was reported in Ponca, Neb.
Areas in the far northwest corner of Iowa received the least snow, with 2 inches falling near Sibley and 3 inches falling in Larchwood.
Record Storm
Forecasters say this month hasn't merely been extra snowy in Sioux City, but is on pace to be the snowiest December ever recorded.
According to the National Weather Service, nearly 2 feet of snow -- 21 inches as of 6 p.m. Friday -- has fallen since Dec. 1. That's 5.4 inches short of the snowiest December on record -- 26.4 inches of snow in 1897.
With another few inches possible by tonight and a few more storms possible by the end of the month, Sheehan says the record is within reach.
"There's going to be a few more snow events, so it's possible," he said.
National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donovan said the Midwest has been caught in a stormy pattern, similar to last year. "We've been having storms move through about every one or two days right now," said Donovan, of the agency's Johnston, Iowa, office. "That's going to continue this week and maybe another little system on Tuesday."
Accidents
Local law-enforcement agencies reported that although some motorists did slide off the road Friday, most seemed to do OK.
Some officials said their agencies received fewer accident reports during Friday's storm than they did during the smaller storm on Tuesday night.
Sioux City police Lt. Marti Reilly said at 3:30 p.m. Friday that 11 weather-related accidents had occurred in the city since 6 a.m. During Tuesday's storm, the department received more than 40 accident reports as of 4 p.m.
The most serious on Friday was a two-vehicle crash at Sixth and Nebraska streets that turned into a four-vehicle wreck when two other cars slid into the two cars that had already crashed. Reilly said none of the vehicles' occupants requested medical treatment.
Downtown Sioux City streets were passable Friday with several feet of snow piled down the center of several streets. Police said street crews were plowing the main streets first, then branching out to the lesser-traveled roadways.
Sioux City residents are urged not to forget to move their cars from city streets, because city ordinance requires they be moved every 24 hours to allow effective snow removal.
Cars not moved may be towed at owners' expense.
-- The Associated Press and Journal staff writers Molly Montag, Bret Hayworth, Dolly Butz and Thomas Ritchie contributed to this report.
Sioux City snow by the numbers:
Snowfall Friday: 6.1 inches, new record
Storm total (Thurs and Fri): 10.3 inches
Snowfall in Dec: 21 inches
Average snowfall in Dec: 3.8 inches
-- Source: National Weather Service
So by 8 a.m. Friday, once about 10 inches of snow had landed, Jay Woodall, wife Starr Woodall and two daughters headed out. Just before 11 a.m. they were loading a Guitar Hero and other items from the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Floyd Boulevard into their Chevy Malibu that was crusted with snow.
Some might think embarking on a shopping trip after a major snowstorm is a little crazy, but with more snow, bitter temperatures and blizzard conditions predicted this weekend, the Woodalls might have had the right idea.
Meteorologist Joe Sheehan of the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls said another 1 1/2 inches of snow could fall by noon today, followed by winds of 20-30 mph with gusts of 40 mph.
The winds could cause subzero wind chill readings and whiteout conditions.
Wind chill readings are expected to be 10-15 degrees below zero by mid-afternoon today, 20-25 below overnight and 30 below by daybreak on Sunday, Sheehan said.
Schools across the state sent students home on Thursday before the storm hit, and told them to stay home on Friday.
The National Weather Service said Friday that up to 11 inches of snow had fallen in northern Iowa, with a half inch of ice in the south and a mix in central Iowa, including 1 to 2 inches of sleet.
Locally, Sioux City led the way with 10.3 inches of snow. Ten inches fell in Sheldon, Holly Springs and Everly.
Less snow fell in Nebraska and South Dakota, although 9 inches of snow was reported in Ponca, Neb.
Areas in the far northwest corner of Iowa received the least snow, with 2 inches falling near Sibley and 3 inches falling in Larchwood.
Record Storm
Forecasters say this month hasn't merely been extra snowy in Sioux City, but is on pace to be the snowiest December ever recorded.
According to the National Weather Service, nearly 2 feet of snow -- 21 inches as of 6 p.m. Friday -- has fallen since Dec. 1. That's 5.4 inches short of the snowiest December on record -- 26.4 inches of snow in 1897.
With another few inches possible by tonight and a few more storms possible by the end of the month, Sheehan says the record is within reach.
"There's going to be a few more snow events, so it's possible," he said.
National Weather Service meteorologist Rod Donovan said the Midwest has been caught in a stormy pattern, similar to last year. "We've been having storms move through about every one or two days right now," said Donovan, of the agency's Johnston, Iowa, office. "That's going to continue this week and maybe another little system on Tuesday."
Accidents
Local law-enforcement agencies reported that although some motorists did slide off the road Friday, most seemed to do OK.
Some officials said their agencies received fewer accident reports during Friday's storm than they did during the smaller storm on Tuesday night.
Sioux City police Lt. Marti Reilly said at 3:30 p.m. Friday that 11 weather-related accidents had occurred in the city since 6 a.m. During Tuesday's storm, the department received more than 40 accident reports as of 4 p.m.
The most serious on Friday was a two-vehicle crash at Sixth and Nebraska streets that turned into a four-vehicle wreck when two other cars slid into the two cars that had already crashed. Reilly said none of the vehicles' occupants requested medical treatment.
Downtown Sioux City streets were passable Friday with several feet of snow piled down the center of several streets. Police said street crews were plowing the main streets first, then branching out to the lesser-traveled roadways.
Sioux City residents are urged not to forget to move their cars from city streets, because city ordinance requires they be moved every 24 hours to allow effective snow removal.
Cars not moved may be towed at owners' expense.
-- The Associated Press and Journal staff writers Molly Montag, Bret Hayworth, Dolly Butz and Thomas Ritchie contributed to this report.
Sioux City snow by the numbers:
Snowfall Friday: 6.1 inches, new record
Storm total (Thurs and Fri): 10.3 inches
Snowfall in Dec: 21 inches
Average snowfall in Dec: 3.8 inches
-- Source: National Weather Service
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shirley wrote on Dec 20, 2008 9:06 AM: