Overview
A winter storm moved through the region on Tuesday (Feb 2). Snow spread across Iowa early that morning, with the heavy snow reaching the Interstate 90 corridor mid to late morning. Snowfall rates of 2" per hour were common during the peak, which led to snow covered roads very quickly. Hazardous travel conditions developed shortly after snow onset. Snow let up for a time late in the day, but returned overnight and early the next day adding to the snowfall totals. Several more inches of snow fell from a few bands that developed before the storm moved off to the east. Warm air became a factor as well, leading to lower snowfall totals in parts of northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. A wintry mix or just rain fell at times. Strong winds, with gusts of 35 to 45 mph, led to blowing and drifting snow, especially in open terrain and ridge tops. The warmer temperatures lowered the blowing snow threat for some areas though, especially along and south of Highway 18 in southern Wisconsin and northern Iowa.
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Peak Wind Reports:
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 712 AM CST WED FEB 3 2016 ...WIND REPORTS PAST 24 HOURS... LOCATION SPEED TIME/DATE LAT/LON ...IOWA... ...CHICKASAW COUNTY... 2 N IONIA 28 MPH 1230 PM 02/02 43.07N/92.46W ...FAYETTE COUNTY... OELWEIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 43 MPH 1255 PM 02/02 42.68N/91.97W FAYETTE-CWOP 32 MPH 1203 PM 02/02 42.84N/91.80W ...FLOYD COUNTY... CHARLES CITY AIRPORT 49 MPH 0115 PM 02/02 43.07N/92.61W ...HOWARD COUNTY... 3 NE RICEVILLE 27 MPH 1050 PM 02/02 43.40N/92.50W ...WINNESHIEK COUNTY... DECORAH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 33 MPH 0215 PM 02/02 43.28N/91.74W ...MINNESOTA... ...DODGE COUNTY... DODGE CENTER AIRPORT 31 MPH 0814 PM 02/02 44.02N/92.83W HAYFIELD 27 MPH 0307 PM 02/02 43.89N/92.85W ...FILLMORE COUNTY... PRESTON FILLMORE COUNTY AIRP 32 MPH 0635 AM 02/03 43.68N/92.18W ...MOWER COUNTY... AUSTIN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 32 MPH 0114 PM 02/02 43.66N/92.93W ...OLMSTED COUNTY... ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRP 33 MPH 0301 PM 02/02 43.91N/92.50W MAYO HELIPAD 29 MPH 0953 PM 02/02 44.02N/92.48W ...WABASHA COUNTY... BEAR VALLEY 28 MPH 0149 AM 02/03 44.32N/92.44W ...WINONA COUNTY... WINONA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 26 MPH 0333 PM 02/02 44.08N/91.71W ...WISCONSIN... ...CRAWFORD COUNTY... 1 SW MOUNT STERLING 29 MPH 0104 PM 02/02 43.31N/90.94W ...GRANT COUNTY... PLATTEVILLE MUNICIPAL AIRPOR 39 MPH 0115 PM 02/02 42.69N/90.44W 2 NE DUBUQUE 31 MPH 1255 PM 02/02 42.52N/90.62W 1 ENE BOSCOBEL 27 MPH 0103 PM 02/02 43.15N/90.68W BOSCOBEL AIRPORT 26 MPH 0132 PM 02/02 43.16N/90.67W ...JACKSON COUNTY... BLACK RIVER FALLS AREA AIRPO 26 MPH 0415 PM 02/02 44.25N/90.86W ...JUNEAU COUNTY... 1 E MAUSTON 28 MPH 0200 PM 02/02 43.80N/90.06W VOLK FIELD AIRPORT 26 MPH 0344 PM 02/02 43.94N/90.25W NECEDAH 25 MPH 0348 PM 02/02 44.03N/90.08W ...LA CROSSE COUNTY... LA CROSSE REGIONAL AIRPORT 35 MPH 0333 PM 02/02 43.88N/91.26W WFO LA CROSSE 30 MPH 0355 PM 02/02 43.82N/91.19W 3 W SAINT JOSEPH 26 MPH 0205 PM 02/02 43.78N/91.10W ...MONROE COUNTY... 4 NNW RIDGEVILLE 31 MPH 0504 PM 02/02 43.94N/90.60W 2 N TOMAH 27 MPH 0301 PM 02/02 44.02N/90.50W SPARTA/FORT MC COY AIRPORT 25 MPH 0215 PM 02/02 43.96N/90.74W ...TAYLOR COUNTY... MEDFORD TAYLOR COUNTY AIRPOR 28 MPH 0415 PM 02/02 45.10N/90.30W ...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY... 2 NNE TAMARACK 29 MPH 0406 PM 02/02 44.21N/91.46W ...VERNON COUNTY... VIROQUA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT 33 MPH 1155 AM 02/02 43.58N/90.90W OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL. $$
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Snowfall Totals
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 933 AM CST WED FEB 3 2016 ...SNOWFALL REPORTS FROM FEBRUARY 2-3... LOCATION AMOUNT ...IOWA... ...ALLAMAKEE COUNTY... LANSING 10.0 IN WATERVILLE 8S 8.0 IN ...CHICKASAW COUNTY... IONIA 2W 7.0 IN NEW HAMPTON 0.4 SW 6.8 IN ...CLAYTON COUNTY... STRAWBERRY POINT 9.0 IN GUTTENBERG 7.5 IN EDGEWOOD 7.5 IN ELKADER 6SSW 5.3 IN GUTTENBERG DAM 10 5.0 IN ...FAYETTE COUNTY... ARLINGTON 3NW 9.7 IN FAYETTE 6SE 9.7 IN WEST UNION 9.5 IN FAYETTE 7.4 IN OELWEIN 0.8 WNW 6.0 IN ...FLOYD COUNTY... CHARLES CITY 9.0 IN NASHUA 2SW 8.0 IN ...HOWARD COUNTY... ELMA 9.3 IN CRESCO 1NE 8.0 IN ...MITCHELL COUNTY... OSAGE 7.5 IN ST ANSGAR 7.5 IN ...WINNESHIEK COUNTY... DECORAH 6ESE 8.0 IN DECORAH 7.9 ENE 7.3 IN ...MINNESOTA... ...DODGE COUNTY... MANTORVILLE 1.9 ESE 5.2 IN ...FILLMORE COUNTY... HARMONY 9.0 IN CHATFIELD 9ESE 8.3 IN PETERSON 1S 8.2 IN SPRING VALLEY 8.0 IN SPRING VALLEY 3E 8.0 IN WYKOFF 3.1NW 8.0 IN PRESTON 6.8 IN MABEL 6.1 IN ...HOUSTON COUNTY... CALEDONIA 8.9 IN LA CRESCENT 1NNW 7.7 IN CALEDONIA 5.4S 7.5 IN MOUND PRAIRIE 2NE 7.0 IN SPRING GROVE 4N 6.5 IN MOUND PRAIRIE 6.5 IN ...MOWER COUNTY... GRAND MEADOW 8.5 IN AUSTIN 2ENE 7.8 IN AUSTIN WASTE WATER TREATMENT 7.0 IN ...OLMSTED COUNTY... ROCHESTER INTL AIRPORT 8.9 IN ROCHESTER 2NW 8.0 IN ROCHESTER 2.6 NE 7.0 IN ROCHESTER 7.0 IN CHESTER 6.8 IN ELGIN 2SSW 6.0 IN BYRON 4N 5.0 IN ...WABASHA COUNTY... ZUMBRO FALLS 3.5 SSW 4.8 IN WABASHA 4.6 IN ...WINONA COUNTY... 4SW WINONA 9.0 IN GOODVIEW 7.3 IN WINONA DAM 5A 6.5 IN MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5 5.5 IN ALTURA 5W 5.5 IN LA CRESCENT DAM 7 5.5 IN ...WISCONSIN... ...ADAMS COUNTY... FRIENDSHIP 9.5 IN NEW ROME 2SE 8.0 IN MONROE CENTER 1E 7.5 IN ...BUFFALO COUNTY... ALMA DAM 4 4.5 IN ...CLARK COUNTY... LOYAL 4E 4.8 IN NEILLSVILLE 1NW 5.0 IN OWEN 2N 2.7 IN ...CRAWFORD COUNTY... DE SOTO 1SE 10.8 IN STEUBEN 4SE 8.5 IN EASTMAN 7.0 IN LYNXVILLE DAM 9 6.5 IN PRAIRIE DU CHIEN 5.6 IN GAYS MILLS 6SE 5.0 IN ...GRANT COUNTY... LANCASTER 4WSW 6.5 IN MUSCODA 6S 6.5 IN CASSVILLE 3.5 IN CUBA CITY 3.0 IN PLATTEVILLE 2.5 IN SINSINAWA 2.0 IN ...JACKSON COUNTY... BLACK RIVER FALLS 1.7 NNE 7.9 IN BLACK RIVER FALLS 6.6 IN HATFIELD DAM 6.0 IN ...JUNEAU COUNTY... MAUSTON 1SE 10.0 IN UNION CENTER 8.5 IN MAUSTON 6.5 IN ...LA CROSSE COUNTY... LA CROSSE WEATHER OFFICE 9.5 IN WEST SALEM 8.4 IN LA CROSSE REGIONAL AIRPORT 8.2 IN LA CROSSE 4NNW 7.6 IN HOLMEN 2S 7.4 IN LA CROSSE 5ESE 6.8 IN ...MONROE COUNTY... CASHTON 3NNW 11.2 IN CASHTON 5N 10.5 IN KENDALL 10.0 IN TOMAH 9.5 IN TUNNEL CITY 9.5 IN WILTON 4.2E 9.5 IN WARRENS 4WSW 9.3 IN SPARTA 7.9 IN FOUR CORNERS 7.1 IN ...RICHLAND COUNTY... RICHLAND CENTER 4N 8.5 IN BLOOM CITY 2NNE 6.0 IN ...TAYLOR COUNTY... LUBLIN 7.0 IN MEDFORD 6.0 IN WESTBORO 4E 4.0 IN ...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY... TREMPEALEAU DAM 6 8.0 IN INDEPENDENCE 3NE 8.0 IN ETTRICK 4WNW 7.6 IN ARCADIA 7.5 IN WHITEHALL 2W 6.0 IN ...VERNON COUNTY... VIROQUA 1S 11.0 IN VALLEY 1.5NE 11.0 IN CASHTON 2SW 9.8 IN WESTBY 3ENE 9.7 IN HILLSBORO 2SW 8.5 IN LA FARGE 8.4 IN HILLSBORO WSW 8.0 IN STODDARD 5NNE 6.8 IN READSTOWN 4NE 6.2 IN GENOA DAM 8 6.0 IN STODDARD 5.6 IN OBSERVATIONS ARE COLLECTED FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES WITH VARYING EQUIPMENT AND EXPOSURE. NOT ALL DATA LISTED ARE CONSIDERED OFFICIAL.
Photos:
La Crosse, WI - Weigent Park | Chatfield, MN (Photo by Brennen Round) |
Winona, MN (Photo by Bob Anderson) |
Austin, MN (Photo by MNDOT) |
Lansing, IA (10:41 a.m.) (Photo by IA DOT) |
Near Lansing, IA (11:11 a.m.) (Photo by IA DOT) |
Near Decorah, IA (9:33 a.m.) (Photo by IA DOT) |
Near Osage, IA (11:06 a.m.) (Photo by IA DOT) |
Viroqua, WI (Photo by Avonby Yanicka) |
NWS La Crosse |
Radar:
A radar image showing one of the heavier bands during the early morning hours of Feb.3rd |
Service
Map of watches that were issued early on January 31st | Map showing warnings and advisories for February 2nd | National map showing all the headlines for this storm across the country |
Animation showing how snowfall forecasts in our service area shifted northwest in time. | Animation showing how snowfall forecasts in Wisconsin shifted northwest in time. (Courtesy of NWS Milwaukee) | Graphic created on Wednesday, Jan.27th concerning upcoming storm. | Graphic updated on Friday, Jan.29th concerning upcoming storm. |
Additional Information
The Staff of NWS La Crosse Working The Storm
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