It was not just cold but frigid in Iowa this morning. National Weather Service forecaster Brad Fillbach has the numbers. “Just about the entire state was below zero this morning except for far southern Iowa,” Fillbach says. “Looks like the coldest spots were up in the northeast.”
Waterloo set a new record low of 16 degrees below zero, breaking an old record of minus three. Fillbach says there are a combination of factors contributing to the deep freeze that’s settled over the state. There’s a ridge of high pressure settled over Iowa this morning, plus clear skies, light winds and fresh snow pack.
Fillbach says there’s little sign of movement in the weather system. “It looks like it’s going to be around for the week,” he says. “Temperatures this week for highs are only going to be in the lower teens, mid-teens for highs.” There is a slim chance of snow tonight (Monday). According to the old adage, it may be too cold to snow.
“There’s a lot of truth to that,” Fillbach says. “The ideal temperatures for snowfall are temperatures in the 20s, around freezing.”