Subzero temperatures have been the norm across the state.
Iowans are returning to school and work after a holiday weekend of sub-zero temperatures. Meteorologist Miles Schumacher, at the National Weather Service, says several low temperature records were broken over the weekend, including Atlantic with 29-below this morning, though other places were even more frigid.
Schumacher says, “The coldest that we saw was in the Spencer-Estherville area on Saturday morning with temperatures dropping as low as 37-below and that was within a degree of the coldest in the whole United States.”
A wind chill advisory is in effect for much of Iowa this morning, as some areas are in the 30s and 40s below zero.
Schumacher says there likely won’t be any warming up this week across Iowa as highs are expected in the single digits and teens.
Subtle changes are taking place in the weather pattern but he says there may be some warmer air arriving late this weekend or early next week. Schumacher says there is also a chance for some snow in parts of Iowa this week, likely Wednesday into Thursday. He says it should generally only bring between one to four inches across the state, but the big concern is the strong winds behind the system that could blow the fluffy snow and create hazardous driving conditions. It follows two large snowstorms last month, the snowiest December on record for Iowa. Some areas of the state still have more than 24-inches of snow on the ground.
Weather Service meteorologist Rick Chermok from the Valley, Nebraska, office predicts up to six inches of snow will fall with the system moving into the midwest from Canada. Light powdery snow is predicted again, but with the wind, near blizzard conditions could be seen.
His advice is for travelers to make their trek before Tuesday night because of blowing snow and dangerously cold wind chills. Chermok says the temperatures are flirting with breaking records. Normal highs are around 30 with normal lows around 10, so we’re looking at a good 25-30 degrees below normal.
The meteorologist says he feels that if we’re going to have cold weather, it may as well be record breaking…but feels it’s “starting to get old.” He says we can look forward to next week’s temperatures in the 20s and perhaps we’ll see a day or two in the 30s.
Kristan Gray, KMA, Shenandoah and Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City contributed to this story.