Sheldon, Iowa — If Santa and his elves or others from the North Pole are doing a dry run through our area in the next few days, they should feel right at home with the arctic weather we are about to receive.
According to the National Weather Service, cold windchills will lead up to the storm, but they’ll be much colder during the storm. It’s supposed to start this Wednesday afternoon with about two inches of snow and normal northwest Iowa wind, with windchills around 20 below. But along with the snow continuing to fall Wednesday night, the arctic air is going to wrap around us and cause air temperatures to plummet. Our air temperature low of -15 will combine with winds up to 25 miles per hour to produce windchills approaching 40 below. We’ll probably get another inch or so of snow.
By Thursday, our chance of snow lessens, but our high for the day will remain in the deep freeze. We aren’t even forecast to make it above zero. Right now they’re thinking we’ll only get as high as eight below.
While the snowfall is supposed to stop, blowing snow could still be an issue Thursday night and Friday. Thursday night is supposed to be just as bone-chilling as Wednesday night, and Friday’s high still won’t make it above zero.
Friday night, we’re supposed to get right back down to the mid-teens below zero. Closer to zero on Christmas Eve day, but still, we’re only supposed to get to three below. Santa will have a cold ride Saturday night with lows again in the mid-teens below.
But there is hope. Christmas Day, we’ll make it all the way up to 11 above, and all the way to 14 above for Monday. So when we dip down below zero on Wednesday, we probably won’t see the positive side of zero again until Sunday.
Various watches and warnings are posted. We at KIWA remind you to check the weather and conditions before you consider leaving the warmth. Weather Service officials tell us the cold will be life-threatening and you should at the least have a winter survival kit in your car.
