Northwest Iowa — A winter storm that brought freezing rain, snow and howling winds to northwest Iowa during the early morning hours Monday caused major headaches for some area residents.
Most area schools had two-hour late starts Monday morning, as the brisk winds caused blowing snow that made it difficult, if not impossible, for buses to pick up their rural students.
Before 5:30 Monday morning Sioux County authorities announced that roads in that county were snow and ice covered, and that visibility was reduced in some areas. Just over 30 minutes later the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office advised that visibility was down to zero in some places. Other counties in our area reported similar conditions.
Many vehicles went into the ditch due to slippery roads and limited visibility, keeping law enforcement officers and tow truck drivers running from one location to the next with no break in the action until late morning.
By late morning clouds had given way to mostly sunny skies, while temperatures had begun to fall.
Many people in the area are already tired of winter after Monday morning’s tribulations, even though winter doesn’t actually begin until Saturday, December 21st.
Below are a couple of images of Monday morning’s difficulties for area drivers. Both photos from Highway 18 east of Sheldon.
