January 10-16, 2001

Temperatures averaged well above normal during the January 10-16 period, with the largest departures above normal in the northern Midwest (Figure 8). With the continuation of the milder weather the southern extent of the snow cover retreated considerably this week and the southern extent at this point extended from the Iowa-Missouri border through central Illinois into central Indiana. The eastern half of the Midwest remained dry this week, while the western half benefitted from precipitation produced by a strong low pressure system that intensified over the Central Plains on January 13. This was the same storm system which slammed into the California coast several days earlier, producing flooding rains and some wind damage. On the morning of January 13 the low was centered over southeastern Colorado. It followed a northeasterly track from there, ending up near Traverse City, MI by the morning of January 15. Dense fog formed in many areas as warmer, moisture laden air was drawn northward over the cold snow cover. The fog caused delays to air travel in the Midwest. Precipitation was mostly rain south and east of the storm track, and snow or mixed precipitation north and west. The heaviest precipitation fell in western Iowa and southeastern Iowa and adjacent portions of northern Missouri (Figure 9), with isolated one inch amounts reported. Snowfall from this system ranged from 4 to 8 inches in western and northern Iowa to 2 to 4 inches in the northern half of Wisconsin (Figure 10).