Please tell me that Iowa is not ALL bad! (Des Moines: houses, public school)

[duster1979]

Some are calling for the January thaw to hit next week. The worst part of the winter generally follows, but at that point we only have about six weeks left where there's a significant chance of heavy snow or extreme cold.

[ElleTea]

We had a very rare dusting of snow on the mountains around Phoenix last week and people here were freaking out about the "ice" on their windsheilds (frost) and some in my office were late to work because of it. I found that kind of funny!

But the snow on the mountains here was very odd. That really never happens.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by duster1979

Some are calling for the January thaw to hit next week. The worst part of the winter generally follows, but at that point we only have about six weeks left where there's a significant chance of heavy snow or extreme cold.

IMO February was always the worst month of the year in Iowa. The shortest on the calendar, but it felt the longest weather-wise.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by atler8

Tek

When I was in high school, it fell to my personal record coldest low of -27 degrees below zero not including the wind chill factor. The principal got on the school intercom & announced that for the first time ever, the dress code for girls was being altered to where they did not have to wear dresses to school but could instead wear slacks or jeans.
Dating myself a bit there, eh?

I'm 55. I was required to wear dresses to school until about 1972 or so. Yes, I can remember several days where slacks were allowed. They still didn't want us wear jeans. Girl's slacks were called pedal pushers because they had a strap that went under our feet. We wore those under our skirts when we rode our bikes to school and then took them off in the restroom. I don't remember it hitting below -20 actual temperature in Southern Michigan.

I've experienced the -20s in Northern Michigan. It still never lasted for more than about 48 hours.

Thanks for the warning! I'll watch for one set of extreme cold temp long underwear at Sportmen's Warehouse. I picked up several sets at Fleet Farm that I wear for shoveling and hiking (active use).

I saw a segment on Iowa Outdoors yesterday where rescue divers were practicing diving under the ice. Brrrrrr! I know they had special suits on, but I wouldn't want to do that!

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

IMO February was always the worst month of the year in Iowa. The shortest on the calendar, but it felt the longest weather-wise.

The problem with February is that it has extreme swings. The average temps for the month are about 5 degrees higher than January, but the high might be 45 one day then drop down to 10 the next which makes it seem like winter is never going to let go.

I'm not sure how February compares to January as far as precipitation goes, but I know it was mid-February when I got stuck in a snowdrift in the middle of Highway 69 and made the channel 13 news a few years ago.

[Sculptor]

Originally Posted by atler8

Tek

When I was in high school, it fell to my personal record coldest low of -27 degrees below zero not including the wind chill factor.

All of you folks should read the two volumn set "Northward over the great ice" by Admiral Peary the arctic explorer.
Peary described the weather data, which he and his crew kept a daily log of for months, I remember one week long storm and weather event in Greenland where he described the temperatures and the wind speeds, I looked that up compared to the windchill chart we have today which didn't exist back in the 1890s, their windchill was colder than the -100ºF on our charts!
What's worse is, Peary and his crew were camping out in CANVAS tents during their travels exploring Greenland.

[funksoulbro]

Originally Posted by duster1979

I'm not sure how February compares to January as far as precipitation goes, but I know it was mid-February when I got stuck in a snowdrift in the middle of Highway 69 and made the channel 13 news a few years ago.

February -- especially the early part of it -- is typically the worst for brutal winter weather. In 2011, one of the worst winter storms to ever hit the Midwest occurred in early February. In 2014, the Quad City area received nearly two feet of snow during February and eight of the first 15 days had temperatures below zero. Historically speaking, low temperatures don't routinely get out of the teens until the last week of February.

There's still plenty of winter left, unfortunately, and if this February is like more recent ones...we're in for at least another seven weeks of misery.

[Tek_Freek]

Atler8, we didn't get any here, but I heard the south east by Henderson did.

[Vlajos]

It's not all bad. Actually, it's a nice place.

[atler8]

The "January thaw" is coming 'round the corner & it looks to be a nice one &, at a minimum, is predicted to last several days.
I can't imagine that there is much deep snow cover up there now & during the thaw all traces of it will be gone.