Ditched
Pre-Christmas blizzard blasts NWI region last week
Share
Tweet
NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS
Crumpled and snow-spattered, an SUV awaits a tow truck on Highway 18 just west of Hartley on Dec. 24. A blizzard the day before left several vehicles in ditches throughout northwest Iowa.
Northwest Iowans hoping for a white Christmas got their wishes answered with a vengeance on Dec. 23.
A blizzard immobilized the region with freezing rain, snow and high-speed winds. Travel was not advised and many vehicles were stuck stranded after going in the ditch. On Thursday morning, there were six vehicles including one semi ditched along Highway 18 between Hartley and Everly.
The day started with a freezing drizzle that gradually transitioned into snow. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Sioux Falls, most of O'Brien County received 4-6 inches of snow accumulation, while most of Clay County tallied 2-4 inches.
Snow wasn't the story of the day, however. Powerful wind gusts created whiteout conditions for much of the afternoon. The NWS reported wind speeds of 60 mph in Sheldon, 61 mph in Spencer, 55 mph in Worthington, Minn., and 49 mph in Lake Park.
