Low pressure over the Great Lakes region moved to the east through the day.  A strong northwest wind on the back side of the low brought bitterly cold Arctic air into the region, which produced dangerously cold wind chills as well as blowing and drifting snow.  High temperatures during the day ranged from the single digits below to above zero, and combined with winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour to produce wind chills as low as 40 to 50 below zero.  The winds also created widespread blowing and drifting snow, in the wake of a system that brought several inches of snow to the area on December 20th.  Area hospitals treated numerous patients for frostbite, falls, chest pains from shoveling snow, and snow blower injures.  Law enforcement reported numerous accidents and vehicles in ditches.  Many county roads were closed, or reduced to one lane, by drifting snow.  The weather prompted the closing of many area schools.  The harsh conditions continued overnight into the early morning hours of December 22nd.  Actual temperatures across the area dropped to 5 to 10 below zero, with wind chills from 40 to 50 below, before the wind diminished in the pre-dawn hours.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in IOWA, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in HENRY, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in JEFFERSON, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in BUCHANAN, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in BENTON, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in CLINTON, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in DELAWARE, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in DES MOINES, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in CEDAR, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in DUBUQUE, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in JOHNSON, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in JONES, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in JACKSON, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in WASHINGTON, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in MUSCATINE, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in SCOTT, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in VAN BUREN, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in LEE, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in KEOKUK, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in LOUISA, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in LINN, IOWA
From 21-DEC-00 04:00:00 to 22-DEC-00 03:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.