Part 2 of 2: A major winter storm system affected the central U.S. during Christmas week.  There were two upper level systems involved with this storm.  The southern stream low dove into the southern U.S. and then turned northeast.  The turn was sharper than is typical as the northern stream upper low pushed southeast.  The southern stream and polar low interacted with each other, resulting in a Fuji Wara effect.  The southern low turned north, then eventually northwest and moved from northern Louisiana into Iowa.  This resulted in a considerable amount of warm air being drawn north over Iowa.  Initially, freezing rain was widespread during the 23rd and early on the 24th, as was mentioned in the previous entry.  Most of the CWA had some freezing rain, though the amounts were generally under one tenth of an inch over the southeast half of the state.  Temperatures warmed above freezing on the 24th in all of Iowa along and east of Interstate 35 as warm air continued to flow north over the top of the easterly surface flow.  An inverted trough developed during the day on the 24th, allowing colder air to begin filtering south over western Iowa during the day.  The precipitation changed over to snow by the afternoon, with snow becoming heavy during the evening.  Some freezing rain and sleet was mixed with the snow at times as well.  The heaviest snowfall was over the far northwest, where nearly 12 inches was recorded from northwest of Algona in Kossuth County, to Pocahontas County.  Over 10 inches fell in Pocahontas County near Rolfe, and also in Audubon County near Grey.  Much of the western part of the CWA received 8 to 10 inches of snow from this system.  In addition to the snow and mixed precipitation, winds increased from the north with speeds of 25 to 35 MPH common.  In addition to the blowing and drifting problem created, a significant number of people lost power in west central Iowa as the ice laden tree branches began to break in the winds and downed additional power lines. Utility crews indicated that they were unable to keep up with the damage in Crawford, Carroll, and Audubon Counties until the storm subsided.  In addition to the breaking tree branches, drifting made it difficult for the utility crews as well as anyone else driving.  Many rural roads were closed by 4 to 5 foot snow drifts.  Farther east, rain changed to snow during the evening of the 24th into the 25th, however accumulations were generally under 4 inches.  On the morning of the 25th, the surface low pressure moved northwest into Iowa, bringing with it a lot of warm air.  This changed the snow over to freezing rain and ice pellets for several hours.  Though accumulation of ice pellets were one quarter of an inch or less, and ice accretion generally under one tenth of an inch, an area of heavier freezing rain moved through Polk County.  An area from west central Polk County into the northwest received 0.2 to 0.3 inches of freezing rain before the precipitation changed back to snow.  Following the storm event, the Governor of Iowa declared a state disaster for several counties in western Iowa.  Crawford and Ida Counties received the state disaster declaration in the DMX CWA.  Subsequent to the storm itself, high snow accumulations from the record snow storms across Carroll County during December caused the collapse of a hog building in rural Carroll County.  The building housed 1200 hogs with thirty one of the hogs killed in the collapse.

Winter Storm in EMMET, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in PALO ALTO, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in POCAHONTAS, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in SAC, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CRAWFORD, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in AUDUBON, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CASS, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in ADAMS, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 14:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in KOSSUTH, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CALHOUN, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in CARROLL, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 150.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in GUTHRIE, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in ADAIR, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in HUMBOLDT, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in WEBSTER, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in GREENE, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in UNION, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in POLK, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in TAYLOR, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 12:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in RINGGOLD, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in MADISON, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in DALLAS, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 18:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Unknown

Winter Storm in BOONE, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Winter Storm in WINNEBAGO, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 13:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Winter Storm in HANCOCK, IOWA
From 24-DEC-09 15:00:00 to 25-DEC-09 15:00:00 (CST-6)
Property damage: 50.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer