It Is The Extreme

We all know the reputation for Iowa weather extremes. To illustrate that, Eastern Iowa had recovered from a spate of cold weather in Eastern Iowa from December 25, 2017 to January 6, 2018. On January 11, temperatures in Cedar Rapids at 4:15 am CST peaked to an almost balmy 48 degrees. This was to be short-lived, however! In just hours the temperatures plummeted cruelly, and by 1:15 pm that day the mercury read only 14 degrees F. A combination of freezing rain and sleet began peppering roofs. A high pressure system moved in the next morning, clearing skies and dropping temps even further. The image above shows a sundog looking southeast at 8:27 am, Friday, January 12, as seen from Progress Drive at Martha's Way in Hiawatha, Iowa. Air temperature at this moment was 5 degrees F, with a -14 degree wind chill. iPhone 6 Plus camera.