2020's Parting Shot

For most of us, 2020 has been a "fly-in-the-ointment" affair and as the year concluded, it had one more slap-in-the-face event for us: a winter storm with heavy snow that created treacherously slippery surfaces and whiteout conditions. A winter storm warning (above) was issued by the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities at 11:39 am CST, Tuesday, December 29, 2020 for most of Eastern Iowa, and was valid until 9:00 am the next morning. 

I headed for home at the conclusion of work at 4:00 pm, with the storm in full bore at this time. Traffic on Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was prudently not particularly busy, and a maximum and careful speed of 35 mph was maintained by those who were out on the road. Above, my vehicle approaches the Boyson Road exit (Exit 25), northbound on I-380 at 4:15 pm. iPhone 6-Plus camera.

Once safely home, I headed out on foot east on Boyson Road at the Cedar Rapids/Marion border (in 24 degree F temperatures and a stinging wind out of the southeast at 10-15 mph). Above, the camera looks east from that location at 4:48 pm.

4:48 pm. Looking south from Boyson Road at Dry Run Creek.

4:49 pm. Looking east up Boyson Road toward Marion.

4:49 pm. Similar view with an "abandoned" look to Boyson Road. 

4:50 pm. Three vehicles negotiate the storm east on Boyson Road in this west-view image. Not a fit night out for man nor beast! A total of nine inches of snow would fall from my home location before the storm (and mercifully 2020) moved on. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

Radar image corresponding to 4:55 pm. Target icon is my location.