Adrift in a Sea of Snow

A farm field to the southeast of Waldo Park (42° 1'32.23"N,  91°32'14.48"W), east of Marion, Iowa took on the look of an expansive snowy lake or ocean with a distant "island" and cirrus clouds above it on Saturday, February 27, 2021. Air temperature was 41 degrees F. The above image was captured at 12:35 pm CST, the panoramic version below at 12:36 pm. iPhone 11 camera.

Read more...

Still in the Deep Freeze

Winter came with a vengeance to Eastern Iowa in February, 2021, with copious amounts of snow and bone chilling temperatures during the overnight. From February 5 to February 17, every day (13) saw subzero temperatures, with five of those days failing to reach zero or above for highs. The image above looks east from 33rd Avenue SW at 12th Street in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at 5:42 am CST on February 17. Condensation clouds from the nearby ADM plant drift from right-to-left in the picture. Temperature readings in the city around this time ranged from -15 to -6 degrees F, with my vehicle thermometer here registering -7 degrees F. Brrrrrrr!!! iPhone 11 camera.

Read more...

Sun Halo on a Frigid Morning

A deep snow pack contributed to frigid temperatures in Cedar Rapids, Iowa during the early morning hours of Sunday, February 7, 2021. The temperature bottomed out at -14 degrees F at my home around 6:00 am CST. As the sun rose, a faint sun halo was created. Sun halos form from the refraction of millions of ice crystals high in the atmosphere. The image above was captured at 9:45 am from our backyard when the temperature had inched back up to -9 degrees F. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

Read more...

Dangerous Beauty

It was a brief case of "red sky at morning, sailor take warning" at 7:13 am CST on Saturday, February 6, 2021. The sky to the east, as seen at sunrise from Brentwood Drive NE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was brilliantly colorful. This striking scene would be a short one however, lasting but a few minutes before gray clouds covered it over. Bone-chilling cold (1 degree F) this morning made for sky watching outdoors a dangerous endeavor! Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

Read more...

Rain, Sleet, Snow and Cold--Same Day

Air temperature in the early morning hours of Thursday, February 4, 2021 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was a mild 37 degrees F--but that was about to change. In a couple of hours it began to rain. Shortly thereafter the rain changed to freezing rain and sleet, and soon to snow. Winds blowing in access of 30 mph created white-out conditions, hampering travel on already slick roadways. Above, I am northbound on Interstate 380 at Exit 18, approaching the downtown area at 2:07 pm CST. Traffic was moving at a slow 40-45 mph pace. Air temperature was 21 degrees F, and winds were NW at 33 mph.

Radar image corresponding to the photograph above it, including the target icon indicating my position.

2:08 pm. Approaching the S-curve and downtown. Electronic sign warns of the winter storm.

2:10 pm. On the dangerous S-curve, with the Quaker Oats plant seen in the background.

2:14 pm. Continuing north on I-380. Electronic sign just north of the 29th Street/Coldstream Avenue exits, warning of a crash north of Toddville, Iowa, which turned out to be a jackknifed semi truck that blocked both lanes. iPhone 6-Plus camera. 

5:00 pm. Storm has passed, the skies are clearing, and the temperature is dropping (17 degrees F)! This image looks west toward Bowman Woods Park in Cedar Rapids. A total of six more inches of snow fell from this storm. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

Read more...

More Snow

 

Another snowstorm on January 30-31, 2021, dropped 5-6 inches on the area, beautifully blanketing the landscape. The following pictures were captured from 10:51-11:02 am CST in Boyson Park, located on the border of Marion and Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Sunday, January 31. They include views of Dry Run Creek, which meanders through the park. Broken branches from last year's derecho storm are still evident. Air temperature was 30 degrees F. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.

Read more...