Weekend storm brings nearly a foot of snow to Monona

   Northeast Iowa took the biggest Iowa blow last weekend from a storm that brought more than a foot of snow to parts of northeast Iowa.

   Northern Clayton County was on the southern edge of the heaviest band of snow, with Monona officially reporting 11 inches. Prairie du Chien reported 11.3 inches while a location northeast of Postville reported 9.4 inches and Waukon reported 11.3 inches. The snow was light and powdery, making blowing in rural areas a concern before winds subsided Saturday afternoon.

   The high totals came as a surprise to many observers, who had predicted as little as four inches of snow from the storm earlier in the week. Instead the storm took a more northerly track, leading to a steep dropoff in snow totals south of Highway 18. The Osborne Recreation area south of Elkader reported just 5.9 inches of snow and Oelwein reported just 4.6 inches.

For more of this story see the Jan. 23 Outlook.