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NEWS 1.3.23: As Wintry Weather Moves Through Siouxland, Weather Officials Welcome the Extra Moisture After a Drought-Plagued 2022

Updated weather information (5 p.m. January 3, 2023):

Because of a wintry mix of ice and snow, the holiday break was extended for one more day for some Siouxland students today. This message greeted the parents and guardians of thousands of students this morning.

“Due to the weather, there is no school in the Sioux City Community School District today January 3, 2023. Thank you.”

All of Siouxland is either under a Winter Weather Advisory or Winter Storm Warning.

Travel is treacherous in the upper corner of northwest Iowa. The Iowa Department of Transportation on Tuesday morning reported travel was nearly impossible. Visibility continued to be a problem in the early afternoon, with travel not advised on a majority of roads in Lyon County, including the highly traveled Highway 75. The area could get more ice and snow later this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation shut down both lanes of Interstate 90 west and north of Sioux Falls earlier today. The roadway has since re-opened. The Mayor of Sioux Falls wants residents to avoid traveling in the city. A business owner in downtown Sioux Falls tells Siouxland Public Media a foot has already fallen, with more expected later this afternoon and overnight.

The Winter Storm bared down on northcentral Nebraska down on northcentral Nebraska with many roads closed outside of Siouxland. Even though the roadways are now open, travel is not advised, including spots in northeast Nebraska.

Previous weather information:

Winter Weather Advisory for a majority of Siouxland until 6 a.m. tomorrow. There’s also a Winter Storm Warning for the counties of Lyon in Iowa, and Lincoln, Yankton, and Clay in South Dakota during that same time frame.

Due to slick roads and wintery conditions, schools did cancel across the region, including schools in Sioux City.

Travel is treacherous in the upper corner of northwest Iowa. The Iowa Department of Transportation on Tuesday morning reported travel was nearly impossible. Visibility continued to be a problem in the early afternoon with travel was not advised on a majority of roads in Lyon County, including the highly traveled Highway 75.
For the latest road conditions in Iowa, click here.

Iowa DOT/Facebook

The South Dakota Department of Transportation shut down both lanes of Interstate 90 west and north of Sioux Falls (updated 12:21 p.m). For an update
click here.

A Winter Storm is bearing down on northcentral Nebraska, with many roads closed a few hours outside of Siouxland. Travel is not advised on other roadways in northeast Nebraska (updated 12:33 p.m.) Click here for the most updated conditions.

As Siouxland experiences another winter storm, weather officials say the moisture is definitely needed. Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer explains.

Sioux City saw just over 15 inches of precipitation in 2022, putting it as the third driest since record-keeping started back in 1896. That’s about 14 inches below the normal of about 29 and a third inches.

The Sioux City Journal reports only 1976 and 1955 were drier.

Jeff Chapman is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls that tracks Siouxland weather. He talks about last winter when Sioux City saw less than five inches of snowfall.

“Last season was amongst the least amount of snow ever on record for the Sioux City area. Now already I know this month, we've had areas that have been either the second or the third snowiest so far for any December. So, we just kind of flipped the page, and we're looking at the other side now, which is a lot more hazardous for trying to get around and these winter months.”

Chapman says Siouxland is currently experiencing an active weather pattern.

“As long as the flow remains out of the Southwest, that allows the moisture returned into the area, and the systems moving out of the southwestern US to increase in strength and move across the area with enough cold air in place to generate that wintry precip.”

Before this most recent storm system, the U.S. Drought Monitor put parts of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, including southeast Woodbury County, into the Exceptional Drought category. That's the highest category possible.

"We could really use the moisture."