The synoptic setup (Fig. 10.14) for this system featured an inverted trough that moved
from the west into central Iowa. The front was associated with a low pressure system that
progressed eastward along the southern Missouri/northern Arkansas border. The trough
was just to the west of Iowa around 03 UTC on 26 January, around the time it started
snowing in Ames, and passed through the demonstration domain as the low moved off to
the northeast. A fairly strong pressure gradient built behind the low as it moved off,
causing the winds to shift to north-northwesterly and become quite strong across the state
of Iowa toward the end of the event. Temperatures fell sharply as the northerly flow also
advected cold air into the area.
38
Previous Page
