KALONA

Winter was off to a mild start in late 2023, with only two days of very light snow and a solidly green Christmas. But on the 37° evening of Monday, Jan. 8, rain turned to snow, and the inches accumulated over the next 48 hours. By Wednesday morning, Jan. 10, Riverside reported 10.2 inches, and Hills 11 inches; overall our area saw between 9 and 15 inches of snow. Schools were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday and local folks seized the snow days, using them to bake bread, assemble puzzles, and quietly reflect.

Clear roads and temperatures around 20° on Thursday gave way to a blizzard warning that evening. Upon waking Friday morning, Jan. 12, more snow forced residents to dig out yet again. Ainsworth saw another 6 inches, Washington 3.5, and Wellman 2.5. Schools cancelled for a third day, and snow continued to fall, covering walkways as soon as they were cleared. JW Foods ran out of basics such as bread, displaying empty shelves to those who dared venture out.

Snow continued to fall throughout the day Friday, piling up 8.2 more inches in Washington and 6 more inches in Wellman by 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Many businesses stayed closed, and few but for the plows were out on the roads over the weekend. High winds caused snowdrifts over Hwy 1, snow was piled high in downtown Wellman, and dump trucks removed excess snow from Kalona.

Close to 2 feet of snow fell between Jan. 8 and 14 in two winter storm events. Temperatures plunged to -17° by Sunday morning in Washington, getting perilously close to the record low of -20° set on Jan. 14, 1957.