Usually Iowa's driest month, February continues to surprise with new blanket of snow

Sometime Wednesday afternoon, after the snow and ice have passed and the temperatures have warmed to the 30s, roll into your favorite bar — if you're so inclined to such libations — throw a leg over a stool, and challenge the bartender.

Order up a “wintry mix,” and see what the local mixologist comes up with.

There are already scores of mixtures named after the polar vortex and a beer named after the Alberta Clipper — the weather pattern that’s kept us stuck in this vicious ride of cold and snow.

Why not a cocktail for the dreaded, wintry mix?

In meteorological terminology, that’s the cocktail of ice and snow that started falling across most of Iowa shortly after noon Monday.

Snow and ice partially or completely covered many of the major roads in Iowa, arriving right in time for the afternoon commute, per Iowa Department of Transportation data.

Forecasters predicted as much as 10 inches of snow in some areas as the shake was expected to continue overnight and into Tuesday morning.

The police scanner crackled with crash reports most of the afternoon and into the early evening.

Schools closed, local TV weather forecasters jumped to hyperactive speed, and bread, milk and eggs flew off the shelves at the local grocery stores.

Because, let’s face it, one does not want to face several hours indoors because of the cold and snow without the basic ingredients of French toast.

Yet, we Iowans know this sort of thing will pass. And when it does, we ought to have some fun at its expense.

Brian Taylor Carlson, the Register’s food reporter, suggested a chocolate martini with a creme mix and some peppermint or “an old fashioned hot toddy.”

Jason Garnett of Juniper Moon on Ingersoll Avenue promised a counter-intuitive mixed drink, “a tropical experience with cinnamon, coconut, passion fruit served tiki style.”

This is not to make light of the seriousness of severe weather. Nor would we advocate drinking and driving at any time. (Remember, we suggested a cocktail on Wednesday, after the snow.)

The thing with winter weather is that it happens this time of year and has, well, since forever. But this patch of winter has been a smidgen rougher than normal.

The historical average high for Des Moines in February is 36.1 degrees with a low of 18.8.

So far this February, Des Moines highs and lows have averaged about seven degrees cooler, per National Weather Service data. Since October, 26 inches of snow have fallen at the Des Moines airport — 3 inches above normal.

This much snow in February is unusual, said Justin Glisan, state of Iowa climatologist.

“February is typically the driest month of the year,” he said. “What we’ve been seeing the last few weeks is atypical.”

And, as always, caution should be maintained on roads regardless of the elements.

So far this year, through Sunday, 30 people have died on Iowa roads, according to the DOT and police.

Nine of those fatalities occurred in February, including a fatal crash in Union County on Sunday.

Still, that's seven fewer deaths than occurred on Iowa roads during the same period in 2018. 

“You go in streaks with the weather where everything is fine and you don’t have any reports, and then there’s a big system and that number shoots way up,” said Dennis Kleen of the DOT.

A Polk County Sheriff’s deputy was treated and released at an area hospital after a pick-up hit his vehicle Monday.

So, yes, things are going to be unpleasant with the weather these days. But it could be worse — and it was in both 1895 and 1981.

The low of 11 degrees below zero on Feb. 11, 1895, marked the last of 16 consecutive days the weather station in Davenport recorded subzero temperatures.

And in 1985, a modest snowstorm blanketed most of Iowa, backed by blistering gusts with wind chills of minus 60 degrees, that contributed to several fatalities, per weather bureau data.

Register storyteller Daniel P. Finney grew up in Winterset and east Des Moines. Suggest stories to him at dafinney@dmreg.com or 515-284-8144. Follow him on Twitter at @newsmanone or Facebook at @danielpfinney.