Iowa residents who were enjoying the unseasonably warm temperatures were in for a surprise during winter break, when temperatures plummeted and snow fell across much of the Midwest.

S. Elwynn Taylor, professor of agronomy who provides the weather forecast for WOI AM-FM Radio in Ames, said at one time over winter break, there was an eight-inch accumulation of snow in Ames and surrounding areas.

Taylor said the drop in temperatures can be attributed to la Ni¤a and typical weather patterns.

“We expect the warming episode is coming, [meaning] temperatures exceeding freezing,” he said.

Brad Small, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the decrease in temperatures was not rapid, nor was it atypical. He also said la Ni¤a might have little to do with the weather.

“You can get normal temperature swings regardless of la Ni¤a,” he said. “There were records set in December and January for cold temperatures, but it’s not unusual, not for over a span of several months.”

However, the cold front will not be disappearing anytime soon, Taylor said. He said there may be another bitterly cold outbreak within 10 days.

“There will be episodes of very cold weather throughout the remainder of January and February, although it is likely there will be ‘January thaw conditions,'” Taylor said.

Small agreed that there will be “some melting by the end of this week.”

“The outlook through mid-January is pretty much along those lines. It’s not going to be totally dry, but it’s not going to be extremely wet,” Small said.

Whether there will be much snow in store for Ames is difficult to forecast, Taylor said.

“We would anticipate that March and April will be on the dry side,” Taylor said. “As those are our snowiest months, the risk of heavy snow is not as great as an average year.”