Photos: Polar gales hit Iowa City
The University of Iowa canceled classes Jan. 30 for the first time in eight years, and many businesses remained closed. Wind-chill temperatures plunged below minus-50 degrees as a wave of frigid air referred to by overly enthusiastic meteorologists as the “Polar Vortex [sic]” made its way across the Midwest and reached Iowa City. Normally bustling parking lots, streets, and bus stops remained mostly deserted save for the few who chose to brave the extreme temperatures and make their way across the normally busy landscape under the cold, clear sky. Daily Iowan photographer Nick Rohlman spent the day photographing the unusually quiet January Wednesday.
Water vapor rises from the Iowa River on Wednesday January 30, 2019.