I think I have one of these quizzes every year about this time. The reason is that the first two weeks of February used to be the most brutal of times for us older Iowans. Brutal as in -30 degrees F at night warming up to a pleasant -10 in the day time. It was the days of the storied “midnight run” to make sure the car would start the next day.

So once more let me shake those memories of bitter, bitter winter weather that served to make us “tough.” No, it really didn’t. But believe me winter weather looks best in the rear view mirror.

1) During the summer, boys used to help their parents make ________ for the winter on the farm.

2) Conversely, in the winter they would help make ____ for the summer.

3) Less than 20 years ago, Iowa recorded its coldest temperature ever. I have asked this before, so let’s see if you can get within 10 degrees of the temperature.

4) Where I grew up, the road was used as a place for people to throw their burned out coal on. What was the word for the burned out coal remains?

5) Many things have been burned in Iowa to provide heat. Can you name 5?

6) It seems like just yesterday – well it almost was. What year did that blizzard start in Des Moines and rip all across the country on Jan. 1 – Feb. 2?

7) Big Blizzard in March of 1959 all across Iowa. What else was going on at the same time?

8) That same storm produced the single largest 1 day snowfall in Iowa. How many inches fell in Fayette that day?

9) What is the Iowa record for snowfall for one year at one reporting station?  Note: We still need more than this to cover the drought.

10) Oddly – the least snowiest winter has not been recently. The record was set in 1965-66. How many inches (on average) fell in Iowa that year?

While researching this, I found that coal stoves are making a small comeback as area heaters. Strange how things like that happen. Well, some of us used to burn corn.

Want some Answers?

1) wood. This per my father-in-law who used to tell me “we spent all summer making wood and

2) ice – “all winter making ice”

3) -47 in Elkader in 1996

4)  cinders. We called it the old cinder road. Most of you know it as Governor Street in Iowa City.

5) Natural Gas, coal, coal gas, wood, corn, soybeans, wood chips, manure, cherry pits.

6) 2011 – forget already?

7) This was the famous “Girls State Tournament” blizzard that included the overnight sock hop for the snowed in fans.

8) 21 inches

9) 85.6 at Cresco. i think that would still leave us about 4 feet short of what we need.

10) 11.9 inches wow!