Winter Storm

Winter Storm Iola (Part 1): Snow in the Southwest, Southern Plains and Mid-South (RECAP)

Winter Storm Iola affected portions of the nation in two phases, the first of which brought significant snowfall to the Southern Rockies and Southern Plains Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 before shifting direction and moving towards the Northeast on Jan 23.

(MORE: Winter Storm Iola Northeast Forecast)

Winter Storm Iola was named Wednesday, Jan. 21 by the winter storm naming committee at The Weather Channel. Iola met The Weather Channel naming criteria because by late Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service had issued winter storm warnings covering more than 450,000 square kilometers (173,746 square miles) in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Our threshold for naming requires winter-related warnings covering at least 400,000 square kilometers or 2 million people. (The population under warnings reached 2.2 million at one point Thursday afternoon.)

Storm Reports: Heavy Snow in New Mexico, Texas Panhandle

Snow from Iola began to develop during the evening hours on Jan. 20 in parts of Colorado and northern New Mexico and continued to expand Jan. 21 into the Texas Panhandle.

(MORE: Winter Storm Iola Closures, Delays and Impacts)

Impressive snowfall rates occurred Wednesday evening, Jan. 21 as the storm cranked up in intensity. Amarillo experienced snowfall rates as high as 3 inches per hour, and snowfall totals from this single storm have more than tripled the city's season-to-date snowfall total.

By late Jan. 23, enough cold air caught up with Iola's moisture that snow began to accumulate in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, as well as

Here is a list of notable snowfall totals as of 12 a.m. EST Saturday:

Southwest:

- 24 inches near Bonito Lake, New Mexico- 16 inches near Edgewood, New Mexico- 14 inches in Sedillo, New Mexico- 13 inches in Canyon, Texas- 13 inches reported near Amarillo, Texas- 11.5 inches reported near Colorado Springs, Colorado- 10 inches in Amarillo, Texas- 9.2 inches Dalhart, Texas- 8 inches near Roswell, New Mexico- 6 inches near El Paso, New Mexico- 4 inches near Los Alamos, New Mexico- 3.5 inches near Santa Fe, New Mexico- 3 inches near Denver, Colorado- 2.5 inches near Albuquerque, New Mexico

Southeast:

- 5 inches near Vine Grove, Kentucky- 4 inches in Lexington, Kentucky- 1 inch in Clarksville, Tennessee- 1.5 inches in Daybrook, West Virginia

Ice was also reported in North Carolina with 0.25 to 0.50 inch reported near Oak Grove. Up to 0.2 inch of freezing rain was also reportd in Millboro, Virginia with 0.10 inch of freeezing rain in Wytheville, Virginia.

The name Iola comes from Greek mythology and is a variant spelling of Iolë, a beautiful woman who Hercules wanted to marry, but could not.

Meteorologist Chris Dolce and senior meteorologist Nick Wiltgen contributed to this report.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Winter Storm Iola