CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS The rare weather phenomenon known as “snow rollers” pictured in rural Tama County at the property of Mindy Finzen west of Traer on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Snow rollers were also observed in and around Gladbrook.

TRAER — A rare weather phenomenon known as ‘snow rollers’ formed in and around northern Tama County during the night of Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026 – leading to some fascinating photos.

“It was weird but neat,” Mindy Finzen of rural Traer told the newspaper after photographing the snow rollers early Friday morning in both her own neck of the woods and along US 63 west of town.

“Friday morning [we observed them] all over the driveway and along the gravel road,” Finzen said. “I think we’ve only seen them once before. It was quite a few years ago and not nearly as big.”

Finzen estimated the snow rollers to be roughly the size of a softball or slightly bigger. They are usually formed by winds pushing snow across the landscape into the shape of a ball.

According to a bulletin by the National Weather Service Office in Spokane, Washington published back in 2009, snow rollers are considered “extremely rare” due to the unique combination of elements required to create them. “They form with light but sticky snow and strong (but not too strong) winds,” the NWS weather office wrote.

A post on social media Friday morning by KWWL meteorologist Brandon Libby highlighted snow rollers similar to those photographed by Finzen but documented by Duane Woebbeking about five miles north of Gladbrook. The NWS Office in Des Moines shared Libby’s post, writing, “In case you missed it, snow rollers formed Thursday night north of Gladbrook (Tama County). They’re not very common so [it’s] cool to see pictures!”

Alongside Woebbeking’s photos, Libby posted a graphic detailing the “science” behind snow rollers. Per Libby, requirements for the weather phenomenon to take shape include:

-Wet, loose snow over icy surfaces

-Winds around 30 mph

-Temperatures 3 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit above freezing

-Slope with no protruding vegetation

Whatever the magic formula was, Finzen said the sight was exciting to behold Friday morning, telling the newspaper the snow rollers dotting her property “looked like the forest animals started making a bunch of snowmen!”