Alert archive / Iowa / Blizzard Warnings in 2014
Blizzard Warning 1, NWS Des Moines, IA
NWS Des Moines, IA issued this blizzard warning at Jan 16, 2014, 4:36 PM CST for 11 counties in Iowa. It was in force for 4 hr. 10 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.
The facts
- Issued
- Jan 16, 2014, 4:36 PM CST (22:36 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 16, 2014, 8:26 PM CST
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Des Moines, IA
Counties Appanoose County, IA, Davis County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, Monroe County, IA, Polk County, IA, Poweshiek County, IA, Wapello County, IA, Warren County, IA
The radar
The Des Moines radar (KDMX), 85 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:35 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
What was reported inside it
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 4:44 PM CST | SNOW 1.2 | Urbandale, IA | |
| Jan 16, 4:45 PM CST | SNOW 2 | 1 E Clive, IA | TRAINED SPOTTER MEASURED 2.0 INCHES OF SNOW IN CLIVE. |
| Jan 16, 5:00 PM CST | SNOW 2 | 5 Ssw Saylorville Lake, IA | OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE MEASURED 2.0 INCHES OF SNOW IN JOHNSTON. |
| Jan 16, 5:00 PM CST | SNOW 2 | 5 Ssw Saylorville Lake, IA | |
| Jan 16, 5:05 PM CST | SNOW 2 | 5 Ssw Saylorville Lake, IA | |
| Jan 16, 5:10 PM CST | SNOW 2 | 5 Sw Saylorville Lake, IA | |
| Jan 16, 6:00 PM CST | SNOW 1.6 | 1 S Saylorville Lake, IA | |
| Jan 16, 6:00 PM CST | SNOW 3.1 | Des Moines Int Airport, IA | NEW SNOW SINCE NOON |
| Jan 16, 6:14 PM CST | SNOW 2.2 | 5 Wnw Des Moines, IA | |
| Jan 16, 6:17 PM CST | SNOW 1.1 | 5 Nnw Ankeny Airport, IA | OFF DUTY NWS EMPLOYEE |
Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.
The nearest sounding before it
Omaha, NE (KOAX), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 287 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1578 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 124 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 120 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
214 WWUS43 KDMX 162236 WSWDMX URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 436 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...PERIOD OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN SOUTHEAST IOWA THIS EVENING... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEAST IOWA THROUGH THE EVENING... .PERIODIC SNOW SHOWERS AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO CAUSE BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITY AT TIMES...LEADING TO HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA. IN SOUTHEAST IOWA VISIBILITY WILL BE NEAR ZERO FOR AN HOUR OR TWO THIS EVENING...MAKING TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS. IAZ060>062-073>075-084>086-096-097-170300- /O.NEW.KDMX.BZ.W.0001.140116T2236Z-140117T0300Z/ POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DES MOINES...NEWTON...GRINNELL... INDIANOLA...NORWALK...CARLISLE...PELLA...KNOXVILLE...OSKALOOSA... CHARITON...ALBIA...OTTUMWA...CENTERVILLE...BLOOMFIELD 436 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING. * SHORT TERM TRENDS...SNOW SQUALLS WILL PRODUCE WHITE OUT CONDITIONS FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS THIS EVENING...MAKING TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS. * STORM TOTAL SNOW/ICE ACCUMULATIONS...ONE TO TWO INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED. * WINDS/VISIBILITY...NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 50 MPH. VISIBILITY WILL DROP TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES CREATING WHITE OUT CONDITIONS. * IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS EVENING BEFORE CONDITIONS IMPROVE. ANYONE PLANNING TO TRAVEL SHOULD CONSIDER POSTPONING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. && $$ IAZ007-017-026>028-037>039-170300- /O.CON.KDMX.WW.Y.0004.000000T0000Z-140117T0300Z/ WORTH-CERRO GORDO-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NORTHWOOD...MANLY...MASON CITY... CLEAR LAKE...HAMPTON...PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE...SHELL ROCK... GREENE...APLINGTON...ALLISON...DUMONT...WAVERLY...IOWA FALLS... ELDORA...ACKLEY...GRUNDY CENTER...REINBECK...CONRAD...DIKE... WELLSBURG...WATERLOO...CEDAR FALLS 436 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CST THIS EVENING... * SHORT TERM TRENDS...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL OCCUR THROUGH THIS EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS WILL ALSO CAUSE CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE AT TIMES. * STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...SNOWFALL TOTALS OF AROUND AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED. * WINDS/VISIBILITY...SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH. THE COMBINATION OF FALLING SNOW AND VERY STRONG WINDS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. * IMPACTS...THOUGH SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT... THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS AND FALLING SNOW IS LIKELY TO CAUSE DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITY TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. IN ADDITION... THE VERY STRONG WINDS AND MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO WIND CHILL VALUES DOWN TO 20 DEGREES BELOW ZERO BY THIS EVENING. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO STRONG WINDS BLOWING SNOW AROUND. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. && $$
1 follow-up statement
216 WWUS43 KDMX 170226 WSWDMX URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 826 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...WINTER STORM AND WIND ON THE DECREASE... .THE WORST OF THE WIND AND SNOW FROM EARLIER TODAY IS OVER. OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT...BUT OVERALL CONDITIONS SHOULD GRADUALLY IMPROVE. IAZ060>062-073>075-084>086-096-097-170330- /O.CAN.KDMX.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-140117T0300Z/ POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO- APPANOOSE-DAVIS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DES MOINES...NEWTON...GRINNELL... INDIANOLA...NORWALK...CARLISLE...PELLA...KNOXVILLE...OSKALOOSA... CHARITON...ALBIA...OTTUMWA...CENTERVILLE...BLOOMFIELD 826 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS CANCELLED THE BLIZZARD WARNING. THE HEAVIER BURSTS OF SNOW HAVE ENDED OVER THE SOUTHEAST QUARTER OF IOWA AND VISIBILITIES HAVE INCREASED CONSIDERABLY. OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST INTO THE NIGHT...BUT VISIBILITIES SHOULD BE AT LEAST SEVERAL MILES WITH LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION. ROADS MAY REMAIN SNOW COVERED AND DRIFTED IN SPOTS HOWEVER SO CAUTION IS STILL ADVISED WHILE TRAVELING. $$ IAZ007-017-026>028-037>039-171000- /O.CAN.KDMX.WW.Y.0004.000000T0000Z-140117T0300Z/ /O.NEW.KDMX.WC.Y.0006.140117T0226Z-140117T1700Z/ WORTH-CERRO GORDO-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NORTHWOOD...MANLY...MASON CITY... CLEAR LAKE...HAMPTON...PARKERSBURG...CLARKSVILLE...SHELL ROCK... GREENE...APLINGTON...ALLISON...DUMONT...WAVERLY...IOWA FALLS... ELDORA...ACKLEY...GRUNDY CENTER...REINBECK...CONRAD...DIKE... WELLSBURG...WATERLOO...CEDAR FALLS 826 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST FRIDAY... ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST FRIDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELLED. * SHORT TERM TRENDS...OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT...BUT WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS INTO FRIDAY MORNING. * WINDS...WINDS WILL REMAIN BRISK FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 MPH...POSSIBLY AT 30 MPH OR MORE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. * TEMPERATURES/WIND CHILL VALUES...OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO WITH WIND CHILLS OF 15 TO 25 BELOW COMMON AND APPROACHING 30 BELOW AT TIMES. * IMPACTS...BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS MAY RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES. && $$ IAZ004>006-015-016-024-025-036-171000- /O.NEW.KDMX.WC.Y.0006.140117T0226Z-140117T1700Z/ EMMET-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-PALO ALTO-HANCOCK-HUMBOLDT-WRIGHT- HAMILTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ESTHERVILLE...ALGONA...FOREST CITY... LAKE MILLS...EMMETSBURG...GARNER...BRITT...KANAWHA...HUMBOLDT... EAGLE GROVE...CLARION...BELMOND...WEBSTER CITY 826 PM CST THU JAN 16 2014 ...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM CST FRIDAY. * SHORT TERM TRENDS...OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT...BUT WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES AND WIND CHILLS INTO FRIDAY MORNING. * WINDS...WINDS WILL REMAIN BRISK FROM THE NORTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 MPH...POSSIBLY AT 30 MPH OR MORE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. * TEMPERATURES/WIND CHILL VALUES...OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW ZERO WITH WIND CHILLS OF 15 TO 25 BELOW COMMON AND APPROACHING 30 BELOW AT TIMES. * IMPACTS...BITTER COLD WIND CHILLS MAY RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND GLOVES. && $$ SMALL
Nearby
Blizzard Warnings in Iowa, 2014Every blizzard warning in 2014
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.