Winter Storm, Buchanan
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Buchanan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Iowa, December 27 to 28, 1996
Freezing fog and drizzle caused numerous accidents across the area. Along a 30 to 40 mile stretch of I80 from West Branch, Iowa to Davenport, Iowa 25 accidents occurred involving 3 injuries.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 21 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 3
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 21
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
Freezing fog and drizzle caused numerous accidents across the area. Along a 30 to 40 mile stretch of I80 from West Branch, Iowa to Davenport, Iowa 25 accidents occurred involving 3 injuries.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
21 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Delaware
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Delaware forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Dubuque
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dubuque forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Benton
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Benton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Linn
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Linn forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jones
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jones forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jackson
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Iowa
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Iowa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Johnson
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Johnson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Cedar
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Cedar forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.772, -91.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Clinton
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Muscatine
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Muscatine forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Scott
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Scott forecast zone
- Injuries
- 3 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $100,000
- Coordinates
- 41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Keokuk
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Keokuk forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Washington
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Louisa
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Louisa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jefferson
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jefferson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.032, -91.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Henry
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Henry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Des Moines
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Des Moines forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Van Buren
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Van Buren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.753, -91.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Lee
- When
- December 27, 6:00 PM CST to December 28, 8:00 AM CST
- Where
- Lee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Dense Fog in Florida, December 27, 1996
- High Wind in Utah, December 27, 1996
- Winter Weather in Minnesota, December 27, 1996
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 27 to 28, 1996
- Winter Storm in Illinois, December 27 to 28, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Washington, December 27, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 27 to 28, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Montana, December 27, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 27 to 28, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 27, 1996
- Blizzard in Washington, December 27 to 28, 1996
- High Wind in Hawaii, December 27, 1996
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, December 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5580817, 5580818, 5580819, 5580820, 5580821, 5580822, 5580823, 5580824, 5580825, 5580826, 5580827, 5580828, 5580829, 5580830, 5580831, 5580832, 5580833, 5580834, 5580996, 5580997, 5580998.