Iowa, 1996

Cold in Iowa, February 1 to 4, 1996

February 1 to 4, 1996 · NWS OAX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

Arctic high pressure dominated the weather over much of the central United States. Sub-zero temperatures were reported for nearly three days from February 1st through February 4th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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 OAX wrote it up.

Arctic high pressure dominated the weather over much of the central United States. Sub-zero temperatures were reported for nearly three days from February 1st through February 4th. The peak of the cold wave occurred the morning of February 2nd, when morning lows ranged from 20 to 25 degrees below zero.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Monona

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Monona forecast zone
Coordinates
42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Harrison

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Coordinates
41.683, -95.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Shelby

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates
41.685, -95.310 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Pottawattamie

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Pottawattamie forecast zone
Coordinates
41.337, -95.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Mills

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Mills forecast zone
Coordinates
41.034, -95.621 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Montgomery

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Coordinates
41.030, -95.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Fremont

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Fremont forecast zone
Coordinates
40.746, -95.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cold/Wind Chill, Page

When
February 1, 10:00 PM CST to February 4, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Page forecast zone
Coordinates
40.739, -95.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 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: 5537881, 5537882, 5537883, 5537884, 5537885, 5537886, 5537887, 5537888.