Ice Storm, Emmet
- When
- January 17, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Emmet forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Iowa, January 17, 1996
An arctic cold front sagged slowly south into Iowa during the day on the 17th. Since this front moved south ahead of a major developing storm system, the intrusion of Arctic air was very shallow.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- 0
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 DMX wrote it up.
An arctic cold front sagged slowly south into Iowa during the day on the 17th. Since this front moved south ahead of a major developing storm system, the intrusion of Arctic air was very shallow. Temperatures dropped into the upper teens and 20s in the wake of the front. Rain developed during the afternoon to the south of the front and moved north into the area of colder temperatures. Freezing rain became widespread during the afternoon with upwards of 1/4 to 1/2 inch of freezing rain reported in the Estherville area. Most of the rest of the area received under 1/4 inch. Roads became slippery wth numerous accidents reported. No major damage was reported, however a few areas lost power briefly due to branches falling onto power lines.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, Kossuth
- When
- January 17, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Kossuth forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Winnebago
- When
- January 17, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Winnebago forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 43.378, -93.734 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Palo Alto
- When
- January 17, 12:00 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Palo Alto forecast zone
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Coordinates
- 43.082, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Ice Storm
- Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, January 17 to 18, 1996
- High Wind in Kansas, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- Blizzard in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Dust Storm in Arizona, January 17, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, January 17 to 19, 1996
- Tornado in Texas, January 17, 1996
- High Wind in Texas, January 17 to 18, 1996
- Ice Storm in Minnesota, January 17 to 18, 1996
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5542166, 5542167, 5542168, 5542169.