Iowa, 1996

Blizzard in Iowa, March 24 to 25, 1996

March 24 to 25, 1996 · NWS OAX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

An intense spring storm system brought beneficial rains to the area, but also a blizzard. rain changed to freezing rain, and then light snow during the evening of the 24th.

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.

An intense spring storm system brought beneficial rains to the area, but also a blizzard. rain changed to freezing rain, and then light snow during the evening of the 24th. Winds sustained from 30 to 50 mph with gusts to 60 mph reduced visibilities to near zero from 9 pm the 24th until 6 am the 25th. Temperatures fell to the single digits with wind chills ranging from 30 to 40 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 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Monona

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Monona forecast zone
Coordinates
42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Harrison

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Harrison forecast zone
Coordinates
41.683, -95.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Shelby

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Shelby forecast zone
Coordinates
41.685, -95.310 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Pottawattamie

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Pottawattamie forecast zone
Coordinates
41.337, -95.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Mills

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Mills forecast zone
Coordinates
41.034, -95.621 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Montgomery

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Montgomery forecast zone
Coordinates
41.030, -95.156 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Fremont

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Fremont forecast zone
Coordinates
40.746, -95.605 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Page

When
March 24, 5:00 PM CST to March 25, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Page forecast zone
Coordinates
40.739, -95.150 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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, March 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: 5542972, 5542973, 5542974, 5542975, 5542976, 5542977, 5542978, 5542979.