Blizzard, Lyon
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lyon forecast zone
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Iowa, March 24 to 25, 1996
Snow, preceeded by freezing rain, accumulated 3 to 6 inches and was accompanied by winds over 60 mph. Several accidents occurred, mostly due to the slippery conditions near the start of the storm.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
- $125,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 11
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 FSD wrote it up.
Snow, preceeded by freezing rain, accumulated 3 to 6 inches and was accompanied by winds over 60 mph. Several accidents occurred, mostly due to the slippery conditions near the start of the storm. Many people in vehicles were stranded. At least 3 people suffered frostbite in the Sioux City area. Businesses and schools were closed or forced to delay opening. Wind chills were as low as 40 below zero.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Osceola
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Osceola forecast zone
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 43.379, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Dickinson
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dickinson forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 43.378, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Sioux
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sioux forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, O'Brien
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- O'Brien forecast zone
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 43.084, -95.625 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Clay
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clay forecast zone
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Coordinates
- 43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Plymouth
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Plymouth forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Cherokee
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cherokee forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Buena Vista
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Buena Vista forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.736, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Woodbury
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Woodbury forecast zone
- Injuries
- 3 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $40,000
- Coordinates
- 42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ida
- When
- March 24, 2:00 PM CST to March 25, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ida forecast zone
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 42.387, -95.513 (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
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, March 24 to 25, 1996
- Blizzard in South Dakota, March 24 to 25, 1996
- Avalanche in New Hampshire, March 24, 1996
- Blizzard in Minnesota, March 24 to 25, 1996
- Winter Storm in Michigan, March 24 to 25, 1996
- Hail in Texas, March 24, 1996
- Tornado in Arkansas, March 24, 1996
- Hail in Texas, March 24, 1996
- Hail in Texas, March 24, 1996
- Hail in Texas, March 24, 1996
- High Wind in Iowa, March 24 to 25, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, March 24, 1996
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: 5546507, 5546508, 5546509, 5546510, 5546511, 5546512, 5546513, 5546514, 5546515, 5546516, 5546517.