Heavy Snow, Appanoose
- When
- December 4, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Appanoose forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 4, 1997
A strong storm system passed to the south of Iowa during the 3rd and left a light dusting of snow. The upper air flow became strong cyclonic northwest.
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
- $10,000
- 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.
A strong storm system passed to the south of Iowa during the 3rd and left a light dusting of snow. The upper air flow became strong cyclonic northwest. An Alberta clipper type storm system moved southeast with the central crossing the southwest corner of the state. Much of the state received from one to four inches of snow. A narrow band of heavy snow fell over south central Iowa. Amounts in the band were in the 5 to 8 inch range. A narrow band extended from Derby toward Lake Rathbun with the heaviest snowfall reported at Derby where 8 inches fell. The snow caused travel problems statewide as the ground temperatures were above freezing at the onset of the snow. Snow melted on the roads and froze after nightfall. The ice persisted into the morning of the 5th and caused a great deal of traffic problems.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Lucas
- When
- December 4, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lucas forecast zone
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Monroe
- When
- December 4, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Monroe forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Wayne
- When
- December 4, 7:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Wayne forecast zone
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Heavy Snow
- Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind and Heavy Rain in California, December 4 to 5, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Florida, December 4, 1997
- Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, December 4 to 5, 1997
- Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 4 to 5, 1997
- Winter Weather in West Virginia, December 4 to 6, 1997
- High Surf in California, December 4 to 7, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 4 to 5, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, December 4 to 6, 1997
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, December 1997
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: 5622457, 5622458, 5622459, 5622460.