Iowa, 1997

Heavy Snow in Iowa, February 3 to 4, 1997

February 3 to 4, 1997 · NWS FSD · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

Snow accumulated 6 to 12 inches with 12 inches reported at Sioux City, Storm Lake, Newell, and west of Rock Rapids. The snow curtailed travel and closed schools for a day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
10

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 accumulated 6 to 12 inches with 12 inches reported at Sioux City, Storm Lake, Newell, and west of Rock Rapids. The snow curtailed travel and closed schools for a day.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Lyon

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Coordinates
43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Osceola

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Osceola forecast zone
Coordinates
43.379, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sioux

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Sioux forecast zone
Coordinates
43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, O'Brien

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
O'Brien forecast zone
Coordinates
43.084, -95.625 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Clay

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Coordinates
43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Plymouth

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Plymouth forecast zone
Coordinates
42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cherokee

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Cherokee forecast zone
Coordinates
42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Buena Vista

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Buena Vista forecast zone
Coordinates
42.736, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Woodbury

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Woodbury forecast zone
Coordinates
42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ida

When
February 3, 8:00 AM CST to February 4, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Ida forecast zone
Coordinates
42.387, -95.513 (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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 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: 5588838, 5589072, 5589073, 5589074, 5589075, 5589076, 5589077, 5589078, 5589079, 5589080.