Blizzard, Monona
- When
- January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Monona forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.052, -95.960 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
/Canadian border into southeast Canada. Strong winds gusted over 60 mph.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
A strong arctic cold front moved south from Canada through the central plains as low pressure moved east along the U.S./Canadian border into southeast Canada. Strong winds gusted over 60 mph. This produced considerable blowing and drifting snow with visibilities reduced to less than 1/4 mile in open areas. Visibilities were not as low in sheltered areas, although there was still extensive blowing and drifting. Snow showers did occur with the wind, but the low visibility was mainly caused by blowing snow.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Harrison
- When
- January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Harrison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.683, -95.817 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Shelby
- When
- January 15, 8:00 PM CST to January 16, 2:00 AM CST
- Where
- Shelby forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.685, -95.310 (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 Illinois, January 15 to 18, 1997
- Blizzard in North Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Cold in South Dakota, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 15 to 17, 1997
- Cold in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Mississippi, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 15, 1997
- High Wind in Iowa, January 15 to 16, 1997
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 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: 5584692, 5584693, 5584694.