Iowa, 1998

Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 30, 1998

December 30, 1998 · NWS DMX · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Low pressure dropped into eastern Montana during the evening of the 29th, then slid southeast into eastern Kansas by the evening of the 30th. This low pressure was the first true Alberta Clipper system to affect Iowa with wintry weather.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Low pressure dropped into eastern Montana during the evening of the 29th, then slid southeast into eastern Kansas by the evening of the 30th. This low pressure was the first true Alberta Clipper system to affect Iowa with wintry weather. Very strong warm air advection took place over the top of the Arctic air that was in place over Iowa. Snow broke out to the northeast of the warm front poised to the southwest of the state. Snow fell quite heavily for a period of three to 5 hours in many areas. A small area of the snow band became convective with heavier snowfall over several counties of central Iowa. Six to seven inches of snow fell in a few hours time in a band extending from Fort Dodge to Des Moines. It was fortunate that winds were not very strong during this event. There were numerous reports of traffic accidents as this was the first real winter snow of the season for many areas of the state.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Boone

When
December 30, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Dallas

When
December 30, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Dallas forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hamilton

When
December 30, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Polk

When
December 30, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Polk forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Story

When
December 30, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Story forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Webster

When
December 30, 9:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Webster forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
42.428, -94.182 (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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, December 1998

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5677445, 5677446, 5677447, 5677448, 5677449, 5677450.