Winter Storm, Buchanan
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Buchanan forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Iowa, December 6, 1998
Rain developed throughout Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois ahead of an arctic cold front which swept across the region. By late afternoon the rain began to change to snow as colder air overspread the area.
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
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- 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 DVN wrote it up.
Rain developed throughout Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois ahead of an arctic cold front which swept across the region. By late afternoon the rain began to change to snow as colder air overspread the area. The snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain at times, mainly along and south of I-80. Roads became slick and snowpacked north of I-80 resulting in treacherous driving conditions and numerous accidents. Most of the snow fell in a swath from Iowa City to Dubuque and Freeport where accumulations ranged from 1 to 3 inches.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Delaware
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Delaware forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Dubuque
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dubuque forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Benton
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Benton forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Linn
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Linn forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jones
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jones forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Jackson
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Iowa
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Iowa forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Johnson
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Johnson forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Cedar
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cedar forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.772, -91.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Clinton
- When
- December 6, 3:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Damaging Winds in Michigan, December 6 to 7, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Wind in California, December 6, 1998
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Illinois, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Indiana, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Ohio, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Indiana, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, December 6, 1998
- Heat in West Virginia, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, December 6, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Ohio, December 6, 1998
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5677899, 5677900, 5677901, 5677902, 5677903, 5677904, 5677905, 5677906, 5677907, 5677908, 5677909.