Winter Storm, Benton
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Benton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in Iowa, February 28, 1998
Snowfall of 1 to 3 inches and a rapid drop in temperatures resulted in trecherous driving conditions across eastern and southeastern Iowa. Numerous accidents were reported along with many minor injuries.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
- 8
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.
Snowfall of 1 to 3 inches and a rapid drop in temperatures resulted in trecherous driving conditions across eastern and southeastern Iowa. Numerous accidents were reported along with many minor injuries. In one city as many as 70 accidents were reported with at least 5 multi-vehicle accidents ranging from 3 to 14 vehicles.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
8 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Des Moines
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Des Moines forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Henry
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Henry forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Iowa
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Iowa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Johnson
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Johnson forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Lee
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Lee forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Linn
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Linn forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm, Louisa
- When
- February 28, 4:00 PM CST to 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Louisa forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.219, -91.260 (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
- Tornado and Damaging Wind in Florida, February 28, 1998
- Flooding in Florida, February 28, 1998
- Hail in Florida, February 28, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Florida, February 28, 1998
- Heat in New Jersey, February 28, 1998
- Heat in Pennsylvania, February 28, 1998
- Hail in Georgia, February 28, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, February 28, 1998
- Heat in Maryland, February 28, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, February 28, 1998
- Heat in Delaware, February 28, 1998
- Hail in Ohio, February 28, 1998
More
Every storm in Iowa in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, February 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: 5636760, 5636761, 5636762, 5636763, 5636764, 5636765, 5636766, 5636767.