Iowa, 2000

Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 13, 2000

December 13, 2000 · NWS DVN · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

As the region was busy digging out from a major winter storm on 12/11, another storm developed over the southern plains during the early morning hours of 12/13. The system tracked northeast through the lower Mississippi valley into the Ohio valley through the day.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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
9

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.

As the region was busy digging out from a major winter storm on 12/11, another storm developed over the southern plains during the early morning hours of 12/13. The system tracked northeast through the lower Mississippi valley into the Ohio valley through the day. The storm tapped into Gulf moisture to the south, and the result was another round of significant snow for the area, before the snow tapered to flurries during the evening hours. NWS Cooperative Observers and sheriffs officials reported snowfall amounts of 2-5 inches south of Interstate 80, with the heaviest amounts across Lee, Van Buren, and Des Moines counties. The snow created hazardous driving conditions, and area law enforcement officials were kept busy responding to calls of cars in the ditch. Snowfall amounts north of Interstate 80 were lighter, in the range of a 1/2 to 2 inches.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Des Moines

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Des Moines forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Henry

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Henry forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jefferson

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.032, -91.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Keokuk

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Keokuk forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lee

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Lee forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Louisa

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Louisa forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Muscatine

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Muscatine forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Van Buren

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Van Buren forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.753, -91.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Washington

When
December 13, 8:00 AM CST to 9:00 PM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.336, -91.718 (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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, December 2000

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: 5167671, 5167672, 5167673, 5167674, 5167675, 5167676, 5167677, 5167678, 5167679.