Iowa, 2000

Blizzard in Iowa, December 16, 2000

December 16, 2000 · NWS FSD · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Winds gusting over 50 mph combined with existing snow cover and 1 to 4 inches of new snow to produce prolonged blizzard conditions. Visibilities near zero and drifting snow made travel impossible.

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

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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 FSD wrote it up.

Winds gusting over 50 mph combined with existing snow cover and 1 to 4 inches of new snow to produce prolonged blizzard conditions. Visibilities near zero and drifting snow made travel impossible. Even snow plows were pulled off the roads until conditions improved. Many businesses, colleges, and technical schools closed during the storm. Wind chills dropped to near 60 below zero at times. Although there was no significant damage reported, the economic impact of the storm was still large in lost travel, business, and snow removal costs.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Cherokee

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Cherokee forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Clay

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Clay forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.083, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Dickinson

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Dickinson forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.378, -95.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Ida

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Ida forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.387, -95.513 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Lyon

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Lyon forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, O'Brien

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
O'Brien forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.084, -95.625 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Osceola

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Osceola forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.379, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Plymouth

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Plymouth forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Sioux

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Sioux forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Woodbury

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Woodbury forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Blizzard, Buena Vista

When
December 16, 4:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Buena Vista forecast zone
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
42.736, -95.151 (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

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: 5176883, 5176884, 5176885, 5176886, 5176887, 5176888, 5176889, 5176890, 5176891, 5176892, 5178645.