Blizzard, Lyon
- When
- December 28, 1:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lyon forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.381, -96.210 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard in Iowa, December 28, 2000
Strong winds, gusting to near 50 mph at times, combined with existing snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snowfall to create blizzard conditions. Visibilities were near zero at times, especially in open areas.
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
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 FSD wrote it up.
Strong winds, gusting to near 50 mph at times, combined with existing snow cover and 1 to 2 inches of new snowfall to create blizzard conditions. Visibilities were near zero at times, especially in open areas. The reduced visibility and drifting snow made travel impossible in many areas. Many businesses were forced to close.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Sioux
- When
- December 28, 1:00 PM CST to 9:00 PM CST
- Where
- Sioux forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.083, -96.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Cherokee
- When
- December 28, 2:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Cherokee forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.736, -95.624 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Plymouth
- When
- December 28, 2:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Plymouth forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.738, -96.214 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Woodbury
- When
- December 28, 2:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Woodbury forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.390, -96.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard, Ida
- When
- December 28, 2:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ida forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.387, -95.513 (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
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 28, 2000
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 28, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 28 to 29, 2000
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 28, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 28 to 29, 2000
- High Wind in North Dakota, December 28, 2000
- Blizzard in South Dakota, December 28, 2000
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 28, 2000
- High Wind in South Dakota, December 28, 2000
- High Wind in South Dakota, December 28, 2000
- Winter Storm in North Dakota, December 28, 2000
- Winter Storm in Iowa, December 28, 2000
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: 5168524, 5168526, 5168523, 5168525, 5168527, 5176922.