Heavy Snow, Des Moines
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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 in Iowa, December 28 to 29, 2000
An unusually strong Alberta Clipper storm tracked southeast through Iowa into central Illinois and spread some locally heavy snow over parts of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The snow began in east central Iowa during the mid-morning on December 28th, then spread eastward into western Illinois during the afternoon.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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
- 19
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.
An unusually strong Alberta Clipper storm tracked southeast through Iowa into central Illinois and spread some locally heavy snow over parts of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. The snow began in east central Iowa during the mid-morning on December 28th, then spread eastward into western Illinois during the afternoon. West of the Mississippi River, much of the snow ended before dawn on the 29th, but snow on the back side of the system persisted during the morning hours along and east of the river. Storm total snowfall amounts of 4 to 6 inches were common across the area, with some locally higher amounts. 8 inches fell in Cedar county, and 7 inches in Muscatine and Jones counties. In southeast Iowa, snowfall amounts ranged from 2 to 5 inches. Area law enforcement handled numerous accidents across the area. Traffic was backed up on Interstate 80 near Bettendorf after a semi-trailer jackknifed during the evening of the 29th. No one was injured.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
19 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Dubuque
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Dubuque forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Henry
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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, Iowa
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Iowa forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Jackson
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jackson forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Jefferson
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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, Johnson
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Johnson forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Jones
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Jones forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Keokuk
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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, Linn
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Linn forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Louisa
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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, Scott
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Scott forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Van Buren
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM 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 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Washington forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Benton
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Benton forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Buchanan
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Buchanan forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Clinton
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy Snow, Delaware
- When
- December 28, 10:00 AM CST to December 29, 11:00 AM CST
- Where
- Delaware forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.367 (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
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 28, 2000
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 28, 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
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, 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: 5177795, 5177796, 5177797, 5177798, 5177799, 5177800, 5177801, 5177802, 5177803, 5177804, 5177805, 5177806, 5177807, 5177808, 5177809, 5177893, 5177894, 5177895, 5177896.