Iowa, 2000

Ice Storm in Iowa, February 17 to 18, 2000

February 17 to 18, 2000 · NWS DMX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

The seasons first winter storm moved across the Rockies during the day on the 17th. By evening a strong low pressure moved into Kansas.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$550,000
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 DMX wrote it up.

The seasons first winter storm moved across the Rockies during the day on the 17th. By evening a strong low pressure moved into Kansas. Very strong winds in the low levels of 40 to 55 knots drew moisture north from the Gulf of Mexico. Strong convection developed ahead of a warm front extending east from the low, across Kansas into Missouri. The convection lifted north into the colder air. As it did, rainfall turned to freezing rain and sleet along the Iowa and Missouri border. Moderate freezing rain was reported for a few hours during the height of the storm across southern Iowa, along with occasional reports of thunder. Most of the south two tiers of counties received at least one quarter of an inch of freezing rain. This caused some tree limbs to snap and knocked out power in area. By late in the storm, the freezing rain changed to sleet with up to an inch of sleet accumulation reported in spots. Ottumwa was one of the locations with at least an inch of sleet from the storm. After sunrise on the 18th, the sleet changed over to light snow for several hours.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Clarke

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Clarke forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
41.029, -93.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Appanoose

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Appanoose forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Davis

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Davis forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
40.748, -92.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Decatur

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Decatur forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lucas

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Lucas forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Monroe

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Monroe forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Ringgold

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Ringgold forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
40.735, -94.244 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Taylor

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Taylor forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
40.737, -94.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Union

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Union forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Wapello

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Wapello forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Wayne

When
February 17, 8:00 PM CST to February 18, 7:00 AM CST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
METEOROLOGIST(NON NWS)
Coordinates
40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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, February 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: 5127376, 5127377, 5127378, 5127379, 5127380, 5127381, 5127382, 5127383, 5127384, 5127385, 5130393.