Blizzard in Iowa, February 25, 2001

A powerful late winter storm moved through the central u.s. on the 24th and 25. Low pressure formed over eastern Colorado and tracked into southwest Iowa by the evening of the 24th. The low "bombed" out as it tracked northeast across Iowa and into northeast Wisconsin by the morning of the 25th. Temperatures warmed well above freezing over all of the Des Moines CWA during the late afternoon and evening of the 24th. As the low tracked northeast, a line of showers and thunderstorms marked the passage of a cold front. Temperatures fell below freezing within a few hours of the fronts passage. Winds increased rapidly from the west to northwest. During the early morning hours, winds across the entire state were sustained at 30 to 40 MPH with frequent gusts to around 50 MPH. The winds continued into the mid afternoon hours. Blizzard conditions developed across the north central counties of the state before dawn on the 25th. Very little in the way of snowfall occurred. In fact, most of the snow on the ground was packed ice and not able to blow. An area of light snow moved through northern Iowa between midnight and 6 AM CST. Visibility decreased as wind driven snow in suspension swept southeast into Iowa out of Minnesota. Just north of the Iowa border, significant snow had fallen and was able to blow. Low level winds in excess of 70 MPH were able to transport the blowing snow south. Visibility decreased to under one quarter of a mile very rapidly over the north central sections of the state. Numerous roads, in fact nearly all, were closed due to poor visibility and drifting snow. A serious accident occurred in Interstate 35 south of Clear Lake involving three tractor semi-trailers and several cars. Reports from emergency personnel indicated ambulance rescue was nearly impossible, and in fact delayed for a period, as it was not possible to determine whether they were traveling in the northbound or southbound lane of the interstate. The Interstate was closed at that point. The Iowa State Highway Patrol closed Interstate 35 from U.S. Highway 20 north to the Minnesota border. As the surface low continued to exit the region at a very fast pace, winds decreased during the mid and late afternoon hours. Visibility increased over the enter blizzard to greater than three miles by the late afternoon.