High Wind in Iowa, February 25, 2001

Name: High Wind in Iowa, February 25, 2001
Start: 2001-02-25T02:00
End: 2001-02-25T16:00
Location: Iowa

February 25, 2001 · NWS DVN · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

As the storm system pulled away from the region, very strong winds gusted to between 45 and 55 mph during the day. The strong winds were responsible for ripping the scaffolding off the east side of the Tower Place parking ramp in Iowa City.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Quad Cities, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 24, 2:45 PM CST, 11 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 2:45 PM CST, 11 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
245 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2001

.OVERVIEW...A TAD MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD FORECAST THAN YESTERDAY/S AS
ICING EVENT HAS ENDED THIS AM NORTHERN 1/2 REGION WITH 1/8 TO 1 INCH
ICE AMOUNTS REPORTED.  SFC LOW OVER SW KANSAS AT 18Z STARTING TO
OCCLUDE WITH WARM FRONT EXTENDING FROM NEAR KMCI TO NEAR KSPI MOVING
NORTH AT 25 MPH...TO PUSH ACROSS AREA BETWEEN 23 AND 06Z. TRAILING COLD
FRONT PROGGED TO PASS SHORTLY AFTERWARDS BETWEEN 06 AND 12Z AS SFC LOW
PASSES INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  WIDESPREAD 3/4 TO 1 1/4 INCH PRECIP
REPORTS SO FAR WITH LOTS OF STANDING WATER AND PONDING AND SOME MINOR
FLOODING NW SECTIONS AS DENSE SNOWPACK MELTS.  SURFACE TEMPS OVER
FORECAST AREA RUNNING COLDER THAN MODEL GUIDANCE DUE TO PRECIP AND
SNOWPACK NORTH SECTIONS. UPPER ANALYSIS SUPPORTS INTENSIFICATION AND
RAPID NW MOVEMENT OF SYSTEM. RADARS SHOW AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN
AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS JUST AHEAD OF COLD FRONT WITH SOME AREAS OF
LIGHT RAIN AHEAD OF LAST BOUT OF PRECIP FOR DRY SLOT ARRIVES.

...ASSESSING END TO PRECIP THIS EVENING AND WINDS AND COOLING MAIN
ISSUE ALONG WITH CONTINUED FLOODING POTENTIAL...

DIAGNOSIS AND DAY 1...ALL MODELS ADEQUATE ON LARGER SCALE DYNAMICS BUT
VERIFY POORLY ON CURRENT PRECIP SO WILL USE NOWCAST TOOLS WHICH SUGGEST
A FEW MORE PERIODS OF RAIN AND SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING
WITH MAINLY SOME 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH ADDITIONAL TOTALS AN ISOLATED HIGHER
AMOUNTS AROUND 3/4 INCH.  TEMPS TO RISE INTO 50S THIS EVENING ALONG AND
SOUTH OF I-80 AND INTO 40S IN SNOW COVERED NORTH SECTIONS.  SINCE MANY
AREAS REPORT GROUND IS SATURATED WITH VERY MINOR FLOODING WILL KEEP
FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT DUE TO MODERATE RISK OF MORE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING
DUE TO RAINS THIS EVENING AND CONTINUED MELTING SNOW. OVERNIGHT...TEMPS
TO START TO FALL BEHIND FRONT WITH INCREASING WINDS AND SOME DRIZZLE AND
PATCHY LIGHT RAIN AS DRY SLOT ARRIVES...MIXING WITH SNOW OR FLURRIES NW
1/3 AREA. LOCAL WIND STUDIES SUGGEST 25 TO 35 MPH REASONABLE LATE
OVERNIGHT WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS NORTH 2/3 WITH LACK OF HEATING A KEY
FOR NOT GOING WITH WIND ADVISORY FOR NOW BUT PASS FOR EVENING/OVERNIGHT
FOLKS TO MONITOR. TEMPS...WILL ADJUST MAV/FWC FOR CURRENT BIASES IN 18-
20Z TEMP FIELDS AND PERSISTENCE TRENDS PAST FEW DAYS. SUNDAY...DRY SLOT
WITH SOME WRAPAROUND LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES MAINLY NW 1/2 AREA.  AGAIN
WINDY TO VERY WINDY JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA IN MORNING WITH
DIMINISHING SPEEDS IN AFTERNOON AND SOME CLEARING IN PM. TEMPS SHOULD BE
STEADY TO SLOWLY FALLING WITH BLEND OF MAV/ AND ETA 2M. SUNDAY NIGHT
CLEARING SKIES AND DECREASING WINDS WITH TEMPS NEAR MAV.  BESIDES FLOOD
POTENTIAL...WINDS MAIN CONCERN TO PASS TO SUBSEQUENT SHIFTS.

DAY 2...MONDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY AS MODERATE HIGH PASSES WITH INCREASING
CLOUDS LATE AND CHANCE OF SOME SNOW AND RAIN/SNOW SOUTH SECTIONS
OVERNIGHT DUE TO NEXT FRONT AND WEAK TROUGH. TEMPS CLOSE TO MAV/FWC.
LACK OF WIDESPREAD FORCING AND MOISTURE SUPPORTS LITTLE ACCUMULATION IF
ANY.

.EXTENDED (TUE-SAT)...
ALL MODELS SHOW NEXT INTRUSION OF ARCTIC AIR FOR COLD TEMPS TUE/WED AND
THEN NW THEN WEST FLOW FOR GENERALLY DRY AND NEAR SEASONABLE TEMPS BY
THURSDAY. MINOR ADJUSTMENTS OF MEX EXCEPT TUE/WED WITH ARCTIC AIR
UNDERDONE BY MEX/FMR IN LINE WITH NORMAL MODEL BIASES.

COORDINATED WITH ILX...THANX.

.DVN...
IA...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT.
IL...FLOODg WATCH TONIGHT.
MO...FLOOD WATCH TONIGHT.

NICHOLS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Lee

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Lee forecast zone
Measured: 42 kt (48 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.642, -91.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Linn

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Linn forecast zone
Measured: 46 kt (53 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Louisa

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Louisa forecast zone
Measured: 44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.219, -91.260 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Muscatine

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Muscatine forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.484, -91.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Scott

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Scott forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.637, -90.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Van Buren

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Van Buren forecast zone
Measured: 46 kt (53 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.753, -91.950 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Washington

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Buchanan

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Buchanan forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Benton

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Benton forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cedar

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Cedar forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.772, -91.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clayton

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Clayton forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.845, -91.341 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Clinton

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Clinton forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.898, -90.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Delaware

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Delaware forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.471, -91.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Des Moines

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Des Moines forecast zone
Measured: 46 kt (53 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.923, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Dubuque

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Dubuque forecast zone
Measured: 47 kt (54 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Henry

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Henry forecast zone
Measured: 46 kt (53 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.988, -91.544 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Iowa

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Iowa forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jackson

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jefferson

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Measured: 48 kt (55 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.032, -91.949 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Johnson

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Johnson forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Jones

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Jones forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Keokuk

When: February 25, 2:00 AM CST to 4:00 PM CST
Where: Keokuk forecast zone
Measured: 49 kt (56 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Iowa in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, February 2001

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: 5232002, 5232003, 5232004, 5232005, 5232006, 5232007, 5232008, 5234170, 5234171, 5234172, 5234173, 5234174, 5234175, 5234176, 5234177, 5234178, 5234179, 5234180, 5234181, 5234182, 5234183, 5234184.