Heavy Snow in Iowa, March 15 to 16, 2001

Name: Heavy Snow in Iowa, March 15 to 16, 2001
Start: 2001-03-15T15:00
End: 2001-03-16T17:00
Location: Iowa

March 15 to 16, 2001 · NWS DMX · 21 events in 21 counties and zones

A late winter storm took aim on Iowa on the 15th. Initially, a large amount of very warm air was drawn north into the state, sending temperatures into the 50s over the southern third of the state.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 21 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $650,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 21

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.

A late winter storm took aim on Iowa on the 15th. Initially, a large amount of very warm air was drawn north into the state, sending temperatures into the 50s over the southern third of the state. This caused a considerable amount of snow melt during the day on the 14th. During the early morning of the 15th, rain began to breakout over the southeast part of the state. During this time, a complex weather system was taking shape over the southwest High Plains. Two upper level systems merged over the central U.S., forming one low pressure system over south central Kansas by the morning of the 15th. During this time, cold air began to sink south into Iowa. the low tracked east across Missouri, eventually passing just south of St. Louis. A large precipitation shield formed on the north and west sides of the low. This deformation zone precipitation remained stationary for several hours. Rain changed to snow over central Iowa by the early afternoon hours of the 15th, with snow falling over most of the south half of the state by the mid evening hours. Snow fell heavily through the night with a large area of eight inches or more reported from parts of central Iowa, south into south central Iowa. The heaviest snow fall over the south central counties. A National Weather Service off-duty employee measured 14 inches of snow in central Decatur County. In nearby Lamoni, a NWS observer reported 12.4 inches from the storm. A band of very heavy snow, about 25 miles wide, extended from Lamoni northeast into Marion County. Ten inch plus reports were received in this area, with a narrow area of 12 inch plus amounts extending from Lamoni into Clarke and southeast Marion Counties. There was a sharp cut off of the heavy snowfall as you went northwest. Des Moines was near the northwest edge of the snow. Nearby Ames to the north received about an inch, while the NWS office in Johnston on the north side of the metropolitan area picked up 5.1 inches. Just 10 miles to the south of the NWS office, 8.2 inches was measured in the city of Windsor Heights. Even though the winds during the event were in the 20 to 40 MPH range, there was little blowing snow due to the very wet nature of the snow. Some drifting occurred and caused some problems with travel conditions. The very wet nature of the snow also caused some power outages. Snow caked on trees and power lines. A few branches were broken by the weight of the snow, resulting in the power outages. Nearly all schools across the southeast third of the state were closed by the storm.

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 Des Moines, IA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 15, 2:49 PM CST, 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 15, 2:49 PM CST, 11 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
249 PM CST THU MAR 15 2001

SYS BEGINNING TO SHOW ITS HAND TDA BUT DURATION...CHG TO SNW...AND
AMTS WL CONT TO BE FCST PROBLEMS.  SHARP GRADIENT ON NWRN EDGE WL
ALSO BE A CONCERN.  STLT IMAGERY AND RADAR MOSAIC CLEARLY SHOW UPR
LOW ACRS ERN KS/OK BORDER WITH SHRT WV IN BASE OF TROF AND ANOTHER
OUT AHD OF IT MOVG ACRS MO.  SYS NRLY VERTICALLY STACKED ATTM.  18Z
SFC ANLYS PLACES LOW IN SAME LOCATION WITH WRMFNT EXTENDING ACRS ERN
MO AND INVERTED TROF BTWN KCDJ AND KIRK.  PRES FALL CNTR MAINLY OVR
SRN MO...BUT THERE IS A SCNDRY AXIS ASSOCD WITH INVERTED TROF.  THIS
IS LIKELY REASON WHY BACK EDGE OF PCPN HAS BEEN SLOW TO CHG TO SNW
WITH WRM ADVCTN UNDERWAY FOR TIME BEING.  WL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS
FEATURE TO PASS BEFORE WE REALLY CHG PCPN TYPE.  12Z ETA AND 18Z RUC
SUGGEST RPD PCPN CHG ACRS ENTIRE FA BY EARLY THIS EVEN WHICH LOOKS
GOOD ONCE MO SHRT WV AND ASSOCD TROF BEGIN PULLING AWAY.  VSBYS
ALREADY BEGINNING TO GO DOWN IN SVRL SITES.

MDLS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT AND SHOWING GOOD RUN TO RUN
CONTINUITY...SPCLLY SINCE 00Z RUN.  THEY ALL POINT TWRD PROLONGED
PCPN EVENT FOR SERN THIRD OF FA LASTING WELL INTO FRI.  H85/H7
FRONTOGENETICAL FORCING AND QN RESPONSE ALG WITH THETA-E ADVCTN
ALREADY STG IN DEFORMATION ZN ACRS SERN FA.  TOTAL QG FORCING THEN
INCRS THIS EVEN LASTING THRU FRI.  SHRT WV DROPPING THRU DAKOTAS
THIS EVEN SHOULD HELP SUSTAIN PCPN INTO FRI WITH DIFFERENTIAL PVA
INCRG ALG SHEAR AXIS.  MDL OMEGA REFLECTS THIS UVM WELL.

AMTS WL BE TOUGH CALL WITH QPF SUGGESTING 5 TO 8 INCHES OVR SERN
FA...AND GARCIA METHOD ARND 6 IN 12 HR PD.  BACK EDGE WL CERTAINLY
BE MORE PROBLEMATIC WITH GRADIENT FM A DUSTING TO NR 6 INCHES JUST
ACRS A COUNTY OR TWO.  WL GO 2 TO 5 INCH AMTS AND WINTER WX ADVY ALG
KCSQ-KDSM-KMIW LN AND AM CONCEEDING A BUST SOMEWHERE IN THAT VCNTY
DUE TO TIGHT GRADIENT...POSSIBLY ON EITHER END OF THOSE AMTS.  WL
UPGRADE TO WINTER STORM WRNG IN HIGHER AMT AREA.  WL ONLY GO AN INCH
OR LESS JUST NW OF ADVY.  SNW ALREADY STICKING ON GRASS HERE AND
ROAD SFC TEMPS SHOULD FALL RPDLY AFT SS WHEN SNW SHOULD BEGIN
STICKING.  WNDS NOT QUITE AS STG AS XPCD YDA...BUT SHOULD STILL BE
HIGH ENOUGH TNGT FOR CONSIDERABLE BLOWING SNW.

NIL WX XPCD SAT AND SAT NGT AFT STORM.  AVN MOS GUIDANCE HAS BEEN
DOING WELL RECENTLY AND CANNOT SEE ANY REASON TO DEVIATE MUCH.

COORDINATION W/EAX...DVN AND OAX.

IN EXTENDED...MDLS STILL WANT TO BRING LG WV TROF THRU CNTRL CONUS
SUN INTO MON BUT LESS AMPLIFIED...SPCLLY MRF WHICH IS NOW FASTER.
EURO MDLS...CANADIAN AND NOGAPS MDLS ALL SLOWER WHICH MRF ENSEMBLE
HINTS AT AS WELL.  12Z AVN SLOWER THAN MRF AND SOMEWHERE IN BTWN.
MRF RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY POOR WITH BIG CHG FM 14/00Z SO WL LEAN
TWRD SLOWER SOLUTIONS.  PCPN CHCS DO NOT LOOK TOO GOOD BASED ON
CANADIAN MDL QPF...BUT WL LEAVE IN FAR SRN ZNS FOR CONTINUITIES SAKE
EVEN THOUGH MRF NOW DEPICTS WEAK QG FORCING ACRS ENTIRE STATE.

FOR END OF PD...SHRT WV EJECTING FM CURRENT ALEUTIAN LOW DROPS INTO
NRN PLAINS MIDWEEK WITH MRF AGN FASTEST.  MRF ENSEMBLE PCPN PROBS
SUGGEST ADDING POPS TUE THRU THU WITH BETTER NUMBERS ON TUE MUCH
LIKE MRF H85/H5 QG FORCING AND RH REFLECTS.  WL GO WITH POPS TUE NGT
AND WED ACCTG FOR SLOWER SOLUTION.  PARTIAL THICKNESSES POINT TWRD
RAIN OR SNW N...AND RAIN CNTRL AND S.  CANNOT SEE MUCH REASON TO
DEVIATE FM MRF MOS TEMPS.

.KDSM...WINTER STORM WRNG TNGT AND FRI SERN THIRD OF FA
         IAZ062-073>075-083>086-093>097
        WINTER WX ADVY TNGT AND FRI GENERALLY ALG KCSQ-KDSM-KMIW LN
         IA049-050-059>061-071-072-081-082-092
SMALL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

21 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Taylor

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Taylor forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.737, -94.696 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Union

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.028, -94.242 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wapello

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Wapello forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.031, -92.409 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Warren

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Warren forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.740, -93.327 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Adair

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Adair forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.471 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Adams

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Adams forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.029, -94.699 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Appanoose

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Appanoose forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.743, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Clarke

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Clarke forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.785 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Dallas

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Dallas forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.685, -94.040 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Davis

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Davis forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.748, -92.410 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Decatur

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Decatur forecast zone
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Jasper

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Jasper forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.054 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lucas

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Lucas forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.029, -93.328 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Madison

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mahaska

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Mahaska forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.335, -92.641 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Marion

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.334, -93.099 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Monroe

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Monroe forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.030, -92.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Polk

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Polk forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -93.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Poweshiek

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Poweshiek forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ringgold

When: March 15, 3:00 PM CST to March 16, 5:00 PM CST
Where: Ringgold forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 40.735, -94.244 (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

Every storm in Iowa in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, March 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: 5233696, 5233697, 5233698, 5233699, 5233700, 5235421, 5235422, 5235423, 5235424, 5235425, 5235426, 5235427, 5235428, 5235429, 5235430, 5235431, 5235432, 5235433, 5235434, 5235435, 5235436.