Heavy Snow, Benton
- When
- April 6, 5:30 PM CST to April 7, 11:30 AM CST
- Where
- Benton forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
5 to 6 inches of snow
Heavy Snow in Iowa, April 6 to 7, 2003
A powerful spring storm system brought a late season snowfall to Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois. Sustained winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph were common creating power outages.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- 3
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.
A powerful spring storm system brought a late season snowfall to Eastern Iowa and Northwest Illinois. Sustained winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph were common creating power outages. Many schools either cancelled or started classes late on Monday April 7th while law enforcement reported several accidents due to slick roads with at least 1 injury reported. Areas south of Interstate 80 saw an inch or less of snowfall, while areas between Interstate 80 and U.S. Highway 30 saw 1 to 3 inches of snow. The heaviest snow fell north of U.S. Highway 30 where 3 to 6 inch snowfall amounts were common. A cooperative observer in Stanley Iowa reported 7.1 inches of snow. Due to ongoing drought conditions, the moisture from the snow was welcomed.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy Snow, Buchanan
- When
- April 6, 6:00 PM CST to April 7, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Buchanan forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
5 to 7 inches of snow
Heavy Snow, Jones
- When
- April 6, 7:00 PM CST to April 7, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Jones forecast zone
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
5 to 6 inches of snow
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
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Mississippi, April 6 to 7, 2003
- Tornadoes in Texas, April 6, 2003
- Tornado in Texas, April 6, 2003
- Tornadoes in Texas, April 6, 2003
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Louisiana, April 6 to 7, 2003
- Winter Storm in Iowa, April 6 to 7, 2003
- Tornado in Louisiana, April 6, 2003
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 6 to 7, 2003
- Tornado in Texas, April 6, 2003
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 6 to 7, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 6, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, April 6, 2003
More
Every storm in Iowa in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, April 2003
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: 5353427, 5353426, 5353428.