Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 2 to 3, 2003

Name: Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 2 to 3, 2003
Start: 2003-12-02T20:00
End: 2003-12-03T08:00
Location: Iowa

December 2 to 3, 2003 · NWS DMX · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 13 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: 13

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 widespread snow event took place during the evening of the 2nd into the morning of the 3rd. Low pressure dropped south from the northern Rockies into Kansas, and eventually dropped into the southern Plains. The system was more akin to an Alberta Clipper type storm than anything. The TROWAL was in place over Iowa, which enhanced precipitation. The storm initially produced a mixture of ice pellets and rain before changing over to snow. Light to occasionally moderate snow fell over much of the CWA through the night and into the morning hours of the 3rd. Most areas received from 1 to 4 inches of snow...and in fact the far southeast part of the CWA only received flurries. The snow became heavy over parts of northwest and north central Iowa. Snowfall of 6 to 10 inches was common in a 50 to 75 mile wide area extending from near Boone northwest into the Sibley area. Some of the heavier snow amounts included 10 inches at Pocahontas and nearby Spencer, 9 2 inches in Emmetsburg, and 9 inches in Fort Dodge. The snow caused some travel problems due to the warm ground causing melting and refreezing of the snow. There was no major impact from the storm beyond that however.

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 Dec 2, 2:45 PM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 2, 2:45 PM CST, 5 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
245 PM CST TUE DEC 2 2003

.SHORT TERM...
MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON TONIGHT SYSTEMS DYNAMICS.  BOTH
AVN/ETA BRING OUT SYSTEM ACRS SRN PLAINS AND INTO UPPER MIDWEST.
DYNAMICS IMPRESSIVE WITH BOTH MODELS HOWEVER ETA AMOUNTS APPEAR TO
EXCESSIVE ATTM CONSIDERING HOW DRY AIRMASS IS AND DEWPOINTS IN THE
TEENS. LOOKING AT LIFT/CONVERGENCE/OMEGA FIELDS POINT FROM NORTH
CENTRAL TO EAST CENTRAL IOWA WITH 3-5 INCHES LIKELY BTWN 03-09Z WITH
GREATEST LIFT.  THOUGH LIFT IS SLIGHLY BELOW DENDRITIC AND LESS THAN
IDEAL ABOVE MENTIONED AREA COULD SEEN GOOD HOURLY SNOWFALL RATES.
IF THINGS WERE IN PLACE AMOUNTS COULD BE HIGHER HOWEVER TOO MANY
LIMITING FACTORS TO RAISE TO WINTER STORM.  OTHER CONSDERATION IS
WARM GROUND TEMPS/SFC TEMPS ATTM OVER MUCH PF SRN HALF OF THE
STATE.  EXPECT PCPN TO BEGIN AS RAIN THEN QUICKLY CHANGE TO SNOW AS
DEPICTED BY SOUNDINGS THOUGH ETA SEEMS UNREALISTIC IN RAPID
SATURATION.  AVN SOUNDINGS LOOK LIKE THEY HANDLE SATURATION RATE IN
A MORE REALISTIC TIME FRAME.  ALSO GOOD LLJ FORECAST INTO THE STATE
TONIGHT AIDING DEVELOPMENT. NO GRERAT INFLUX OF COLDER AIR IN SHORT
TERM FCST PERIODS WITH TEMPS RIGHT AROUND NORMAL.  SECOND SYSTEM ON
THURSDAY TRACKS OUT OF CANADA THOUGH MOST FAVORED AREA OF SNOWFALL
IN NERN IA WITH BRUSH OVER NRN AND ERN PORTIONS OF CWA.  WONDER
ABOUT MODEL TRENDS AS THIS RUN APPEARS TO HAVE WEAKENED SYSTEM
COMPARED TO PREVIOUS RUNS WHICH HAD THURSDAY SYSTEM HAVING GREATER
POTENTIAL THAN TONIGHTS SYSTEM.

&&

.LONG TERM...
LONG TERM FAIRLY QUIET WITH HIGH ANCHORED OVER CENTRAL U.S. UNTIL
END OF THE WEEKEND.  APPROACHING SYSTEM FROM NORTHWEST BEGINS TO
AFFECT THE AREA AS EARLY AS VERY LATE SUNDAY HOWEVER MOST PCPN
MONDAY NIGHT/TUESDAY AS UPPER TROF DEEPENS AND SFC LO TRACKS THROUGH
LOWER MS VALLEY WHILE DRAGGING INVERTED TROF ACRS UPPER MIDWEST.
THOUGH SOME MODERATION IN TEMPS AS UPPER RIDGING SATURDAY/SUNDAY AND
COLDEST AIR REMAINS IN CENTRAL CANADA WITH ITS ARRIVAL MIDDLE OF
NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT AND
EARLY WEDNESDAY.

&&

FORSTER

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 2, 5:47 AM CST, 14 hours 13 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED FORMAT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA
547 AM CST TUE DEC 2 2003

IAZ015-023>026-033>039-046>050-059>062-072>075-084>086-095>097-
031200-
APPANOOSE-BLACK HAWK-BOONE-CALHOUN-DALLAS-DAVIS-FRANKLIN-GREENE-
GRUNDY-HAMILTON-HARDIN-HUMBOLDT-JASPER-LUCAS-MADISON-MAHASKA-MARION-
MARSHALL-MONROE-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-POLK-POWESHIEK-SAC-STORY-TAMA-
WAPELLO-WARREN-WAYNE-WEBSTER-WRIGHT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AMES...BOONE...CENTERVILLE...CHARITON...
DES MOINES...FORT DODGE...GRINNELL...INDIANOLA...IOWA FALLS...
KNOXVILLE...MARSHALLTOWN...NEWTON...OSKALOOSA...OTTUMWA...PELLA...
PERRY...WATERLOO AND WEBSTER CITY
524 AM CST TUE DEC 2 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA ALONG AND
SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 20.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

MUCH OF THE AREA CAN EXPECT PERIODS OF MODERATE TO BRIEFLY HEAVY SNOW
OVERNIGHT. MOST LOCATIONS WILL RECEIVE 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH
LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS AROUND 5 INCHES. QUICKLY ACCUMULATING SNOW
WILL CREATE SLICK ROADS AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT. MOST LOCATIONS CAN EXPECT AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 1 TO 3
INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN NORTHERN IOWA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

IAZ044-045-057-058-070-071-081>083-092>094-031200-
ADAIR-ADAMS-AUDUBON-CARROLL-CASS-CLARKE-CRAWFORD-DECATUR-GUTHRIE-
RINGGOLD-TAYLOR-UNION-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ATLANTIC...CARROLL...CRESTON...
DENISON AND LAMONI
524 AM CST TUE DEC 2 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTHWEST OF A
SAC CITY-ADAIR-LAMONI LINE.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL BEGIN TO SPREAD INTO SOUTHWEST IOWA THIS
AFTERNOON. PRECIPITATION COULD BE MIXED WITH SLEET FOR A PERIOD THIS
EVENING BEFORE QUICKLY CHANGING OVER TO ALL SNOW. EXPECT
ACCUMULATIONS FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES OVERNIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT. MOST LOCATIONS CAN EXPECT AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 1 TO 3
INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN NORTHERN IOWA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

IAZ004>007-016-017-027-028-031200-
BREMER-BUTLER-CERRO GORDO-EMMET-HANCOCK-KOSSUTH-WINNEBAGO-WORTH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALGONA...ESTHERVILLE...
MASON CITY AND WAVERLY
524 AM CST TUE DEC 2 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL IOWA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

LIGHT SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTHWARD INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. EXPECT
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES OVERNIGHT BEFORE THE SNOW DIMINISHES
AFTER 3 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

ACCUMULATING SNOW IS LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL IOWA THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT. MOST LOCATIONS CAN EXPECT AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 1 TO 3
INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN NORTHERN IOWA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

&&

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED AT WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/DMX
(ALL LOWER CASE).

KINNEY

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Boone

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Boone forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Calhoun

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Calhoun forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Emmet

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Emmet forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.378, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Greene

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Hamilton

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Hamilton forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.384, -93.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Humboldt

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Humboldt forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.777, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Kossuth

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Kossuth forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.204, -94.207 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Palo Alto

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Palo Alto forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.082, -94.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Poweshiek

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Poweshiek forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 41.686, -92.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sac

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Sac forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Webster

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wright

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Wright forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.733, -93.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Story

When: December 2, 8:00 PM CST to December 3, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Story forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.036, -93.465 (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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Iowa, December 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: 5336625, 5336626, 5336627, 5336628, 5336629, 5336630, 5336631, 5336632, 5336633, 5336634, 5336635, 5336636, 5336637.