Iowa, 2006

Heavy Snow in Iowa, March 21, 2006

March 21, 2006 · NWS DMX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

S. The high fed cool and dry air into the upper Midwest while a storm system took shape over the Rockies.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 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
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 large area of high pressure was centered over Nunavut Canada during the event with a ridge extending south into the central U.S. The high fed cool and dry air into the upper Midwest while a storm system took shape over the Rockies. There was considerable isentropic lift in place for an extended period of time, however the feed of very dry air, with dew points in the teens, blocked the eastward progress of the snow for over 36 hours. It wasn't until the upper low lifted out of the Rockies that the snow area advanced into Iowa. Snow began during the night of the 20th and spread east to cover about the southwest half of the state. Heavy snowfall occurred over parts of west central into central Iowa as a deformation zone formed in that area. snowfall of 6 to 11 inches was common through the area extending frm Ames west-northwest into the Sac City area. The heaviest snowfall reported was 11 inches in Calhoun County at Lake City. Ten inches fell in Boone County in Boone. Many areas of the southwest half to third of the state picked up 3 to 5 inches of snow. A few spots received heavier amounts with 7 inches reported in Madison County, and 6 inches in the Decatur County. Travel became hazardous as the heavy wet snow begin to accumulate on the road surfaces. Travel was not recommended for a period of several hours. In spite of the winds of 20 to 30 MPH, blowing snow was limited. Considerable drifting took place until the snow stopped falling.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Boone

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Boone forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.037, -93.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Calhoun

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Calhoun forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.385, -94.640 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Carroll

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.036, -94.861 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Decatur

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Decatur forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
40.738, -93.786 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Greene

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Greene forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.036, -94.397 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Madison

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Madison forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.331, -94.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Sac

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Sac forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.386, -95.105 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Story

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Story forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.036, -93.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Webster

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Webster forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
42.428, -94.182 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Cass

When
March 21, 4:00 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Cass forecast zone
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.332, -94.928 (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

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, March 2006

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5496048, 5496049, 5496050, 5496051, 5496052, 5496053, 5496054, 5496055, 5496056, 5496057.