Iowa, 2008

Winter Weather in Iowa, January 16 to 17, 2008

January 16 to 17, 2008 · NWS DVN · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

On January 16-17, 2008 low pressure tracked across the region producing an area of snow across northeast Iowa and extreme northwest Illinois. Snowfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches were common, with the heaviest northwest of a line from Williamsburg to Dubuque.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
11

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.

On January 16-17, 2008 low pressure tracked across the region producing an area of snow across northeast Iowa and extreme northwest Illinois. Snowfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches were common, with the heaviest northwest of a line from Williamsburg to Dubuque.

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 Jan 16, 3:52 AM CST, 10 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 16, 3:52 AM CST, 10 hours 53 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 16, 5:06 AM CST, 9 hours 39 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Benton

When
January 16, 2:45 PM CST to January 17, 10:45 AM CST
Where
Benton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.080, -92.066 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained spotter measured 5.1 inches of snow at Norway.

Winter Weather, Buchanan

When
January 16, 3:00 PM CST to January 17, 11:55 AM CST
Where
Buchanan forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.471, -91.838 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained observer measured 5.2 inches of snow at Quasqueton.

Winter Weather, Iowa

When
January 16, 5:00 PM CST to January 17, 10:30 AM CST
Where
Iowa forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.686, -92.065 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Linn

When
January 16, 10:10 PM CST to January 17, 10:00 AM CST
Where
Linn forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.079, -91.599 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Delaware

When
January 16, 11:00 PM CST to January 17, 11:15 AM CST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.471, -91.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jones

When
January 16, 11:50 PM CST to January 17, 12:30 PM CST
Where
Jones forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.121, -91.131 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Dubuque

When
January 17, 12:15 AM CST to 11:30 AM CST
Where
Dubuque forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.469, -90.882 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained spotter measured 4.2 inches of snow at Asbury.

Winter Weather, Keokuk

When
January 17, 12:30 AM CST to 10:00 AM CST
Where
Keokuk forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.337, -92.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jackson

When
January 17, 1:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
42.172, -90.574 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Johnson

When
January 17, 4:10 AM CST to 10:30 AM CST
Where
Johnson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.672, -91.588 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When
January 17, 4:30 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.336, -91.718 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Iowa in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, January 2008

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: 75004, 75005, 75009, 75014, 75007, 75012, 75008, 75013, 75010, 75011, 75015.