An ice storm occurred on December 23, 2009 in portions of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. Ice accumulations of 1/4 to 1/2 inch were common which coated trees and power lines but temperatures in the lower 30s kept most roads wet.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS DVN wrote it up.
An ice storm occurred on December 23, 2009 in portions of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. Ice accumulations of 1/4 to 1/2 inch were common which coated trees and power lines but temperatures in the lower 30s kept most roads wet. Scattered power outages and some broken tree branches were reported as winds gusted to 35 mph.
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 Dec 22, 10:00 PM CST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
1000 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
.UPDATE...
MOVED UP THE START TIME OF THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO THE
CURRENT TIME FOR AREAS GENERALLY NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30 SINCE FREEZING
DRIZZLE/RAIN WAS CREATING A GLAZE ON BOTH SECONDARY AND MAIN ROADS
OVER THE NRN CWA. THE NAM THE INDICATING MID LEVEL DRYING TONIGHT
WHICH WOULD SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION OF FREEZING DRIZZLE THROUGH
THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WITH SURFACE TEMPS HOLDING AROUND
30...THE GLAZING ON ROAD SURFACES SHOULD CONTINUE.
FREEZING RAIN/DRIZZLE WAS ALSO OCCURRING TO THE SOUTH ALONG THE I80
CORRIDOR. HOWEVER SURFACE TEMPS WERE NEAR FREEZING AND IT APPEARS
ICE WAS LIMITED TO UNTREATED ROAD SURFACES.
NO OTHER HEADLINE CHANGES WERE MADE WITH THIS UPDATE.
...DLF...
&&
.DVN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IA...FLOOD WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
FOR BENTON-BUCHANAN-CEDAR-CLINTON-DELAWARE-DES MOINES-
DUBUQUE-HENRY IA-IOWA-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-
KEOKUK-LEE-LINN-LOUISA-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-VAN BUREN-WASHINGTON.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR BENTON-
BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-JACKSON-JONES-LINN.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON FOR BENTON-BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-JACKSON-
JONES-LINN.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR
CEDAR-CLINTON-IOWA-JOHNSON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT.
IL...FLOOD WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
FOR BUREAU-CARROLL-HANCOCK-HENDERSON-HENRY IL-JO DAVIESS-
MCDONOUGH-MERCER-PUTNAM-ROCK ISLAND-STEPHENSON-WARREN-
WHITESIDE.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST THURSDAY FOR CARROLL-JO
DAVIESS-STEPHENSON.
WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON FOR JO DAVIESS.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR
BUREAU-HENRY IL-PUTNAM-ROCK ISLAND-WHITESIDE.
MO...FLOOD WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
FOR CLARK-SCOTLAND.
&&
DLFHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 412 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>068-076>078-087>089-098-099-ILZ001-002-007- 009-015>018-024>026-034-035-MOZ009-010-232215- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-MUSCATINE-SCOTT-KEOKUK-WASHINGTON-LOUISA-JEFFERSON- HENRY IA-DES MOINES-VAN BUREN-LEE-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL- WHITESIDE-ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM-MERCER-HENDERSON- WARREN-HANCOCK-MCDONOUGH-SCOTLAND-CLARK- 412 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL IOWA...NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST IOWA AND NORTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A LARGE SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE REGION TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL OCCUR TONIGHT...PRIMARILY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. NO SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED...BUT THIS MAY RESULT IN SLICK SPOTS ON UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A LARGE...SLOW MOVING WINTER STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. ON WEDNESDAY...FREEZING DRIZZLE...MIXED WITH SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE LIKELY PRIMARILY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 80. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA FOR WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE ENTIRE AREA FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THURSDAY. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED. THIS MAY LEAD TO FLOODING ON AREA RIVERS DUE TO THE FROZEN GROUND...AND ALSO IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS DUE TO SLOWED DRAINAGE FROM SNOW AND ICE. THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE FROM RAIN TO SNOW AS THE CENTER OF THE STORM SYSTEM PASSES TO THE NORTHWEST. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY OVER EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST IOWA. A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...OR FROM CHRISTMAS EVE THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY. MORE DETAILED AND UPDATED INFORMATION ON THESE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES AND WINTER STORM WATCHES CAN BE FOUND IN THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES. ALSO...PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH PRODUCT FOR MORE COMPLETE...UPDATED INFORMATION ON THE FLOOD POTENTIAL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...BUT REPORTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED. SHEETS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL 1230 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009 IAZ040>042-051>054-063>066-068-ILZ001-002-007-009-015>018-230930- BUCHANAN-DELAWARE-DUBUQUE-BENTON-LINN-JONES-JACKSON-IOWA-JOHNSON- CEDAR-CLINTON-SCOTT-JO DAVIESS-STEPHENSON-CARROLL-WHITESIDE- ROCK ISLAND-HENRY IL-BUREAU-PUTNAM- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INDEPENDENCE...MANCHESTER...DUBUQUE... VINTON...CEDAR RAPIDS...ANAMOSA...MAQUOKETA...MARENGO... IOWA CITY...TIPTON...CLINTON...BETTENDORF...DAVENPORT...GALENA... FREEPORT...MOUNT CARROLL...STERLING...ROCK FALLS...MOLINE... ROCK ISLAND...KEWANEE...PRINCETON...HENNEPIN 1230 AM CST WED DEC 23 2009 ...SLIPPERY DRIVING CONDITIONS EARLY THIS MORNING... AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL DEPOSIT A THIN GLAZE OF ICE ON UNTREATED SURFACES MAKING FOR VERY SLICK WALKING AND DRIVING CONDITIONS. IF YOU WILL BE OUT EARLY THIS MORNING... BE PREPARED FOR ICY CONDITIONS. USE CAUTION ON SIDEWALKS AND ESPECIALLY ON THE SECONDARY ROADS...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO SLOW DOWN AND ALLOW FOR PLENTY OF BRAKING DISTANCE. ROAD SURFACES MAY CHANGE FROM WET TO ICE COVERED WITH A SHORT DISTANCE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Davenport at the Mt. Joy Airport measured ice accumulations ranging between 0.25 and 0.40 inches.
A trained spotter 4 miles southeast of Van Horne measured one-half inch ice accumulations on trees and elevated surfaces, breaking small branches.
A trained spotter 2 miles northeast of Calamus measured ice accumulations near 0.40 inches on elevated surfaces.
A trained spotter 1 mile southeast of Swisher measured one-half inch ice accumulation on elevated surfaces.
TV station KCRG in Cedar Rapids relayed a report of one-half ice accumulations on elevated surfaces at Walker.
A trained spotter 4 miles south of Rowley measured one-half inch ice accumulation on elevated surfaces.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, December 2009
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: 204760, 204751, 204753, 204754, 204758, 208258, 204752, 204759, 204757, 204755, 204756.