Snow melt continued into the middle of the month. Rivers remained ice covered in Northwest Iowa.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 DMX wrote it up.
Snow melt continued into the middle of the month. Rivers remained ice covered in Northwest Iowa. Two ice jams formed in Emmet County in the Estherville area. The Des Moines River overflowed its banks rapidly, flooding agricultural lands about a mile south and also 2 miles north of Estherville. The ice jam broke free during the early afternoon hours.
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 Mar 16, 11:30 AM CST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 1230 PM CDT TUE MAR 16 2010 .SHORT TERM /TODAY/... S/WV DVLPG FROM NRN MN INTO WRN SD WILL DROP SWD ACRS IA TDA. THE SYSTEM HAS LITTLE TO WORK WITH AND AS A RESULT DO NOT EXPECT MORE THAN SCT -RN OUT OF THIS. UVV IS MINIMAL AND IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO SATURATE THE SOUNDING ENUF TO GET PRECIP GOING. QPF VALUES ON THE ORDER OF A FEW HUNDREDTHS. INITIALLY LOW CLOUDS WILL PREVAIL THIS MRNG. THERE IS LITTLE CHANCE OF MUCH BREAKUP AS THE HI CLOUDS WILL DVLP BY MID TO LATE MRNG. ALLOWD FOR TEMP RISES TDA ON THE ORDER OF 10 DEG FROM MRNG LOWS DUE TO THE CLOUDS AND SCT -RN. .LONG TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... A FEW AREAS OF LIGHT RAIN MAY LINGER INTO TONIGHT AS A 500 MB WAVE/VORT MAX DEPARTS TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST. MAINTAINED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS OVERNIGHT AS QPFS ARE VERY LIGHT. THEREAFTER...MORE MILD TEMPS IN STORE FOR WEDNESDAY AND ESPECIALLY THURSDAY AS DEEP LAYER RIDGE MOVES OVERHEAD AND WINDS COME AROUND TO WEST SOUTHWEST ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE PRIMARY IMPACT EVENT OF THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS WILL BE THE STORM SYSTEM SET TO AFFECT THE AREA FROM FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MODELS HAVE COME INTO MUCH BETTER AGREEMENT TONIGHT ON THE EVOLUTION OF THIS SYSTEM. AT 500 MB A NORTHERN STREAM WAVE WILL SAG INTO SOUTHERN MANITOBA ON THURSDAY WHILE A SHORTWAVE FURTHER SOUTHWEST MOVES RAPIDLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND DIGS INTO THE FOUR CORNERS REGION BY FRIDAY EVENING. THIS WILL PLACE US IN SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AND PROMOTE LOW LEVEL CYCLOGENESIS IN THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES. IT APPEARS THAT AN INVERTED TROUGH WILL SET UP EXTENDING FROM A SURFACE LOW AROUND SE CO/W KS/OK AND TX PANHANDLES NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OR SO OF OUR CWA BY 00Z SATURDAY. STRONG FORCING COMBINED WITH IMPRESSIVE MOISTURE ADVECTION ABOVE THE SURFACE TROUGH WILL SUPPORT WIDESPREAD PRECIP DEVELOPING ACROSS MUCH OF OUR AREA BY LATE FRIDAY AND PERSISTING INTO SATURDAY AS THE LOW TO THE SOUTH BECOMES MORE STACKED AND MOVES ACROSS MISSOURI AND INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY...BRINGING PRECIP IN OUR CWA TO AN END IN THE SOUTHEAST BY LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A STRONG SIGNAL FOR SOME SIGNIFICANT QPF ACROSS OUR AREA NORTH OF THE SURFACE FRONT...ESSENTIALLY OUR NORTHWESTERN HALF ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON...CENTRAL COUNTIES FRIDAY NIGHT...AND SOUTHEASTERN HALF ON SATURDAY. PRECIPITATION TYPE IS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT TO FORECAST WITH THIS SYSTEM AS IT APPEARS THE PRECIP WILL BEGIN AS ALL RAIN ON FRIDAY BEFORE GRADUALLY TRANSITIONING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST THROUGHOUT THE EVENT. WITH BANDS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIP LIKELY AT TIMES AS THE LOW APPROACHES TO THE SOUTH...IT WILL BE TRICKY TO DETERMINE RAIN/SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AS IT WILL DEPEND ON THE PRECISE TIMING OF THE TRANSITION OF P-TYPE. A BAND OF MODERATE SNOWFALL IS AT LEAST POSSIBLE IN THIS SCENARIO...HOWEVER AT THIS TIME IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHERE SUCH A BAND MIGHT SET UP. THIS WILL BE A MAJOR FORECAST CHALLENGE AS THIS WEEK PROGRESSES. && .AVIATION... 16/18Z...IFR CIGS CONTINUES ACROSS THE AREA...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL SPREAD ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS ACROSS THE CWA FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. THESE SHOWERS ARE CURRENTLY IMPACTING KMCW...AND WILL MOVE INTO KALO AND KFOD THIS AFTERNOON...AND KOTM AND KDSM BY THIS EVENING. VSBYS RANGE FROM MVFR TO VFR...WITH A FEW POCKETS OF IFR. VSBYS MAY DROP DUE TO FOG AGAIN AFTER THE SHOWERS HAVE MOVED THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN CLEARING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY...BUT FOR NOW IT APPEARS TO BE JUST BEYOND THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .HYDROLOGY... WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOOD EVENT CONTINUES. THE FLOOD THREAT IS MIGRATING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH WITH TIME. BASINS OF MOST CONCERN ARE FIRST THE DES MOINES/RACCOON...FOLLOWED BY THE CEDAR/IOWA THEN SKUNK. MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING EXPECTED AT MANY LOCATIONS IN THE DES MOINES/RACCOON RIVER BASINS. ICE JAM PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO DIMINISH. SOME STREAMS ARE NEAR CREST NOW...WITH OTHERS EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL LATE THIS WORK WEEK. LOOKING ON THE POSITIVE SIDE...IF THIS RAIN DOES MATERIALIZE THEN IT WILL HAVE FALLEN AFTER THE CRESTS OCCUR...WHICH MEANS IT WOULD HAPPEN DURING THE HYDROGRAPH RECESSIONS. ONCE THE HYDROGRAPHS GO INTO RECESSION...IT TAKES A LOT OF EXTRA WATER TO TURN THEM AROUND. WE WILL HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THINGS. MANY STREAMS WILL BE SLOWER THAN NORMAL TO RECEDE POST-CREST AND FALL BELOW STAGE...AS THE RUNOFF FROM SNOW MELT AS WELL AS EXCESS SOIL MOISTURE TAKES A WHILE TO FIND ITS WAY INTO THE STREAMS. && .DMX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR EMMET...HUMBOLDT...KOSSUTH...PALO ALTO...POCAHONTAS. SHORT TERM...MS MAR 10 AVIATION...BEERENDS LONG TERM...LEE HYDROLOGY...ZOGG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DES MOINES IA 413 AM CDT TUE MAR 16 2010 IAZ006-007-016-017-025>028-033>039-044>050-057>062-070>075-081>084- 092>094-171200- WINNEBAGO-WORTH-HANCOCK-CERRO GORDO-WRIGHT-FRANKLIN-BUTLER-BREMER- SAC-CALHOUN-WEBSTER-HAMILTON-HARDIN-GRUNDY-BLACK HAWK-CRAWFORD- CARROLL-GREENE-BOONE-STORY-MARSHALL-TAMA-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK- JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS- UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR- 413 AM CDT TUE MAR 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT FLOODING WILL PERSIST ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA AND RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT IN SOME LOCATIONS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA THROUGH THIS WEEK. FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT IN SOME LOCATIONS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A RETURN OF PRECIPITATION CHANCES LATER THIS WEEK. RAIN WILL BE LIKELY ON FRIDAY...CHANGING TO SNOW IN SOME AREAS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND PERSISTING INTO SATURDAY. A NARROW BAND OF MODERATE SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING ARE ENCOURAGED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. IAZ004-005-015-023-024-171200- EMMET-KOSSUTH-PALO ALTO-POCAHONTAS-HUMBOLDT- 413 AM CDT TUE MAR 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT IN SOME LOCATIONS. FLASH FLOODING FROM ICE JAMS MAY ALSO OCCUR...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES FOR MORE DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEK. FLOOD WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT IN SOME LOCATIONS. PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR DETAILS. A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A RETURN OF PRECIPITATION CHANCES LATER THIS WEEK. RAIN WILL BE LIKELY ON FRIDAY...CHANGING TO SNOW IN SOME AREAS FROM LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY MORNING. A NARROW BAND OF MODERATE SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED...HOWEVER ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING OR ICE JAMS ARE ENCOURAGED AND GREATLY APPRECIATED. IAZ085-086-095>097-171200- MONROE-WAPELLO-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS- 413 AM CDT TUE MAR 16 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL IOWA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A RETURN OF PRECIPITATION CHANCES LATER THIS WEEK. RAIN WILL BE LIKELY FROM LATE FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...CHANGING TO SNOW AT TIMES ON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. A NARROW BAND OF MODERATE SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE DURING THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. LEE
The Sioux Falls radar (KFSD), 154 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:14 UTC.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Water rose rapidly due to an ice jam on the west fork of the Des Moines River south of Estherville. The Parkland areas near the river in Estherville flooded. Low lying areas near the river also flooded.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Iowa in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Iowa, March 2010
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: 210926.